Blood & Consequences
By: Steve Flores
“That’s got to be 50 yards”, I softly whispered, as my best friend slowly drew to anchor. Just up the hill from our position, a rut crazed buck was putting his best foot forward, trying to win the affection of a single doe. He had acknowledged our presence, but gave us little thought as he quickly turned his concentration back to his new found devotion. The doe, seemingly more concerned with the intentions of her pursuer than with us, gave my friend and I the opportunity to continue with our own objective.
From the corner of my eye I noticed my partners bow arm slowly rise to compensate for the extended shot range. Meanwhile, lost inside his hormonal daze, the buck continued to stand broadside and motionless. In the twinkling of an eye, the arrow was gone. The CX 300 was already halfway to it’s target before I even realized it had been launched. With the precision of a surgeon, the arrow cut a straight path directly to the chest of the unsuspecting buck. Upon impact, the small mechanical broadhead drove through him like a hot knife through butter. It was akin to shooting through a patch of fog. If my buddy were to have walked up and picked his point of impact, it would have been in the exact same spot that was now flowing heavily with bright red blood. It was a thing of beauty. It was flawless.
The buck took two hops and came to a standstill. Having no clue that he was settling on ill-fated hoofs, he kept his attention on the doe who was well on her way out of the area. As he turned to follow suit, his legs rapidly became unstable. Within seconds he was clumsily crashing down the hillside toward us. Months of shooting at long distances and carefully selecting each component in the broadhead/arrow recipe had paid big dividends. My pal’s freezer would have a little less space by sun down, and we couldn’t stop smiling.
Looking back on that shot, one question always seems to arouse my psyche. How far is too far when taking shots at big game animals? Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? But present that question to a hundred bowhunters and you are likely to get a hundred different answers. Opinions are strong and just as diverse, and yes, everybody’s got one; including me.
It is a controversial subject. One that often times creates conflict, jealously, and even anger within the ranks of the bowhunting community. Some fellow hunters might suggest that you never shoot past 20 yards. While others may encourage a “let er’ fly” way of thinking. Taking into consideration all of the debate, one might question if an answer even exists. I think it does. However, it may not be the one you’d expect.
Ethical is described by Webster’s as: “Of or relating to ethics, involving or expressing moral approval or disapproval.” When considering that definition, with regards to bowshots taken at game animals, I feel that an ethical shot range does exist. Now before you start gathering a posse, and demanding to watch me swing from a short piece of rope, please allow me to clarify my views.
I think that the moral approval or disapproval, along with the distance of the shot, is as individual as the sport itself. What I mean, is that I consider it to be totally up to the person behind the bow to make the judgment on how far is too far. I’m just not authorized to make that call for anyone but myself. Good or bad, right or wrong, I live with every shot that I have taken. And to be honest, it’s difficult enough carrying my own load. I do not want, nor do I need, to be the judge and jury on the shots you take.
What if someone would have whispered “Fred Bear, don’t take that shot!” back in Sept. 1957. On that fateful day, Papa Bear drew back on a Stone sheep of world class proportions. The trophy stood just over a slight ridge facing the legendary hunter. What transpired has become known simply as “The Shot”. The renowned archer was unable to come to full draw on the sheep, for fear of hitting it square in the head; which by the way, was the only part of the animal visible at that moment. So what did he do? He short drew his recurve bow and dropped a missile over the ridge and into the brisket of the North American trophy. Unimaginable isn’t it.
Consider another bowhunting marvel that consistently harvests big game animals from extended distances. Of the 27 original Super Slam animals taken by Chuck Adams, 11 were at ranges of 40 yards or more. One of those eleven was a cruise missile launched from 63 yards out, which connected on a Coues Deer in San Carlos, AZ. Let’s assume that Chuck never took a shot past 30 yards. Super Slam would likely have been just another pipe dream that never came to fruition.
Now you might be telling yourself, “if they can do it, then so can I!” Well maybe, maybe not. You see, these guys spent more time afield in one season than most of us do in five. Their experience and time behind the bow would be difficult to match at best. Now take into account that they also tweaked their gear to a level that most of us cannot even fathom. When it came to their equipment and abilities as a hunter, they were relentlessly searching for perfection.
