This was addressed earlier. My personal opinion (and that's all it is) on whitetail shot distance has changed. The reaction time, or lack thereof, of Western game animals has not. Seems pretty simple to me. Why shouldn't we all draw our personal lines in the sand? Seems perfectly reasonable to me that if your number is 40 or 50 or 60 that should just be your number. I keep hearing about these circumstances that alter the number, but I'm not seeing any parameters that define them. And I've simply stated, many times, that my belief isn't based on any one person's situation, ability or confidence. It's based on the unpredictability of the target's location when the arrow arrives. I am. And it's 40 yards. That's my opinion and I've stated a multitude of reasons why it it such. I'm not the law and nobody has to listen to me, and I'm open for discussion as to why my opinion isn't correct. Nor will I disown someone or shame them for taking a far shot. I won't condone or endorse it, nor will I congratulate them on a job well done, but I won't try to stop them from doing it either. Until we're shooting bows in excess of 1000 fps the speed argument is one that doesn't need to be had. It's a moot point. I'm still waiting on this list of factors for varying situations. Well you listed three well known TV personalities and said we're not allowed to have an opinion on how far they shoot whitetail deer. It's a difficult concept to grasp when it comes to this line in the sand. Especially when you look at it in small increments. But when you draw a line or set a limit for yourself it comes down to a person's own self control to adhere to it. This is no different than someone trying to lose weight saying they aren't going to eat sweets - but this one cookie won't hurt anything. Or I'm going to work out 4 days a week - but skipping today isn't going to to hurt. I'm tired and don't want to go. It's a very slippery slope. It's not irrelevant at all. Opinions are largely based on life experiences. The older you get the more experience you obtain and your opinions change. Young people are inherently predisposed to taking bigger risks than their older counterparts. When we're talking about shot distance we're 100% talking about risk tolerance so age is definitely a large factor, as inconvenient of a truth as it may be.
Adding distance adds time. To me time is the most sketchy variable. So much can happen. To me it's just not worth it. I practice long range to improve my form and overall accuracy and I do want be ready for a follow up shot if I wound a deer up close but somehow get a second shot. Sadly there is no "real" data on bowhunter success rates at varying distances but I'd be willing to bet there is a pretty sharp decline beyond 30 yards. I've seen calm deer jump as tring to so that argument doesn't hold a ton of weight with me personally.
I just can't muster up the concern about what another hunter chooses to do, judge the outcome not the process.
So a 100 yard gut shot that results in a recovered deer. Judge the outcome only? Pats on the back, high fives and Busch Lights all around?
Man ... you are not a real bow hunter if you are not taking 80+ yard shots at deer sized game! That being said, the furthest that I have ever shot at and killed a deer is 28 yards. Most have been at 15 yards and less. I'm not a real deer hunter though and refuse to take a shot over 30 yards, no matter how big the deer is. To each his own though.
Not saying that just saying I am not investing the energy in being outraged. I am not a video hunter so I don't have to fret about what people think of my actions. I have my own limitations I don't expect everyone to have the same limitations. Also any celebration by me does not involve Busch Light, if a series of unfortunate events lead me to drinking Busch Light I would not have much to celebrate in my life.
30 years ago when my dad told me that I would take my largest buck in under 20 yards I laughed. Over time I have made the realization that in my quest to be a woodsman as a bow hunter the real challenge is getting close to the animal without being detected and delivering a clean ethical shot. In the last ten years the longest shot I have made on an animal was at 40 yards on a Antelope and I considered it a lucky shot, most have been under twenty and the two bucks I tagged last year were at 12 yards. I can punch paper groups of 3" at 60 yards and that is what makes me so confident at 30 yards. Y'all "long range snipers" can brag about your shots all you want but all it tells me is that you lack the skill set of scent control, good stand placement and a total failure to know your targeted animal. In other words, you've really missed the boat on what bow hunting is all about. Good luck to you though, I am sure you brag about the shot when it is a good one and run silent when you wound an animal and it suffers for your lack of sound judgment.
1st. never busch light at camp, that stuff gives you the shi... 2nd. what you said was ends justify means, if thats what you meant or not is another thing 3rd. Im not a great archer, so you are right in that not everyone has different limitations. Justin says he isn't a fan of shots over 40 yards, my personal limit is 30 based on what im comfortable with on my ability to control my heart my breathing/ ability to make good shots on a live deer 4th. it is dificult to scientifically make a statement on distance, but we all know deer are quick as my gut after busch light, distance = time Dustin has a blog piece on bhod from back in 2011 about this showing that at 30 yards a deer has enough time to hear and react to a shot 40 yards gives the deer more time id say this is a silly argument but at its base is a discussion on being as ethical to that animal as possible id side with justin strictly on that basis maybe you (not directly at you sota) can make that shot pretty consistently on a deer, but you also dont normally get in car accidents so why have seatbelts and airbags
You know to be honest I can not tell you the yardage the shots have been on deer I have shot, I hunt with a single pin set at 25 yards I have never made the conscious decision to calculate the yardage before I released the arrow. That being said my misses have been few.
Just to add this to the bucket: the speed of sound is roughly 1,116 ft per sec at sea level. the drop rate as a result of gravity is roughly 32 fps, so to drop 11" the time would be 0.029 secs considering that a deer's response time to sound has been measured to be around 0.1 to 0.2 secs (damn thats fast)
I don't personally drink Busch Light, but I imagine that people who shoot deer in the guts at 80 yards and then celebrate about it do.
Since I will be using a Raven cross-gun this season, I assume it is entirely acceptable for me to extend my range to 100 yards as advertised? Thank goodness that Iowa considers my new weapon to be archery equipment.
