I killed a ground hog at 65 yards. Was actually hunting with a compound shooter that used his rang finder to see how far it was. That was my farthest ever.

Whitetail farthest was paced off at 32 yards. But 90% of my shots are 10-18 yards.

There is an area on our lease in NY that is a nasty, wet, deep, thick swamp, part of which was on our farm. I don’t remember how old I was,maybe early teens. I would just climb a tree, no stand, I do remember the bow, a Ben person long bow that drew like a crowbar with a string attached.

I was standing on alimb from a white oak and a little spike was eating leaves from the brush, and I made a bad shot, 1/4 toward me, almost straight down. The poor deer ran off toward the fields, and I jumped down right away and was in chase mode when the deer turned around in the middle of the field and full-bore ran right for the nasty swamp.

I drew back with the arrow pointing up like a mortor tube and let it fly, You know when you shoot a basketball and you just know it’s a swish before the ball is halfway to the hoop??? That was what I felt, and the arrow drilled into the neck hitting the spine, sending the deer into a pile.

So much wrong with the entire deal, dumb first shot selection, trying to run the deer down, sending another arrow at a running deer in some way thinking I could keep it out of the swamp…

When I walk through that area today I can still “see’ that episode and it was a turning point in my life as a hunter. I haven’t taken a shot since then on deer that I wasn’t 100% sure of it being a ‘killing’ shot ie- 1/4 away, best angle, etc…

Shot number two was more then 100yards, less then 150yards..

Good Story! You should have bought a lottery ticket that day. Luck of the young…

while hunting woodland Caribou in 2001 in Newfoundland I missed a little bull at 12 yards. Shot low between his legs.

The bull ran to 40 yards turned and stopped, he didn’t know what I was he walked back towards me to 30 yards and turned broadside. As I started my draw, my guide ( an older guy who had never guided a stick bow hunter) leans forward and whispers in my ear ” Aim a little igher will ya matey?”

I drilled him with a heart shot, he ran 40 yards and tumbled.

Mine’s not quite as cool as some of the previous stories but I drilled a grouse at 26 paces last year. I missed on the first shot and the bird didn’t know what to do. He strutted about five more yards into the bush and as he stepped into a small opening, I dropped the string and hit him square at the base of the neck with a second arrow !! Like I said, not a real big deal but probably my best shot on an animal since taking up traditional about 2 years ago !

12 yards on MI white tail–10 point eastern count, 35lb Ben Pearson recurve. My uncle was insistent that you get close. That was in 1969 after some 4 decades I will be out there again this season with a long bow. 20 yards with .30-06 on barren ground caribou while stationed on Adak AK.

Longest shot on 2 leg prey–550 yards .30 cal. with iron sights–never could get used to them scopes:D enough said about that as I feel web mom hovering over the red key.

Point is–IMHO if you are not getting within the sensory range of your prey and ensuring the shot is going to make a clean ethical kill then your not hunting–your sniping and murdering. No offense just my opinion.8)

Mike

What Mike said in his last paragraph, yes!

I’m pretty proud of throwing a wise ass rock at a squirrel a long ways down an oak ridge as a kid. 75 yards? Boinked him right on the nut case and knocked him out. Watched him “come to” a minute or two later and stagger up a tree. Never in another lifetime could I do that again!

[quote=”colmike IMHO if you are not getting within the sensory range of your prey and ensuring the shot is going to make a clean ethical kill then your not hunting–your sniping and murdering. No offense just my opinion.8)

Mike

With trad gear I 100% agree…