I often wonder how many of us head out to the local pro shop, get our gear set up, and never give it another thought; that is until we are in a tree stand or stalking along some distant ridge. Also, how quickly does the average bow hunter pick up his weapon and begin practicing for the upcoming season? A month before opening day, or perhaps 2 weeks?
I’m not criticizing how much time you do or don’t spend preparing for hunting season. I am merely comparing what the aforementioned hunters do/did, compared to the guy who works 40+ hours a week just to keep the lights on. Sometimes it’s difficult for my ego to accept, but it really does make a difference.
Another characteristic that I think sets these guys apart from the rest of the herd, is what’s going on between their ears. Imagine the confidence level of someone like that when they draw to anchor. Where did that assurance come from? They weren’t born with it. They acquired it by spending thousands of hours practicing at unthinkable levels, countless days in the field pursuing game, and the constant drive to make certain that their gear was without a doubt, the best that it could be and then some. On top of their game is an understatement.
I said all of that to say this. I am not going to advise you on “how far is too far“. I would however, like to give you a few things to consider. That way, when the time comes to draw back on that next trophy, you can decide for yourself what is right for you and the animal waiting at the end of your broadhead.
PRACTICE
My longest shot on a game animal is 42 yds. Before I even drew the bow back I was confident that my arrow would find it’s mark. I gained that faith through months of long range practice. The animal was standing broadside, feeding, and completely unaware of my presence. The laser range finder in my fanny pack also gave me the distance to the exact yard. Everything felt right, so I decided to take the shot. The time that I had devoted to shooting at 50, sometimes 60 yds, resulted in the shot seeming closer than it actually was. I did not blatantly draw down on that animal after saying a prayer and crossing my fingers. I was prepared.
I would like to stress an important point before going any further with this. Just because I harvested that deer at 40+ yards in no way suggests that I will take any and every 40 yard shot I am presented with. Each shot opportunity is different and I treat them as such. I do not go into the woods having a predetermined range in which to loose an arrow. At that moment I felt that I was ready. Tomorrow I may not be.
In order to become accurate at a particular distance, I think it is important to stretch your practice sessions past that yardage. For example, if I want to become deadly at, say 30 yds, I would do at least half of my shooting from 40 and 50 yds. When I move back up to 30, my mind’s eye will more than likely view that as a chip shot. It’s an advantage for sure.
Most great athletes push themselves farther in practice than they would ever reach in an actual game. Archery, I believe, should not be any different. Frequently placing yourself in tough shooting scenarios, while practicing, gives you the confidence that you need when it comes time for the real thing.
REALITY
Lets assume that you are a deadly shot in your back yard out to 40 yards. You can consistently place all of your arrows into your target spot every time. Does that mean you are ready to take that shot in the field? It depends. There are several variables that one must consider when comparing range vs. field success.
While shooting on your home range, or local 3-D course, you should take into account that you are in a controlled environment. If things don’t look or feel right, you have the option of letting down and sorting things out before you try again. Certainly you can “let down” in the woods, but I think sometimes we fear the fleeting opportunity will get away from us; and as a result, push the limits of our effective shooting range. It has definitely happened to me and it is a sickening experience I do not wish to repeat.
During practice, or before a tournament, you can “warm up” with as many arrows as you chose. That isn’t going to happen in the timber. I make it a habit never to shoot a single arrow before walking up to the first target on the 3-D range. Yes, my score may suffer, but of all the shots I will take that day, that first one more accurately represents an actual shot in the field. I won’t be receiving any “warm up” shots from my treestand come October, so I don’t bother using them any other time of year.
My favorite time for summer practice is in the late evening hours. With the sun hiding behind the mountains, I find myself fairly comfortable in my shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops (country boy). Everything seems to move freely without any constrictions. Fast forward 4 months and you will find me donning as much clothing as necessary to stay warm while on stand. Although I do my best to layer without adding bulk, it obviously never feels the same as those cool summer evenings on the lawn.
When was the last time you took a shot, outside of hunting season, with all of your hunting gear on? It is a good idea to engage in at least one practice session while wearing all of our hunting attire. Doing so will insure that nothing interferes with drawing the bow or contacts the bow string upon release. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
THE BROADHEAD
When we face our target during the summer months leading up to opening day, distance is usually the only factor we have to consider. However, it is merely a drop in the bucket.
