20 to 25 yards max, anything further than that there are too many thing that are out of my control that can go wrong. If a deer can jump the string at 25 yards at 75 he can be 5’ off by time the arrow gets to him. I respect animals way to much to risk wounding one.

 

30 for me but given ideal conditions (weather and deer behavior) possibly 40.

 

Farthest I have taken a deer from was 40 yards, but the deer stood exactly were I had used my range finder to check. I would really rather stay within 30 yards.

 

For me it's not a question of hitting beyond 40 yards..it a question of delivering enough TKO energy to humanely harvest the animal. I practice out 100 plus yards on regular basis..but would keep shots under 40 yards.

 

I’m a 25 and under. It’s fun to shoot far but white tails are excellent string jumpers. Also isn’t the whole point of bow hunting to get close? Feels like that’s starting to slip out of our collective hunting mindset these days.

 

Generally, 40 yards would be my max on whitetails. If I'm really on my game with shooting accuracy, and every single condition was perfect, I might extend that to 60. So far, since 1987, I've never shot one beyond 35. Places I hunt generally have so much thick brush, I'd never see many shot opportunities beyond 40. Also whitetails are much more jumpy than a lot of muleys I've encountered in the high Idaho backcountry.

I've passed on many small muley bucks I've walked up on, that just looked at me and went back to feeding, even at fairly close range. Some of them may have never seen a human before. So far, I've never killed a muley. The one year I had a perfect 50 yard opportunity on a 170-ish, 5x5, 26+" muley, I'd only bought an elk tag. Having seen those a number of times at a distance, I'll just keep passing on smaller muleys, hoping my lucky number will come up again. I'd take that same perfect 50 yard shot and maybe even out to 70 on one of those muleys, all day long.

 

How much different is the taste of muley vs white tail? I've not hunted them before because s very good friend of mine started it is not the same as white tail

 

I've eaten mule deer summer sausage and jerky a number of times. It was delicious. I don't necessarily expect any plain, big buck meat to be spectacular. I'm sure backstraps would be good grilled medium rare after sitting in a marinade, at least overnight. Worst case scenario, I'd make some jerky, grind the rest up mixed with 10-20% high quality grass-fed beef fat to make burgers, chili, stuff sausages etc. People definitely eat mule deer, every year.

 

Is it going to move or not?


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Is it going to move or not?


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Would you still shoot it if it did move?

 

40 or under

 

For me, and how I set up, 22 yard quartering away is optimum.

 

I hate to shoot that far.............lol. I like the 12 yard shot all kidding aside. I'm pretty sure I'm going to a single big fat 15 yard pin this year because of my eyesight. The only issue is I have to make the sight and pin because everyone keeps going smaller and smaller. Plus I not a fan of the big expensive , multi-knob over weight & complicated slider on the market.

I could easily pay the money but I have to pay so much for something I don't like. So I'll have to get the tools out...........and make exactly what I want.

I did some trajectory testing and I can keep the arrow in a golf ball sized circle from 10 - 20 aiming dead on so that'll work great for me.

 

The way I have been shooting lately, I might wait and try to drop an arrow on a deer.


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There are days when I’d shoot my dear at 100 yards, if I thought I could get a way with it.

 

Ethical, 50yds. Well placed is up to each shooters ability. The two really don't have anything to do with each other. Mother nature over powers ability.

 

My personal max distance on a whitetail is 40 yards under perfect conditions most years. Last year I didn't practice enough to be confident to make that shot 100% of the time at that distance so my max was 30 yards. The vast majority of my shots are at 20 yards or less. Longest shot to date was 35 yards three years ago. I practice out to 50 yards usually, although I know I can hit the target from a greater distance. I just don't like the risk of missing the target and at 50 yards my groups are too big in my opinion to try any further distances.

 

I shot a deer last year at 54 yards. She had no idea I was there and didn't move. She died about 10 ft from where I shot her. Normally I prefer to get as close as possible but that wasn't an option for that one.

 

The option was: NOT TO SHOOT!!

 

I feel more confident at 10 yards barely breathing, than I do at 30 yds. in heavy dense woods of Wisconsin. But I was a very proficient with a 81mm mortar out to 3,300 yds. with traversing fire on a moving target getting fire control adjustments with the help of a forward observer.

 

There was something about leaving 4-6 Illum rds in the air to! I loved the challenge of working the numbers in the FDC as well. Good times.

 

50 yds

 

40 yards

 

I usually have tried to stay in the 20 yardish range but will stretch to 30ish if where I'm set up allows it

 

I would take a shot at a deer at 40 yards at most, but I practice out to 60 yards where I can consistently shoot a 3-shot 4" group. Having a well-tuned bow, and nock-tuned arrows helps tremendously in being consistent. Arrows also need to be trued so that broadheads spin true, and fletchings (not the broadhead) need to be adequate to steer the arrow.

 

Nothing past 40 and I'd prefer to be called Darling.👍

 

Well Dear, the furthest I have shot a Deer was in my young & dumb days about 1964-65. In the snow, a 6 pointer at 55yds with a Pearson 55# Recurve. Went about 30 yds. My closest, with the same bow in fact was about 10 feet. Now, as I evolved in bowhunting (most do) it's 25 yds or less & somewhere around 100+Deer. I know 13 were Mule Deer.. My average Recurve shots have been just under 20 yds & my compound assorted critters have been just shy of 25 yd average. I kept a log with this info & much more for over 20 years & sadly it was lost in a move. My longest Compound kill was a Cow Buffalo at 42 yds ranged by the guide. Complete pass thru with 60#s. My 1st Deer & biggame was 1958, on the ground with my 64",45# Eddings Recurve @ 35 ygs & I watched her drop. Buff 42 yds. 1st Deer 35 yds

at 30 yds, complete pass thru. Caribou 15 yds.

 

A hunter, you like so many of us, when we were young and inexperienced we were only concerned about killing something and taking shots because it might be the only chance. After one gets a few deer on the ground and we learn more about hunting and getting close we seem to be able to kill more and wound less. To me, it’s about getting close and then deciding do I want to take this animal, or pass and learn from it.

 

Shot distance is inversely proportional to hunting skill.

 

If a clear shot is available. Weather permiting, rain, or wind conditions. up to 45 yards.

 

40 yards with a bow but where I hunt most shots are 15 to 25. I've never taken a 40 yard shot but would. 100 with muzzleloader. Never killed a deer with a gun but planning to hunt muzzleloader this year.