Mule deer, open country, and trad bows

[goosespirit]

Hey guys,

I am scheduled to go on my first mule deer bowhunt in Alberta next fall.  In talking with the outfitter, he says the average shot distance is well past 40 yards...so I have been thinking...is this possible with trad tackle?  I have been thinking of getting rid of my last compound, but this hunt has me second guessing myself.  I am looking for confirmation that killing a nice muley buck in open country is in fact possible with a traditional bow, and limited range.  Thanks, Mike

[zwickeyman]

The guide would know better than any one but I wonder if most of his clients are compound shooters that don't try to get any closer because they don't need too. I get 20 to 25 yards from Muley bucks every year in open country, I've stalked them in their beds as close as 13 yards.
  It's all a matter of effort, patience and staying whithin your max range.

   Good luck on your hunt

[Steve Leffler]

Mike, I have stalked an killed a couple mulies within 25 yards.  You can get closer than 40 yards.  No doubt you will see bucks at 40 yards that will be out of recurve range.  Just stalk closer or wait for a better opportunity.  You will have more chances with a compound but it is all what you are comfortable with.  When I was in Alberta it was good stalking cover and I was close to some nice bucks.  Use whatever you feel most comfortable with.  Lots of fun no matter what you choose.
Steve

[McDave]

The mule deer in the picture under my name was taken in open country in southern New Mexico at a distance of 20-25 yards.  If it had been any further, I wouldn't have shot at it.  As it was, I misjudged the distance and rather than hitting halfway up the body I hit about 3" low and had a heart shot, which turned out fine.  It is easy to misjudge distance in open country, as things seem to be closer than they really are.  I already knew that, and had been practicing for that, but I hit low anyway.

Open country in New Mexico means hills, arroyos, and skattered bushes and pinon pines, meaning that you do have things to hide behind, just not very many of them.

I don't know if Alberta is just flat plains where you can see for miles.  If that's true, it would be a tougher problem.  We hunted elk in northern New Mexico one year that was like that, but there was a little gulley that I could lay down in and wait for them to come up to me.  I guess there's always something you can try.

Howard Hill might be good enough to take a shot at a deer at 40 yards, but not me, unless it's a 3D target.

[Steve Clandinin]

Mike,Zwick and Steve got it right, I live right next door in Saskatchewan and the hunting is exactly the same as Alberta. I have stalked within 5 to 10 yards of monsterous big Mulies and I still wake up in cold sweats recalling the blown opportunities,play like a reptile ,watch the wind and use every bit of avaiable cover and it can be done.

[Zbearclaw]

I will be chasing bucks in the Easter Sierras of CA in 7 weeks, aka wide open country like I have seen on the tube in Alberta.  First hunt without a compound in 10 or so years.  Also in a "draw" area where I had to burn points to get the tag.

I will gladly eat the tag if I am unable to get within the needed distance to hunt with what I now see as my only weapon.  I know very successful hunters that are way better stalkers and hunters than me that never get within 40yds of their quarry, however they also take the first available shot inside 50yds or so.  

Go with what you are comfy with and work your tail off for it.  Good luck

[Orion]

That's the difference between trad gear and mechanical arrow launchers.  They shoot deer ar 40-60 yards with the mechanical arrow launchers back east, too, of course.  You just need to get closer with trad gear regardless of where you hunt.  When how you kill a critter becomes more important than how big or how many, you won't be troubled by such questions.  Good luck.

[Mo. Huntin]

It is your money and your life do what makes you happy.

[Steve Clandinin]

25 years ago when I moved out to Saskatchewan and started to hunt the Wide open spaces I had the same beliefs you did that the shots were going to be long and the Compound was the only way to go .After many close ,and I mean close encounters with Big Mulies and Whitetails I found out differant.After belly crawling within 5 to 15 yards of bedded deer and waiting in awkward positions ,things can happen real fast. Lineing up everything you had to with a compound, for me ,many times couldn't be done and I lost a lot of big deer and shot opportunities.With your longbow or recurve the opportunities became avaiable.you can line up and have that arrow gone in a quarter the time. My BIGGEST problem was between my right ear and left one ,in the beginning that the compound was actually a hindrance.Like the rest have said its how its done. Believe me you can do it ,no matter what your guide says. I won't hunt with a guide because getting close is a one person challenge,two people, twice the noise. Good luck.

[Jack Shanks]

I hunted mule deer in eastern Alberta on a couple of occasions. I found it not all that difficult to get within forty or fifty yards of a bedded buck in many cases. The real challenge is getting under twenty five. It can be done though. It just requires the right situation and lots of patients.

 Although I was never able to close the deal on one of those big Alberta mulleys I shure had a good time trying. Those were some of the most enjoyable hunts I have ever been on. I hope to return one day and try again.