It is pretty safe to say that everything will be “alright” when we screw that sleek, bullet type object to the front of our arrow shafts and commence to practicing. Field points, being aerodynamic and smooth as silk, do not catch a great deal of air while zipping toward the target. Most of them shoot identical, granted they are of the same weight, therefore most tuning woes are not likely to show up during practice time. More than likely, if you have a tuning issue, it won’t show it’s ugly face until you screw the real deal onto the end of your hunting shaft or engage in paper tuning your set up. If you wait until the night before hunting season to screw on your broadheads, well, you may get Dr. Jekyll or you might get Mr. Hyde. Scary stuff isn’t it.
When replacing your field tips with a hunting head, strange things sometimes occur. Those razors sticking out perform like wings, and tend to grab air as they scream toward the target. It is a good idea to test your broadhead /arrow combination well before the season starts to insure that everything is flying dead straight. I believe it is imperative to understand the characteristics of your chosen broadhead before it is called upon to humanly perform in a real world circumstance, not afterwards. We owe our quarry that much. A well tuned broadhead/arrow arrangement, that flies in a straight line, will impact it’s target with more energy than an arrow that is “fish tailing” as it speeds along. That same arrow will also drive deeper through game hide, muscle, and vital organ tissue; as opposed to the arrow that impacts with the cutting tip pushing “off center”, robbing your setup of valuable kinetic energy and possibly resulting in a lost or wounded animal.
THE B WORD
Bring to mind those lazy, summer days in the back yard practicing. Are you calm? I think it is safe to say that we normally do not feel an immense sense of pressure during pre-season practice. For many of us, our hearts aren’t in our throats, and our legs don’t feel like noodles. We can smash the X with reckless abandoned. Speaking for myself, it is rare that an actual hunting encounter doesn’t bring about some degree of buck fever. That word effects us all, albeit on totally different levels, but I think we all get excited. If you don’t, you may not be human. Better check your pulse.
Bear in mind that the vital zone on an average whitetail is about 8 inches in diameter. Can you accurately hit a kill zone of that size, at whichever range you chose, while under the influence of buck fever on any level? One way to find out would be to shrink that kill zone diameter by 2 inches. This would allow for human error that sometimes occurs when we are under the demands of shooting at real flesh and bone. Be it “buck fever” or whatever, I never seem to shot at live game with the accuracy that I display on a foam target. Go figure.
KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS
Everyone has limits with regards to his/her abilities as a hunter and archer. Mine are different from yours, and yours are likely different from those that you hunt and shoot with. That isn’t to say they are better or worse, just different. I feel that as ethical bowhunters, we should stay within those limitations.
That might entail never launching an arrow past 20 yards. And you know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. For some, that distance may stretch to 50 or 60 yards and beyond. If that is within their limits, that’s great too. I know what my own limitations are, and for me to step outside of them just to take a “poke” at an animal, would mean loosing all respect for my quarry. It’s impossible for me to stroll up and remove my arrow if the shot is a little less than perfect. If it isn’t right for me, it certainly isn’t right for the living thing standing down range.
No matter what precautions we take, I recognize that there are occasions when things are going to go horribly wrong. Sometimes, that’s just bowhunting. Nevertheless, we must do everything within our capacity to ensure a quick, humane kill when handed the God given opportunity. Anything less sours the sport, and gives the anti‘s a little more ammunition.
IN THE END
Before the shaft hits the hide, it ultimately comes down to the person behind the bow to decide “how far is too far.” That is exactly as it should be. Bowhunting is an individual sport. No one is sitting there in the tree stand or stalking along that distant ridge with us, reminding us of what is right and wrong. Decisions are made in minutes, often times, seconds. Once that arrow is slicing through the fresh autumn air, those decisions are final. Right or wrong, we have to carry them with us. If that sort of thing doesn’t weigh heavy on your mind, you may want to question exactly what it is you are doing.
No matter the range, if you feel in your heart of heart’s that the shot is right for you and you trophy, let it fly. If not, just do one thing. Let down. I promise, only good things will follow. Remember, it isn’t foam your drawing back on. There is blood and consequences involved.
Here’s hoping all of your arrows find the sweet spot.