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View Poll Results: What is your average distance for taking deer (in yards)?
50 31 40.79%
75 27 35.53%
100 16 21.05%
150 3 3.95%
200 3 3.95%
250 1 1.32%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 76. You may not vote on this poll

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Old October 27, 2007, 12:15 AM   #1
chris in va
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What average distance do you shoot deer?

Basically the question is, what is your typical distance you find yourself harvesting deer? I'm restricting this to under 250 yards, as I'm ass-u-ming most are done below that.
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Old October 27, 2007, 01:00 AM   #2
CamoCop
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i didn't vote because i've taken deer from 30 yards to 330 yards
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Old October 27, 2007, 01:46 AM   #3
rantingredneck
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Most of mine are 50 or less. I do a lot of bowhunting and I hunt some pretty thick country during gun season too. I occasionally get those beanfield shots but that's usually if I happen to catch one crossing the field as I'm walking to or from my stand.
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Old October 27, 2007, 07:52 AM   #4
JKump
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I am another that shoots most deer under 50 yards. I usually handgun hunt, however, I have taking a deer at 175 yards with my 308.
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Old October 27, 2007, 10:20 AM   #5
Art Eatman
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My seat of the pants feeling is that around a third of the deer I've killed were somewhere in the vicinity of a hundred yards. A fair number down around fifty yards, give or take. But, also a fair number from, say, 150 to 200 yards. Only maybe three or four beyond 200.
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Old October 27, 2007, 03:46 PM   #6
castnblast
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only a handfull past 150 if that. I've taken my fair share of yote's beyond. I can think of two deer I've shot over 200yds. Majority around 50-100, so I split the difference. My longest kill was last year w/ my 22-250. 233yds per range finder. Closest was 7yds w/ my bow. My average bow kill is about 30yds...
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Old October 27, 2007, 04:30 PM   #7
Charles S
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For my first years of deer hunting I spent a great deal of time hunting power line right of ways from box stands and at one point my average kill was a little over 200 yards.

I now hunt with a bow in bow season (last kill 12 yards) and a rifle in rifle season, but I tend to hunt in bottoms instead of over clear cuts, I would be willing to guess that my average is running about 60 yards now.
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Old October 27, 2007, 08:50 PM   #8
samsmix
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i do practice all year out to 400 yards, but on Monday & Tues (10/22 & 10/23) my wife and I shot 6 Muley does, in very open river breaks, and the farthest was at about 145 vards.


2 were shot at 70 yards side by side. (30-06 & .257Rob)
1 was shot at 90 out of the same bunch. (.257Rob)
1 was shot at 80ish yards after a long stalk. (.257Rob)
1 was shot at about 110 yards up a near-cliff (.30-06)
1 final muley fell to a 140+ yard shot from an iron sighted Mosin-Nagant
Uh. . .7.62x54R of course.
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Old October 28, 2007, 06:54 PM   #9
tyrajam
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Its been three years since I've shot a deer with a gun, I just have to much dang fun with my bow. The last 3 deer I've shot have been UNDER 12 yards.
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Old October 28, 2007, 07:49 PM   #10
wolverine350
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farthest was 132 yards, closest was 10 yards and that took place yesterday 10-27-07
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Old October 28, 2007, 10:34 PM   #11
Jseime
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Everywhere from 50 to 300 yards deer have fallen to my .270 only a couple at 50 and only one at 300.

Most are right around the 75-120 mark i suspect.
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Old October 29, 2007, 06:55 AM   #12
gopher0
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50 or under
Ocourse I hunt BP only
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Old October 29, 2007, 10:09 AM   #13
Mavrik
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My longest has been right at 120yrds, the rest have been 70 or less

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Old October 29, 2007, 10:32 AM   #14
Brad Clodfelter
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I've killed 14 deer. All except 2 were shot at 50yds or less. 3 of them were killed with a bow.

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Old October 29, 2007, 08:11 PM   #15
gbran
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I've shot one deer at about 250 yds. Most of the rest of them were 50-80 yds with a few a little over a 100yds.

I took an elk at nearly 300 yds, but conditions were perfect. Other than varmints, most of my bigger game is less than 100 yds.
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Old October 30, 2007, 12:30 PM   #16
Jets2007
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Bow- 20 yds give or take.

Gun- in my area of NY, 150 yds the most.
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Old October 30, 2007, 12:49 PM   #17
dbgun
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Except for a 50 yard shot (2 years ago) most of my shots have been right at 75 yards, the last 6 years.
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Old October 30, 2007, 09:42 PM   #18
Desertfox
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Bow- numerous - under 20.
Muzzleloader- 2 bucks- 75yards
Rifle - 100 yard average
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Old October 31, 2007, 03:26 PM   #19
Mannlicher
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so how come you did not list under 50 yards as a choice? Most of my deer have been taken at around 40 yards or less.
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Old October 31, 2007, 04:35 PM   #20
T-Ray
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i'm glad i can say that my longest possible shot would be about 100 yds and that probably won't happen, so my .30-30 fits the job perfectly
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Old October 31, 2007, 07:30 PM   #21
bswiv
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In the thick stuff here in Northeast Florida it is VERY unusual that I take a shot over 30 or 40 yards. Most have been MUCH closer. My old .35 Remington does a fine job in these situations and it does not mess a lot of meat up.
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Old November 1, 2007, 12:51 PM   #22
dtalley
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usually want a 80 to 120 Yd shot but have taken them closer and a few a little farther.
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Old November 1, 2007, 07:47 PM   #23
bcarver
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Longest And Shortest

LONGEST 285 yards... two does on the last day of season 27 minutes after sunset. Two shots from a solid rest, two dead does. .270 Win

Shortest 7 yards or less same rifle as above

Most are 40 to 70 yards.
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Old November 1, 2007, 09:11 PM   #24
langenc
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this is great. 2/3 indicate 100 yards and most less.

Many of those 150-250 are probably 85 to 100 in reality.
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Old November 2, 2007, 11:11 AM   #25
Tuzo
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Stuck buck

About 1964, when I was young and living in New Jersey, I passed a hunter saftey course, bought a 12-gauge Mossberg, and went deer hunting for the first time. It was mid-December, very early morning, and very cold with snow on the ground. I sat in a depression for about one-hour scanning the thick woods around me until my feet became numb. Did not spot a single animal. I gave up and stood up and a two point buck and a doe appeared about ten yards in front of me. I pointed the Mossberg but had no clear shot and, after a quick moment of hesitation, the deer ran off. I was not too happy. Then I heard a clatter in their direction and ran to the noise. This is what I saw: a narrow gravel pathway, a 6-foot chain link fence surrounding Lakehurst Naval Air Station (USN was still flying lighter-than-air airships from Lakehurst), and a buck with antlers stuck in the chain link. From the hoof marks I determined that the doe made a successful turn at the fence but the buck lost his footing and skidded into the fence antlers first. Was it humane to either hop the fence and untangle the buck or walk away? Not at all. From about 2-yards I blasted the stuck buck.

I felt a bit embarassed about shooting a sitting duck (or buck) and, for many years, I could not tell the story of my first deer without saying that I heroically tracked and stalked a New Jersey whitetail through the oaks and swamps of Manchester Township.

My last deer was shot at about 200-yards in the White-Inyo mountains of California.
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