110 yard Archery deer shot, any input or opinions?

[AllTheAbove]

Outdoor Life questions the hunter’s morality. It was a 110-yard frontal bow shot that some see as incredible marksmanship and some have called an irresponsible stunt? “It’s hard to say how far the deer went after the shot, but from the looks of the shot and the deer’s reaction, it doesn’t look like they had much of a tracking job. However, the frontal shot is always one of controversy. If you practice this shot routinely and really understand the vitals of your quarry, then it can be a lethal shot and put game down quickly.” See the hunting video here with the long-range-shot.

http://huntervids.com/?videos=long-a...-doe-hunt-2010

[Mekanik]

Not a shot I would've taken, personally. My skill with a bow isn't that good to be confident in the result.

Glad his was

[H380]

A frontal shot on any big game animal with a bow is questionable at any distance.. at 110 yds it is totally irresponsible I don't care who you are or how good a shot you are .

[Stinky Coyote]

lol, not even going to watch the vid but hard to comment on a guys skill if you don't know or ever shot with him, lots of todays boys have more speed and energy at 100 yrds than bows had at the muzzle only 6 years ago...so a stout bow now at 100 yrds would 'end to end' a deer pretty easy

all i can say is its totally up to the guy behind the wheel, if he's talented and felt comfortable, i'm not judging, you can't kill it if you don't shoot at it and very few people would be comfortable with that shot...but i have no doubt there are those talented/practiced enough that in good conditions could make that shot more times than not...

would that be any different than a 700 yrd shot with a rifle?

i say don't hate, congratulate! lets be positive to fellow hunters

[laut]

this is a irresponsible shot. I don't care how much you practise with your bow. 110 yards is out of limit. The worst part is to have a wounded animal running around with a arrow in its belly. They should never promote this type of story to anyone. Now, everyone think it is ok to shoot at a deer with a bow at that range !!!! what a joke !!
it is ok if you are shooting at a target but not a live animal. Do you know how long it takes for a arrow to get to the animal at that range ??? Anything could happen during the arrow flight. The deer could easily make one step ahead and you will get a gut shot. Archery hunting is not just able shooting at animals. it is about ethic and respect.
What!! congradulation and not hate ??? for what !??

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by Stinky Coyote

i say don't hate, congratulate! lets be positive to fellow hunters

You should get that slogan put on a t-shirt....we could make it the new AO membership shirt!!

[kayaker]

That shot on a 3D target would be very good shooting - if he can do it consistently it would be phenomenal shooting!

However on a living animal I wonder how repeatable this would be? What percentage would be wounded by shooter inconsistency? What percentage would jump the string? These things can happen at any range but the chance just increases exponentially when stretched.

The hunter with accumen then asks not wether he thinks he can maybe pull it off but if he honestly thinks he could do it everytime with the lowest probability of mistakes and mishaps....

[airbornedeerhunter]

I love it when the almighty, holier than thou, ethics police chime in. Maybe the guy practices for hours every day, maybe he has practiced long range shots such as that one over and over again. What's worse? A long range front on shot from someone who is completely capable and competent to take one or a shot from a guy on a deer broadside at twenty yards who shoots his bow once before archery season and ends up hitting it in the guts? Stay in your lane folks, if you are comfortable with long range shooting with archery or firearms do it, if you aren't, don't do it. So easy to judge without knowing the specifics of his skill level, equipment, conditions etc. The end result was a well placed arrow and a dead deer. End of story.

[catnthehat]

Ethics and distance, type of weapon, baiting , etc have been either discussed positively or bashed since Gronk started using lighter arrows and faster bows .

The local Saber tooth Tiger expert, Oock, called him all kinds of bad things and the local tribe became divided.

The arguments on both sides have not changed.

Cat

[nekred]

That shot was *****house luck pure and simple....

Frontal shot... 2 inches either way and you have a horribale maiming wound... you have to split that brisket...

90m Fita (100 yards) with target bows and guys that have practised their whole life who can hit a dime indoors consistently for 58/60 shots make a 6-8 inch group at 90 metres and is some dang fine shooting...

Now throw a hunting bow, hunting conditions, potential for animal movement, broadheads and buck fever into the mix and that shot becomes even more amazing....

As for bows having more energy tody.... Crap on that.. 20 years ago a Martin Fury could get a 400 grain ACC arrow to 320 fps at 70 lbs.... It just sounded like a dryfire everytime it shot.... Tremendous energy... Today there are bows that will do the same at 70 lbs but a whole lot less noise...

In fact my old Martin Impala moved a 375 grain arrow at 305 fps.... I won a long distance shot with it once (150 yards) but out of 100 archers there were two of us that hit it... One was a trad shooter who hit the knee, and I will admit it is *****house luck but I pinned it....

