The best - close shot or long?

[Hopewell Tom]

Just in a thread on distance people will or won't shoot to on an animal. Lots of comments about getting close.
So, which is more impressive the long shot made or the successful close encounter ?

[adeeden]

Well for me, that depends on which direction the campfire smokes blowing!

[Whip]

I think I am more impressed with an extremely close shot than an extremely long one.  When someone tells of a three yard shot at an animal I can almost feel the adreneline of that type of encounter.  
Often when I hear about an extremely long shot in the back of my mind I am wondering why the heck they took that shot in the first place?

[FerretWYO]

I think whip said it. On the practice range the long shots are fun and impresive. In the hunt I respect the close shots of a good hunter. I like Joe have heard stories and thought why would they do that in the first place.

[Terry Green]

Why just enjoy one?  Short/Long....I like em BOTH!!!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I'm more impressed with a close shot. Long HUNTING shots are not what traditional bowhunting is about to me. Slam dunk shots or nothing is my motto. Of the last 15 or so deer I've killed, 7 yards was the furthest one.

I do enjoy shooting long distance on the practice range, however.

[reddogge]

I impressed myself in '08 when I passed up a shot at a magificent 8 point whitetail at 30+ yards on the ground.  Hunkered down behind the tongue of a utility trailer the shot was way too iffy for this ole boy.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

I like them all, when I hear traditional archery I think of Howard Hill and others that made shots at 40 and 60 yards often.  I am sure they missed often too but I also think people miss just as often from 10 - 20 yards.  On TV the other day I saw a wheelie bow shooter get a bad gut shot at 25 yards; so a shot is a shot, if you can make it.

[Looper]

I don't know, honestly.  I tend to think that any trad harvest is pretty darn impressive.  I do tend to think a stalking or stillhunting kill a little more highly than getting one from out of a blind or in a stand. Not that there's anything wrong with those.

[bornagainbowhunter]

i have not killed a deer over 15 yds in about 6 years. i did miss one though at that range.  I killed a deer at about 38yds 6 or 7 years ago. it was a good clean kill, but i realized that i want to get them as close as possible after that. i guess it is just a personal thing. I like shooting them a 3 or 4 yards just to know that I can get that close.  I have absolutly no problem with someone shooting the long distances IF they are capable.  If you can't shoot with confidence DO NOT SHOOT.  That is my only rule.

[joe ashton]

close for sure.  I think the reason I olve hunting with trad gear is the thrill of up close and personal.

[joevan125]

The last year i shot a wheel bow which was 2 years ago i killed 9 deer and the longest shot was 43 yds and i spined a small 8.

The rest of my shots were 12 yds and under and that was one of the reasons i switched to trad.

I killed over 200 deer with a compound in the 24 years i was shooting a wheel bow and i have kept records of all my kills.

95% of those kills were under 15 yds and thats one of the reasons i switched to trad.

2 years ago i killed my biggest buck to date with a wheel bow and he was 8 yds from the base of my tree.

Man i hope i get a oppurtunity at a buck that big this year while shooting my widow or morrison.

[stevemfwills]

my longest shot to date was 28yds.and that was with trad bow.my logest with wheely was about 20..i just new id make a killing shot with trad gear..went 40 or 50 yds.and i had a complete pass threw

[bohuntr]

All you have to do is look at my signature line below to see where I come down on that question.

[shortstroke 91]

SHORT, hence the name.
The last hog I stalked, I got to within 5 feet of. She was asleep out in the open and I still didn't get a shot. I was so focused on her that I didn't see the other 5 standing to my right and when they left she seemed to start running before her feet were even underneath her.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Originally posted by bornagainbowhunter:
If you can't shoot with confidence DO NOT SHOOT.  That is my only rule.

This should be engraved in stone somewhere.

[ron w]

The best one is the next one, hope it's close!!!

[dnovo]

Of the deer I've killed over the last 30 years with a longbow, only 3 were over 20 yards. Last year was one of them with a 9 pointer at 26 yards. Even with those longer ones my average is still less than 12 yards.
I like 'em close!

[Mike Vines]

Long or short, it really dosen't matter to me as long as it's an ethical shot your comfortable making.

[jsweka]

Making a long shot says how good of a shot you are.  Making a close shot says how good of a hunter you are.  

So I guess I'm more impressed by those who consitently kill animals at 15 yards or less.

Of course we should all aspire to be good at both.