16 replies to this topic

[Cyclonic]

I know I will catch "heck" for this, and possibly rightly so. But, I did it, and will confess it here.
I got off a little early today, came home, grabbed Trixie and sat behind where I keep my kayaks and trailer. Still in my work clothes, but, with a front coming in, I knew the local deer would make their way behind the house and around the bowl which makes my pond.
Well, they did. I watched two little ones come and go, then a big doe came in, with a button head and another little one. She didn't stop for a shot where I had hoped they would, but instead went to the far side of the "bowl" and stopped. She was looking to my left, at the house. I thought "Well, she's too far now, game over." Then I looked, and judged the yardage to be 52 yards. I used to shoot in the semi-pro division at ASA and IBO 3-D shoots, and, statewide I won a lot of them. So my yardage judging is pretty good.
Before I knew it, Trixie was up on my shoulder, the 50 yard cross-hair was hovering high on her shoulder, and THUMP! My personal projectile leaped across the gap in a flash! I heard the unmistakable sound of broad-head meeting shoulder, and she took off! Wait, she's running kinda funky! I see blood pouring from her shoulder! She disappears from sight, into the woods. I sit and wait for about 10 minutes, I can't stand it anymore. I go to where she was standing, there is my arrow, coated in blood, with a fletching missing.
The blood trail is immediate, and explosive! I follow for about 70 yards, and it thins out a little. I stop for a few minutes, listening so hard, I swear I can hear the woods thrumming in my ears. I follow the meager trail and it starts getting bigger, and higher on the brush. I stop again and strain both to hear, and see in front of me.
There she is! 10 yards away, down.
I say my usual prayer for the wild-things, and the gifts they provide. Go back to the house, get my rope and knife, and let my dog out. He goes straight to my arrow, still in the ground, and starts into the woods criss-crossing her trail. When I get to her, he is there, waiting for me, licking her in the face.
I know this was a long shot to take, I am ever so thank-full that it went my way. Would I do it again? I don't know. I never thought I would take a shot that far. It presented it-self, and I did.
I have passed on closer shots that were questionable. I felt it was not a shot to take. This one, however, came naturally and quickly. I hardly knew it happened, until after the fact. Guess I went on "auto-pilot".
  Will put a picture up in the morning, too dark to take one now.

[Tombob]

No one has any right to give you heck for a decision you legally make while hunting. Every hunter has a RESPONSIBILITY to take only shots that are within their personal range. We live with the consequences of the decisions we make. I shot a big 8 pointer this year with my Mathews Outback at 50 yards, the farthest archery shot at a deer I've ever taken. I do about half of my practice at that range but never thought I'd shoot that far at an animal. This buck came in early, the light was good, he was uphill from my treestand which put us on the same level, he was perfectly broadside & relaxed with nothing in the way...but most importantly- I made a decision to shoot based on the confidence I had in my ability to make the shot. 99 times out of 100 I'd probably pass at that range, I'd passed a dozen opportunities in the previous 2 weeks at ranges from 25-40 yards,mostly due to the position of the deer. This buck never knew he was hit though I got both lungs & the top of the heart, he walked away, bedded down & expired, not the normal reaction to this hit! Practice with your weapon often & stay within the range you can confidently shoot...only you will know what that range is. Congrats on your deer!

Edited by Tombob, 15 December 2011 - 08:41 PM.

[maad]

Congratulations my friend when the conditions are rite I would take a good fifty yard shot, and passed on thirty yard shots when there not. Good shooting where's the photo?    

[H&S Archer]

What broad head did you use and did you get any pics?

Edited by H&S Archer, 15 December 2011 - 10:10 PM.

[HDMann292]

Congrats on the shot and a successful recovery
With todays CBs  50 yrds is a chip shot that is if you are confidant in your abilities .I wouldnt hesitate a 50 yarder which is what I max out at the range.Next year I hope to get more range time and try the 60-75 max range.Im not sayn I will try to take a animal at that range but it would be nice to know if I really wanted to I would be able to do so.Where I hunt is 35-45 yard max range to much brush.

[Cyclonic]

Here she is! H&S, I use Crimson Talon Broad-heads. Never met a deer they didn't like!

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[Brubaker]

Good job! Excellent shot! I shot a forkhorn earlier this yr at 50 yrd with an Exomax. Great crossbow.

[urbanhunter]

Excellent, Glad it all went your way. Congrats

[Ky.Longbeard]

You da man! Congrats!

[H&S Archer]

Entrance or exit in second pic and nice looking dog. By the way I have a Dutch Shepperd puppy 6 months old I am trying to train to track deer.

[Tombob]

H&S Archer, on 16 December 2011 - 10:41 PM, said:

Entrance or exit in second pic and nice looking dog. By the way I have a Dutch Shepperd puppy 6 months old I am trying to train to track deer.

http://www.born-to-t.../order-info.htm

This book is a MUST then  

Edited by Tombob, 16 December 2011 - 10:50 PM.

[Cyclonic]

H&S Archer, on 16 December 2011 - 10:41 PM, said:

Entrance or exit in second pic and nice looking dog. By the way I have a Dutch Shepperd puppy 6 months old I am trying to train to track deer.

That's the entrance, exit was behind opposite shoulder.

[SEW]

If time of flight and ability to hit the target are the prime factors in determining "what is ethical" , then 50yds and even longer ranges should be considered ethical if 50 years ago 15-25 yards with a recurve/long bow and 30 years ago 25-40 yards with a compound were also ethical ranges. A 150'/sec traditionally shot arrow(w/o sites) and a 210'/sec compound arrow (usually w/o a range finder) were less accurate and took about the same time or more to get to the "then" ethical ranges to over twice that range today. Compound bows and x-bows can be shot at twice the range of yesteryear and still be more ethical that 30-50 years ago's accepted ranges.
Don't feel bad about your 50 yd shot. Don't think you do or you wouldn't have posted it.

PS I do think we, as hunters, have become more "ethical" in our hunting as years ago it was just generally accepted that we would occasionally loose an archery shot deer. Fortunately, that's not the case with most of us now. We have higher standards on average. At least my standards are higher now that 50 years ago when I was hunting with a  "self" bow.

[H&S Archer]

Tombob, on 16 December 2011 - 10:49 PM, said:

http://www.born-to-t.../order-info.htm

This book is a MUST then  

Thank you I will check it out.

[garner]

I enjoyed the discussions on this topic.  I was thinking about how far to consider making a shot.  I might take a longer shot at a coyote though pass the same shot on a deer.  Right now, fifty yards seems about the max for me for a game animal, that may change with more practice. What broadhead did you use?  Thanks.  Garner

[H&S Archer]

Ram Cat are some very good long range fixed heads. Mechs ??? Schwacker, NAP Spit Fire and Carbon Express F-15 dual blade

[Cyclonic]

I shoot 100 grn Crimson Talon's. On a GT III arrow, with Blazer vanes. Total weight 432 grns. If I remember right, they are going 320 fps, at the bow. These are the best flying fixed blade heads I've shot so far.