In fact i would not call this guy a bowhunter... he may have used a bow but to me bowhunting means I am willing to take a handicap to prove my skill in hunting and getting close.... Not using a weapon because that is the only weapon I can use in that season and try and push the envelope beyond the extreme.... and then think I am a "bowhunter"...

[Mutter87]

irresponsible, way to many variables. Regardless of whether or not he practiced 10 hours a day, People are going to read this and assume they can do it to. This gives a bad name to bow hunting.

[Ken07AOVette]

I have seen many "hunters" go out with a shiny new bow, shiny new arrows after deer when they can not hit a garbage can lid at 20 yards. Who is more irresponsible?

We used to practise on a 2x2' target at 100 yards all the time and did well, but I would never take that shot on a deer. ( or bear, moose, turkey )

We lobbed them in at 200+ on gophers though

[Redfrog]

Great shot!!!!Congratulations!!! Dead Deer. Jerky MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!:sHa_shakesho ut:

[209x50]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

You should get that slogan put on a t-shirt....we could make it the new AO membership shirt!!

Yeah, right on. Great shot!

[scrapper]

I am not a bow hunter so I will let them debate the morality of this shot, from pure physics it would sure seem there are a lot of variables that could of changed the outcome. The wind for example, I am not sure knowing a gust of wind at the wrong second could cause a horrible maiming wound on the animal. That ceratianly brings the shot into question. But then again there are long range hunters taking animals with rifles out to 1000+ yards. That to can raise a few hackles with the purists. I guess eveyone has their own personal threshhold.

[elkhunter11]

I won't judge the person's ethics without knowing his abilities. If the shooter practises regularly at that distance, and he can make the shot at least 90% of the time, then it would be ethical for him to attempt the shot. If he doesn't shoot targets regularly at that distance, and he has not proven his abilities at that distance, then it was irresponsible for him to attempt the shot.

[duffy4]

Originally Posted by kayaker

That shot on a 3D target would be very good shooting - if he can do it consistently it would be phenomenal shooting!

However on a living animal I wonder how repeatable this would be? What percentage would be wounded by shooter inconsistency? What percentage would jump the string? These things can happen at any range but the chance just increases exponentially when stretched.

The hunter with accumen then asks not wether he thinks he can maybe pull it off but if he honestly thinks he could do it everytime with the lowest probability of mistakes and mishaps....

This is a pretty good comment on the shot. If the deer were to wiggle a bit from a fly near its ear the shot could go astray.

Skill and practice on PAPER targets can make the shooter a great shooter. However if you are off a couple of inches you don't get a kick in the guts. But live targets have a habit of moving.

I would like to see 100 videos of people taking 100 yard shots at a live deer (not really). I reckon there would be the odd spectacular kill shot. Most would be clean misses and a few would draw blood and inflict injury.


I love it when the almighty, holier than thou, ethics police chime in. Maybe the guy practices for hours every day, maybe he has practiced long range shots such as that one over and over again. What's worse? A long range front on shot from someone who is completely capable and competent to take one or a shot from a guy on a deer broadside at twenty yards who shoots his bow once before archery season and ends up hitting it in the guts? Stay in your lane folks, if you are comfortable with long range shooting with archery or firearms do it, if you aren't, don't do it. So easy to judge without knowing the specifics of his skill level, equipment, conditions etc. The end result was a well placed arrow and a dead deer. End of story.

I think you have missed the point. Long range shots on PAPER are great. On live targets, not so much.

[pottymouth]

Shooting game with archery gear at those distances, and a frontal shot to boot!

Is like,

Having sex and relying on the pull out method!

Sure the more you do it the better you get at it. You only show your friends the footage of the good ones. It always feels right at the moment. Everyone believes everyone tries it, at least once. But its the failed attempts, that most people dislike. Where the shooter usually disappears, and leaves the dear to deal with the consquences scared, hurt and alone! That becomes the unmentionable! And hopefully no one knows your name, address or has that footage..... Denial, denial, denial if someone finds out you were the one that screwed up!

[thefloormat]

if he can honestly say he can shoot that shot consistently every time, then I will back him in any archery competition in the world. Theres no reason he should be #1 in the world for outdoor target, the 90m shots for him would be a sinch.

In reality, thats the luckiest shot I've ever seen. I know lots of videos out there on the web show guys shooting targets 100+ yards away, and ya it can be done, but not with any consistancy whatsoever.

Look at how much a sniper with a rifle takes in to account for a 1000m shot, that has to be comparable to a bow at 100 yards. Snipers can miss, it's allowed in that game. In the hunting world, we shouldnt be putting ourselves in a position to take a shot where a miss/wound is a possibility. Every shot should count.

