Now that's a long shot, or is it?

[WapitiTalk1]

We ran this one a while back and it sparked some good discussion.. Let's run it again

The question I ask is simply this.... After your bow is dialed in and you're shooting well, very well, hunting season well, what is your comfortable range for shooting an initial arrow at:

A. A stationary elk that has no idea you're even in his state. He's feeding or drinking, completely motionless, and the wind/thermals are minimal (and every so slightly blowing in your favor), what do you feel your maximum effective and deadly range is for scenario A?

B. A very nervous elk who has came in to your calls, or, perhaps is walking by your ambush point on a trail. He's alert and is suspicious of something that is not quite right. The wind/thermals are swirling a bit and the beast may bust at any time. What do you feel your maximum effective and deadly range is for scenario B?

There is no significant brush, branches, grass, rain, hail, locust swarms, etc., in the path of your arrow for both scenarios and the terrain is relatively level out to say, 100 yards for both situation A and B. And please, no ethical this or that comments. Just want to see what my fellow wapiti hunters have established as "their" personal limits for loosing an initial arrow. I know some of you don't like to set personal limits and will let the situation dictate but be honest, I think we all have our distance comfort limits... What are yours for scenario A and B?

[Wyo67]

Scenario A - 50 yards
Scenario B - 40 yards

However, there are always other considerations such as weather (is it going to rain in the next hour or so) or other conditions that come into play. For example, last year I was presented a scenario A at 55 yards. I did not take the shot. This elk was within 25 yards and facing a severe incline (downhill) that led to private property within a 1/4 mile. I assumed that even with a perfect shot, there was a reasonable chance he would have taken off downhill and crossed the boundary. As a side note, I also had failed to recover an elk a few days earlier despite an excellent blood trail. I could not justify the risk of losing it.

[Kessler10]

A-50 Yards

B-40 Yards

[Tigger]

This is a great discussion for me as a fairly new archer. The same concept can be applied to gun hunters as well although the nervousness of the elk has a much smaller effect.

I would have to say my answer will be the same, 50 and 40. However, I am not there right now. At this very moment in time I would say 40 and 40. I need some practice at 50.

One thing I am curious to see is what affect the nervousness will have on people's answers. Wyo67, Kessler10, and I have that at 10 yards. One additional question I have is at 30 yards, do you do anything different if the elk is nervous other than maybe not taking your sweet time?

[2011bullyelk]

I would say 60 and 40 for me. I killed a doe antelope that was skiddish to say the least last year with a well placed arrow at 57 yards after a long and daunting belly crawl.

[elk.addict]

60, 30

[six]

A. 50 yards

B. 40 yards

[MLayden]

A: 40
B: 30

Can shoot well without pressure to 50, but don't trust myself to effectively kill anything at that distance. (note: haven't killed anything with my bow yet... )

[pointysticks]

60 40

But: I think our bows are virtually silent further away. So unless the nervous animal sees movement.....

[BrentLaBere]

A. 60 to 70 yards
B. 15 or less.....or give him the pass.

[wawhitey]

This will be my second year bowhunting, first year with a compound. Im limiting myself to 30 yards. Which is actually as far of a shot as ill be able to get in my plan a and plan b spots. Whether the elk is oblivious or nervous is no difference, ill do 30. But good likelyhood of 10-20 yard shot opportunity happening.

[ElkNut1]

A- 60 yards

B- 40 yards providing he stops or I stop him dead!

ElkNut1

[Lefty]

Ill reach out to 60, maybe
While even a very nervous animal, Im not going to rush to make a bad shot. But Im going a bit shorter maybe 25 yards,all depends

[chipick]

60.
30.
I got a cow last year in senerio B. At 25 yards.

[Wyo67]

This is a great discussion for me as a fairly new archer. The same concept can be applied to gun hunters as well although the nervousness of the elk has a much smaller effect.

I would have to say my answer will be the same, 50 and 40. However, I am not there right now. At this very moment in time I would say 40 and 40. I need some practice at 50.

One thing I am curious to see is what affect the nervousness will have on people's answers. Wyo67, Kessler10, and I have that at 10 yards. One additional question I have is at 30 yards, do you do anything different if the elk is nervous other than maybe not taking your sweet time?

