Which do you brag about??

[DMD]

No right or wrong answer. I just find it interesting how some of us enjoy how far away deer are when we shoot, and others of us enjoy how close we can get. I tend to brag about how close I was to one when I shot. Maybe cause I'm such a bad shot

 

[Bushape]

Getting a deer within 25-30 yards for a kill is more impressive IMO than taking a canon and killing a deer at 400. While the shot is impressive that deer had almost 0 chance to see, hear, or smell you.

 

[tndeerman]

50 yards or closer head shot for sure,don't like wasting meat

 

[Easy3actual]

I have to vote on how close the got…guess it's the bow hunter in me.

 

[TX300mag]

C. Either one done consistently reflects a different set of skills to be respected

 

[Pilchard]

Neither! If it's a shot I'm comfortable with I take it. If not, I don't.

I had the largest buck I've ever had my crosshairs on this year at 320 yds. Only problem is I was holding a rifle that I'm only comfortable shooting to about 200yds. He walked off to live another day.

 

[trout]

I much prefer to hunt in the thick stuff and I really enjoy the close range encounters.

 

[Squirle hunter]

I'll shoot them close if their close but I try to not let them get closer than 100 furring muzzleloader or rifle but sometimes I ain't got no choice when hunting thickets

 

[cbhunter]

I picked "how far" because I was really proud of my mostly free hand shot at 425

But I have screwed up so many close shots that I should be much prouder of those

Muzzy/rifle don't matter. I'd much rather shoot at something at 125 than at 25 because of my history of screwing up

 

[Remi]

C. Either one done consistently reflects a different set of skills to be respected

Yep

 

[agelessssone]

Neither! If it's a shot I'm comfortable with I take it. If not, I don't.

I had the largest buck I've ever had my crosshairs on this year at 320 yds. Only problem is I was holding a rifle that I'm only comfortable shooting to about 200yds. He walked off to live another day.

Takes a wise man to know his limits

 

[knightrider]

How close, because im a horrible shot

 

[timberjack86]

50 yards or closer head shot for sure,don't like wasting meat

Helped a guy track a head shot deer once. He shot the lower jaw off and we never found it. We never shoot at the head after that.

 

[DMD]

C. Either one done consistently reflects a different set of skills to be respected

Agreed

 

[fairchaser]

Anyone can make a close shot but only those practiced can make a long shot. It does take skill to get close to game. Sometimes you can get lucky and get close in spite of your skills but no one gets lucky and makes a long shot.

 

[Roadracer6]

I only bow hunt anymore. Sometimes a close up 10-15 yard shot in the thick stuff is much harder than a 40-50 yard open field shot due to all the obstacles that can/will be there with an arrow that has an arch. It honestly all depends on the situation, but that's why I enjoy bow hunting so much, the challenge is what I'm after.

 

[redblood]

I only bow hunt anymore. Sometimes a close up 10-15 yard shot in the thick stuff is much harder than a 40-50 yard open field shot due to all the obstacles that can/will be there with an arrow that has an arch. It honestly all depends on the situation, but that's why I enjoy bow hunting so much, the challenge is what I'm after.

Me as well. I hunted only squirrels with a 22 rifle since i was a kid. Still do so today. I remember thinking when i shot my first deer with a rifle- there is no way to miss something this slow and big! I struggle to make myself shoot a deer with a gun anymore. But a bow is a different story!

 

[JN]

Both are impressive and take a different set of skills. I prefer getting close and hunting woods/thick stuff with a bow.

 

[philsanchez76]

I get way more jacked on close up shots during archery. You have to be a good woodsman to know how to set up and execute a bow shot. But then I freaking love muzzleloader season cuz I have 2 weeks to reach out and touch all those deer that seemed to be skirting me just by 50 or so yards. Rifle season is still fun but by far the least satisfying. And im definitely not gonna brag about a 100 yard shot on a field, but I sure do still love bringing home that meat.

 

[deerhunter10]

Close. Don't bow hunt nearly like I used to but still "bow hunt" them. To me much more impressive to have a deer within 50 yards than 200 plus. Imo. I will say this the guys that can legitimately shoot long distances is very impressive. The guys that think they can but don't practice and all of that and just guess that doesn't impress me at all. I would say if you ask guys that track with dogs most of the deer they track are 200 plus yards.

 

[agelessssone]

Where I hunt, my longest shot would be 60 yds but I can usually wait until they are 30-35 yds.
I hunt t out of a treestand in the clouds (34' off the ground) so rarely get winded.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

I'd rather be close. I feel like I've actually accomplished fooling one.

 

[Bushape]

I'd rather be close. I feel like I've actually accomplished fooling one.

To me it feels more like I have truly hunted the animal when I put myself in position to be close.

 

[Jcalder]

I quit trying to impress people some time in the last 7-8 years. I just do my thing anymore, usually on the side of comfort. I could get closer, but I'd have to get out of my barn and leave the heater behind.

 

[smalljawbasser]

I killed a decent buck at 300 and missed the biggest of my life at 10 yards with a muzzleloader

 

[Gravey]

I'd rather have them close. I don't have a place close by to practice shooting long range so i don't do it. On our lease around 200 yards is the farthest shot I can think of at the moment and I'm comfortable with that.

 

[megalomaniac]

Neither...its just a deer. On my TN farms, they are plentiful and ill often see 20 in 1 hunt. Now I do get excited when I kill one over 200lbs! If I decide to shoot, it makes zero difference to me whether he was 5 yards or 500 yards.

In south MS, just the opposite... I get excited to see ANY deer because there are so few and they are so nocturnal. Doesn't matter to me if I see one at 20y or 300y, was still a great hunt and I feel like I accomplished something just to SEE one, no matter how far.

Example, I've hunted 4x in the past 2.5d since the arctic blast down here (only high teens as the low... but that's still very cold for down here). Finally saw a doe and a fawn yest eve with 5 min of shooting light left. I was pumped up and back out at it again this morn!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Neither! If it's a shot I'm comfortable with I take it. If not, I don't.

This. Where I hunt there really aren't any truly "long shot" opportunities. A 200 yard shot would be long on my property. I have made those shots even with my muzzleloader. Getting a good deer close gets the heart beating faster for sure, especially when they get inside 20 yards.

There are factors that go with both, especially hunting close in woods. Even very experienced marksman can make judgement or shot anticipation errors at close ranges. Deer can pick you off when they are closer easier as well. Being close is certainly not a given.

Honestly, I prefer not to brag on my "skills" at all, I am not an experienced long range shooter and I am far from being as skilled as many here, but I do enjoy writing my stories of my kills to share the experience.

 

[timberjack86]

The longs shots are impressive but I've never had any real interest in shooting them that far. I killed one years ago a little over 400. That's the farthest I've ever shot. I got a buddy that shoots 1000 yards consistently and it's impressive!

 

[DayDay]

I don't brag so neither for me.