Now not saying **** doesnt happen where you do miss, i just mean we need to plan out every shot to be 100% on the money as hunters. A bow shot like that, is throwing your cards to the wind, and i would bet money that guy has some wounded animals that he has either had to track long distances or has lost in the past.

[bessiedog]

Potty. That is the best answer ever to this one! Good ER!

I blew up on this topic last fall. Not gonna go there again.

You 'to each his own' crowd need to give your heads a shake.

Look up the old thread, not gonna re-rant here

[jack88]

Nice shot, let me see him do that same shot 3 more times with the same result. Then I'll make my mind up about the guy from there.

[thefloormat]

Originally Posted by bessiedog

Potty. That is the best answer ever to this one! Good ER!

I blew up on this topic last fall. Not gonna go there again.

You 'to each his own' crowd need to give your heads a shake.

Look up the old thread, not gonna re-rant here

i subscribed to this thread so I could follow it more, as i am steaming here in my seat with the "to each his own" as well, I'm gonna join bessiedog on this one. I'm out, no need to read this story any more, I'll just take 5 years off my life arguing about it.

[338Bluff]

First how do we know that the shot was actually 100+ yards? Other than that dudes word for it.....I don't see any rangefinder display in the pic.

I have been shooting for nearly 25 years, practice nearly every other day when I can, and would be considered better than average. I struggle to see any reason to take that shot unless you are trying to finish a badly wounded animal.

No one should be tempted to take a 110 yard shot at a deer. They're critters not targets. Hunters should always try to make that distinction.

[catnthehat]

Any time ethics are brought into an argument - and make no mistake about it, this is an argument, not a discussion, many people seem to forget the written laws that bind the hunter.

Deer have been killed and also wounded at the distances many consider ethical, with rifles, shotguns, and bows.
The have also been killed at distances many consider unethical.
The fact remains that each shot that was taken , if it was within the law, was their choice to make.

I don't agree with a man that shoots a bird on the ground or water, but it's legal.
Cat

[209x50]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Any time ethics are brought into an adrgument - and make no mistake abiut it, this is an argument, not a discussion, many people seem to writtenforget the laws that bind the hunter.

Deer have been killed and also wounded at the distances many consider ethical, with rifles, shotguns, and bows.
The have also been killed at distances many consider unethical.
The fact remains that each shot tha was taken , if it was within the law, was their choice to make.

I don't agree with a man that shoots a bird on the ground or water, but it's legal.
Cat

The truth is there will always be a margin of error in every shot. Some weapons are much higher risk for wounding than others. Do we elimate all the low percentage weapons as well?

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by 209x50

The truth is there will always be a margin of error in every shot. Some weapons are much higher risk for wounding than others. Do we elimate all the low percentage weapons as well?

Exactly! Where is the line drawn?
I have actually talked to some rifle hunters at the range who met me who think that bow hunting is inhumane, unethical, and completly WRONG.
They usually add something like " not like you , who shoots a modern rifle"
Conversation normally stops when I tell them I have been bow hunting since the mid sixties!!

Cat

[airbornedeerhunter]

@ Duffy 4 Where does it say he shoots at paper? Maybe he has a 3D target that he has sunk countless arrows into at that range. Maybe he specifically practiced that shot hundreds of times. In the army we have a saying. "you can't argue tactics" In the hunting world, you can't argue ethics. If a hunter is certain he can make the shot, then he has done his due diligence and has made a decision based on the unique circumstances of that particular event. If he doesn't tale the shot then he has done the same thing.

[Jadham]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I don't agree with a man that shoots a bird on the ground or water, but it's legal.
Cat

Having maxims is problematic as there can always be situations that may cause one to have to break them.

For example, last season one of the ducks I shot was crippled but still able to dive. It became a diving machine and was swimming/diving circles around my young dog. I used a pinning shot on that bird and it was then harvested successfully and humanely.

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted by 209x50

The truth is there will always be a margin of error in every shot. Some weapons are much higher risk for wounding than others. Do we elimate all the low percentage weapons as well?

No, we should eliminate low percentage shots! But to many videos now a days glorifying the long distance shots! I for one find more exciting to watch a guy shoot something at less than 5 yards!

I guess I'm of the opinion of ,that I enjoy hunting more than just shooting!

[CLB]

Anyone who takes a 110 yard shot at a live animal with a bow has no common sense at all. I don't care if he can hit a target like that 9 out of 10 times. A live animal is not a target. He may still hit that spot he is aiming at at 110 yards but that spot may now be the animals ass. He may feel confident he can make that shot on a target but he is delusional if he is confident he will make that shot on a live animal, no matter how good of a shot he is.