Practice, practice and more practice... IMO, having a bugling bull coming into your calls is one of the most exciting things that you can experience in the wild. You have to be able tone that down a little and focus on making the shot once you start your shot routine. Anchor point, sight picture, spot picked, follow through etc... all of that has to be second nature once you decide to pull that string. I practice at yardages out to 80 to help make the shorter distances "easier".

To answer your second question, other than being prepared to take the shot as soon as it presents itself, I don't think I do anything different. The bull in the profile pic was taken at 20 yards with a frontal shot because of the unexpected direction he came from and I didn't think I would get the classic broadside or quartering away shot as his body language made it appear as if he was ready to bust. But, with the practicing I had been doing, I knew I could put 10 out of 10 arrows through a 3" square at that distance.

Hope that helps,
Mike

[one_elk]

40, 15

[Huntrgathr]

Scenario A implies " perfect" conditions - 65yds

Scenario B - couldn't say without being there. Is he looking for me ? Is he looking for the caller ? Does he stop when I grunt ? What's his body language telling me when the grunt does stop him ? Capitalizing on a quickly developing shot opp on a moving bull is, I think, one of the most difficult things to do. So many variables - and decisions have to be made in a split second. That bull can " duck an arrow" even at very close distances. It's argued that shooting at an alert animal ( deer especially) at close range may be worse than shooting at one further away...

On that note, There are some major advantages to spot and stalk hunting because shots ops tend to develop more slowly and give you more of a chance to get ready. Bulls running in like a freight train ( or creeping in silently to a team setup), are a highly unpredictable thing... At least in my experience. Not arguing against calling them in because that's one of the most exciting things a hunter can experience but, at ANY distance I'd rather shoot an animal that isn't on high alert vs. one that is ..

[Charina]

It's been 18 years since I bow hunted. So, I guess my answers would be <10 yards for both!

What I wanted to add was a video I ran across the other day that is a "long" shot on an elk, and you can see the elk flinch, likely causing the arrow to hit the shoulder non-lethally, and not pass through the ribcage. They did a good job editing and showing the shot in slow-mo.

[Indian Summer]

A: 45

B: 35

Way back in the beginning of time I set my closest pin at 15 yards. So unlike 99% of people my pins are set at 15, 25, 35, and 45 yards. If they weren't my answers would be 40 and 30. I like sure shots and nothing less and if I don't get a chance for one there's always gun season.

[twinkieman]

A. 50
B. 40

[Toby]

A.25

B. 15

I am hunting with a recurve this year, so my distances are much less than most. I'll turn 65 years old in September, hopefully chasing elk on my birthday. I have a dream to,take an elk with a stick bow, hopefully get it done this year.

[ishy]

60, 40. Cameran Haynes preaches practicing out to double of what your effective range is and I think it's a pretty good rule to go by.

[Mike_Parson]

I would have to say 70 yards for A and 50 yards for B.

I pratice out past 70 yards all the time. i live in NM and we have to shoot long distances more often than up close. My bow is tuned to shoot 10 arrows inside of a 5 inch circle at 70 yards and i feel that is fairly good for either elk or deer that are calm at that range.

[Fridaythe13th]

Last night I shot bow for the first time with my new sight (MBG) and my new release spot hogg wise guy. The range only had 20 yrds. So for me the 20 yard pin is the only one I have sighted in with, last year set up I would say
A: 60
B: 40-45
A: If I ranged the elk at 62 yards I think I would take the shot. But I know 70 yrd pin was out of my range.

Hopefully with the upgrade in equipment I can push it out a little farther.

[Lefty]

My first two years hunting were incredible as far as getting close to elk and a dozen over 6x6 bulls. I passed on a lot of shots between 22- and 60 yards. That was before my shoulder surgery and I was shooting 43 #.
One herd of over 50, two spikes 2, huge 6x6's a total of 6 bulls slowly walked by some stopping and looking at the strange rock ( me ) 43-47 yards . Nearly no wind, wide open desert grass. I passed and just ranged each animal: All shooters now days
I even tried to let down on a group of bulls (I had to release the arrow into the ground) all under 40 yards. My range I set for myself was 27 yards


Ill draw out to 60; If it feels right.
A nervous animal if Im at draw I think Ill shorten that to under 20.
Ive been watching some shots on DVDs in slow-mo, it is amazing how much an animal will move from the release of an arrow