Good hunting

[BradLantz]

its my opinion the only reason the shots are farther are beause the animals can be seen farther away tempting the archer into longer shots

[RickE]

I've shot around 20 P&Y mule deer almost all spot and stalk.  I've messed up on at least twice that many of course!! LOL.  These were all when I shot the compound with fingers but even then I was most comfortable with 15 to 20 yard shots and the majority of those deer were shot at that range.  Some as close as 5 yards.  I could have shot them just the same with my recurve.  You will see animals at greater distance that will no doubt tempt you but the real fun and excitement is getting within 20 yds and waiting for a good shot.  It's not easy and even when you get there sometimes you will not have a good shot.  I once snuck within about 15 yards of a big muley bedded in taller brush and waited there 7 hours without getting a clear shot at him.  I had no place to go and he was a big mature deer so I just waited him out.  He stood up only twice during the day but all I could see was his head and neck.  He finally fed away from me and never knew I was there.  Fun, fun, fun.  Good hunting, Rick.

[Jason Jelinek]

I shot the deer in my avatar at 18 yards.  Granted it was a doe, but you can get close.  Like others have said it takes the right situation and a lot of patients.  I had been sitting from my vantage point for over 2 hours before I could make my stalk, the stalk took over 30 minutes to cover less than 75 yards.

[Takedown]

Goose,
Try this, have you ever ever checked your "point on" aim?? By this I mean the distance at which you can hold the tip (fieldpoint or broadhead) on the target and hit it? For me this is right at 32 yards with my 50# Bear Kodiak and cedar arrows.

Before you automatically assume you cant hit at that distance (40yds) try this, you will be shocked at how consistant you can get. I, know, I know, its all about instinctive sighting, but the awareness of the relationship of your arrowpoint and the target will help you get comfortable shooting at greater distances than you might imagine.

I am not suggesting you use the tip of the arrow as a "sight" rather you begin to get a sense of "rightness" regarding arrow elevation/alignment while you focus on the spot you want to hit. I was amazed that I could hit what I wanted on 3-D targets at ranges from 30 to 35 yards and farther after I experimented a bit.
As usual for targets in my "preferred" range of 12 to 20 yards I just focus on the "spot" and try to make a clean release. Instinctive. Not as much trajectory to worry about at close ranges. I will probably get flamed for bringing this up, but I dont care as it has enabled me to be more consistant at greater ranges. Maybe this will help!
Good Luck,
Harry.

[Bowmania]

Do you want to kill a mule deer with a BOW?

Bowmania

[Don Stokes]

There's no shame in "aiming". It's been done since way before the term "traditional" was coined. How did the English field archers of old hit those golds repeatedly at 60 yards with 40# self bows? It wasn't by "Kentucky windage". They used the point as the front sight, and good form took care of the rest. It's all archery.

Having said that, I plant to get within 20 on my ND hunt this fall.

[larryh]

archery only became a close range sport when the internet became the teacher of choice.
those of us that have been killing animals with a bow for 50 plus years have a slightly different viewpoint.
i've been killing mulies in the sagebrush all my life. distances have been from a few feet to 40+ yards. i may not be internet p.c., but i am honest.

[Dmaxshawn]

I hunted open country muleys last year for the first time and it was an eye opener.  I took my longbow with me and it turned out that the closest I could get was around 30 yards which at the time was out of my comfort zone.  So I had to settle for a 35 yard wheels shot.  This year I have been shooting out to 35 yards on occasion in my yard so hopefully that will allow me to take a 25 yard shot on a muley which I am comfortable with on some days.  

The one most important thing that I learned about open country muleys is slow down dont get in a hurry because if you think you have all the does counted you dont.  The does got me busted so many times it was unreal.  There will be a couple does that are on the outside of the ring about 25 yards away and trust me they are on the look out.  

I read Dwight Shue (sp) open country mule deer book and it seemed to help alot.  The main thing I learned from that experience is that Muleys are harder to hunt than Whitetails but it was fun and I cant wait until this November to come around because I will be right there with them trying my heart out with my longbow and nothing else.

Shawn

[Mike Yancey]

You pick your stalks,find the ones that bed so that it will allow you to stalk into your comfort zone. Then its up to you to get there without getting busted. Not all stalks will work out as close as you would like. You are the hunter not the outfitter its up to you to get it done and get in as close as you can, but it can be done.

[BradLantz]

larryh     good point, Fred Bear didn't have an issue shooting whatever shots he felt he could make, did he?

But that said, there is a myth about out west and longer shots.

I killed my KS whitetail last year at about 5-6 steps I reckon. I could have shot at him at 35 yards. I saw some bucks at 50, 60 yards and beyond.

I just don't believe that because you can see the animals farther away means you have to shoot them farther away.