# what do you think



## wannabe (Dec 24, 2007)

Started off as a good deer season this year,killed a button buck and a small 9 pointer with my compound. First deer ever with a compound.Then went out for gun season and spotted a doe sleeping on the other hill.Went from 150 yards to 99 yards on my hands and knees sat up and made the shot. Doe went 10 yards then fell over.Ever since then I feel like it wasn't fair to shoot from that far.I have been hunting for 14 years and probably killed close to 30 deer but this is by far the longest shot.Most are under 40yards.I wonder how others feel about shooting long distances? Is it fair for the deer?I have lost the urge to deer hunt because of that shot.Any thoughts?????


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

I'm desprate for deer meat so any chance I get to put one down I do it. If I had more productive ground I would be more choosy.


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

I have never worried about distance shooting with a firearm. If it bothers you stick with bowhunting.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

Well, you made a kill shot, so I see nothing wrong with it. Now if you had wounded the deer and never found it, that would be a different story.

Typically, I would never make that type of shot unless I was using my muzzleloader and had a very clear shot. Don't worry about it man. There are guys who shoot deer at 300 yards with rifles.


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## gainer888 (Sep 27, 2007)

I wouldn't worry about it. With today's shotguns 100 yds is a relatively straight shot. I would rate it similar to a 30 yard shot with a bow, challenging, but accurate enough to get a reliable kill shot. Now if you are using a smooth-bore barrel with open sights it is a different story.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

When you elected to kill this deer you were obligated to do your best to make a clean and quick kill, you did that.

Does the degree of difficulty somehow validate one kill over another. If so for who? Is how others view you and your hunting prowess your real issue here?

I see the object of deer hunting as an expended effort to kill a deer. The weapon of choice does not really change the objective or the completion, it only changes the methods to achieve the objective.

I speak only for me, but I don't think of you as a better hunter because you killed a couple of deer, in close, with your compound bow this year and also don't view you as less of a hunter because you shot a doe at 99 yds with a gun. Your skill or worth as a hunter is within you , not your weapon and yardages of the kills.

I guess I don't really understand where you are coming from. Please try and explain.

Thanks,
Kim


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## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

Nothing wrong with a long shot if you have confidence in yourself,your gun and the conditions.


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## wannabe (Dec 24, 2007)

What I think I'm trying to say is do you think the deer had a fair chance.At 99 yards and sleeping.I know that the gun and me are both capable of that shot.I've never been a fan of people shooting deer from so far away(300yards) that even if the deer sees you it thinks it's safe.Maybe I'm looking at this wrong , maybe I should be happy with a long succesful clean shot.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

wannabe said:


> maybe I should be happy with a long succesful clean shot.


Out of all of the possible outcomes you achieved the best, be happy


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## wannabe (Dec 24, 2007)

Thanks Lundy!


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## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

I personally don't have a problem with people shooting longer distances as long as they have practiced at those kind of distances and are completely familiar with their gun. It shows more skill at hunting to take your quarry in close I think. I've shot at deer over 70 yds twice in 28 years of hunting - once at an obviously crippled buck (I missed) and once at a bedded doe. I managed to gut shoot the doe and spent the next 4 hours tracking her and finally found her. I get real tired of listening to the morons bragging about 125 yd shots at running deer, etc.

That said, if you were confident in your 99 yd shot when you took it then by all means take it. You did well as far as I'm concerned.


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## wannabe (Dec 24, 2007)

thanks for the input everybody


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## Bigun (Jun 20, 2006)

Ill ask this question, Would you have felt like you earned it if you would have been walking into your stand at 9am smoking a cigarette and shot a deer at 25 yards because you got lucky? Many people do this every year, they don't hunt they get lucky. you spotted a deer, stalked to within your comfortable range and made a clean kill. you are a hunter, practicing stalking and learning to make longer shots are part of it. and if you still feel bad, my button buck this year didn't fill my freezer, I'll gladly take that guilt ridden doe off your hands


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## wannabe (Dec 24, 2007)

Thanks Bigun I guess I was looking at things the wrong way.If you would have been there when I got done checking her in I would have gladley given her to you.I give most of mine away anyways.My wife won't eat deer so it gets to be a hassle to cook 2 meals.But my friends sure enjoy it.


