Archery Close Shots

[7shot]

How far is your closest big game shot with a bow? I find myself practicing great distances so I feel steady and confident out to 40 and 50 yards. It has helped with kills out that far, but the ones I really remember are the closest ones. Last year my bull elk was 12 yards and my mule deer buck was 8 yards. The bull came into cow calls and I was luckily set up in the perfect spot just downwind of some small jack pines so when the bull came behind them I could draw undetected and when he cleared the trees, all 5 of my pins were on the animal, that is close!

The buck was closer, and I'm fortunate he did not bust me. He was coming up a hill on a trail on his way to a big tree that was scraped up. I drew as he was downhill, when I could not see him because I knew if I waited until I could see him that he would catch any movement. I only had to hold about 20 seconds and he was broadside at 8 yards.

Both shots were complete pass throughs, and the animals only went about 50 yards. I practice for long range, but sure get a rush from being close to these great animals. Please share your close shots and how they happened.

Best of luck in the next couple of months.

 

[Bonecollector]

I've shot a lot of deer, especially doe, on tree stand at 10 yds or less.
I like the up close and personal, but also like the longer stuff when the situation is right.

 

[tdcour]

Closest was my whitetail last year at 18. I thought that was close! Can't wait to get one under that. I had a doe at
About 5 yards last year but didn't shoot. Awesome getting that close

 

[Matthoek21]

The first deer I ever shot with a bow was 0 yds away but 20' below me. He walked under my tree stand and I shot straight down between the shoulder blades. Shot another doe like this as well. I can honestly say both shots were the worst shots I have ever taken on whitetails. I found the first buck but not after a long night of trailing and letting him lie. I never found the doe. Bled like a stuck pig but never found her. These are really bad tree stand angles. Not sure if anyone else had that problem, but I will never take that shot again.

 

[Finsandtines]

X2!

Only deer I ever shot right below me I never found. Haven't made that mistake again. 95% of my shots have all been within 20 yds. only one past 30 was an antelope. Several of those were 7-15 yds. Looking forward to some longer shot opportunities in a few weeks!

 

[25contender]

Almost all the Elk I have shot have been closer than 20yds. The closest was like 8 yds. I can remember it vividly. Out of a stand deer hunting I wont shoot anything under 15 yds it is just a bad angle. I have shot deer out to 50yds in the past.

 

[Hilltop]

If wild boar count- 1 yard. I'm pretty sure the broadhead was penetrating just as the fletching cleared my rest. I was hiding in the brush next to a thin trail that a nice boar came walking down. I was able to draw while he was 20+ yards away and he never saw me. Closest deer was about 5 yards.

 

[JNDEER]

blacktail deer walking on the trail I was standing on and shot it at around 5 feet or so.

 

[NE69]

1 yard on coyote. I was in 1 row of a milo field and saw him coming my way in next row. Recurve and he didn't have a clue till arrow hit right behind the shoulder.

 

[sambo3006]

Out of 30 some archery deer kills (most of them whitetails), my closest was also my first. A mule deer doe in western Colorado in 1997 at all of 8 steps. Boy was she surprised when she came out from behind the big spruce and I was standing there at full draw! I've shot several at 10-15 yards from tree stands and as far away as 50 to 60 yards on the ground but I would have to say that the majority of them were 20-30 yards.