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## mhcarphunter78 (Dec 3, 2007)

You should be pleased with the skill you horned. You spotted a deer at 150 yds, crawled on your hands and knees for 50 yds and made a perfect shot. To do that, you got the wind direction right, made no noise and stayed hidden from her view. What a great hunt!!! Congrats


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## LongCut (Jul 31, 2007)

I think Bigun has it right. How many "hunters" shoot deer every year that get lucky? The smoking the cig while peeing out of the stand that I got into at 0900 because I was too hungover to get up early hunters make me crazy. But it is those "hunters" that seem to get lucky. Take Mike Beatty for an example. I could be totaly off base with this as I don't know him from a hole in the wall but: He killed one of the biggest deer on record. He got into his stand at around 4 o'clock. He planned on shooting a small 8 point that he rattled in, but could'nt get the shot off. Next thing he knows the monster comes in. He takes a below average shot on the deer and ends up being a hunting "icon". Don't get me wrong, it is one hell of a deer, and like I said before, I don't know him so he may be one hell of a deer hunter.

My point is this, you saw a deer that you wanted to harvest. It was apparently out of your "comfort range". Instead of trying a shot that you were'nt 100% on, you crawled until you were comfortable with the shot, and then apparently killed the deer cleanly. GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!!

I started hunting deer in PA where any idiot with a rifle is a "deer hunter". NOTE TO HILLBILLIES: JUST BECAUSE YOUR GUN IS CAPABLE OF 1000 YARD ACURACY DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE!. I have sen more wounded deer then I care to remember. (3 leggers, jaws hanging, gut shot, you name it) The last deer my brother killed had it's skin/fur blown off of it's side, just a big bloody patch bigger than a basketball. You could see it's ribs and guts before he dressed it. He told me he watched a "father/son team" unload their guns at it (while it was running) before he put it out of it's misery. 

I don't care if you like to take deer at 5 yds or 5000 yds. To each his own. But make DAMN sure you can make the shot before you take it, please!



Mr. Beatty, if you are reading this, keep in mind that Stan Potts took a similar shot on the monster he killed a few years back. No matter how you may take this post, you killed one hell of a deer!


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## marshal45 (Mar 8, 2007)

If you are that upset about the shot, I wouldnt do it again b/c maybe next time you wouldnt be that lucky. You probably really would have been upset if you hit it in the leg or hind and it got away. You made a great shot and you must have had confidence in yourself to do so. 

I can appreciate a good clean kill. I like that you stalked it to get closer for a better shot. I dont think a lot of hunters would have done this rather they may have taken a 150 yard shot. I agree with you and I see where you are coming from. I made an 80 yard shot about 5 years ago on a doe and double lunged her and she ran 20 yards and that was it. I never felt bad about my shot but to this day I wonder if I would make that good of a shot so I will not take it again. I will not take a shotgun shot over 50 yards or a bow shot over 25 yards because this is where I am confident. 

Because of this theory in the last 2 years I have had to pass up on 3 pope and young bucks because I wasnt sure of the shot. The first one was only 20 yards away but the deer was walking fast towards some does and I didnt want to take a moving shot. A friend of mine killed this deer later and it was a 10 pointer with a 26 inch inside spread that scored 163. This year I had two monsters come 12 yards away but both were facing me and I just wasnt comfortable with the shot. If you practice from 100 yards and you are consistent, more power to you and take that shot every time. I made my decision on shots when I was young and shot a button buck in the rump. Luckily he only went about 15 yards before I made a clean shot that he never even felt through the vitals. I just kept thinking about the shot I made in the rump and how stupid it was to shoot at a running deer. Some like deer drives, I stay away for this reason. Bottom line: There are a lot of idiots out there that take 300 yard shots at a deer, or that I hear shooting an elk with a rifle from 400 yards and knocking its leg off. Give me a break. You are not this type of hunter. So, congratulations on your deer and it will be a memory for a lifetime.


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