shortest shot on a big game animal?

[Western Dreaming]

Closest with a bow is about 10' on a whitetail deer. Closest with a rifle was an elk at about 15 yards.

 

[WyoDoug]

Closest I have done is 6 feet antelope with a bow. That was on a farm and they are used to farmers being around the tractors and that so odor and activity around tractors didn't spook them much, so I hid under one of the big tractors (with permission of the farmer) and got a nice buck while it was feeding. Tasty too. It was off a mix of dryland corn and wheat fields.

 

[sharpshooter97]

I'm a terrible bow hunter and haven't ever killed any big game with a bow. So my closest kill was about 20 yards with a rifle, it was a wounded buck laying out in a tiny bit of brush in a harvested bean field. Someone had shot him in a front leg and in the ass, sucks to have a tag a shot up deer but it's the right thing to do.

 

[RaiderRich]

Like many others, a whitetail doe running under the tree I was in, maybe 12 feet straight down. Was my first deer when I was 16. 12 gauge slug.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I shot a cow elk once with a .300 Win Mag at maybe 12 yards. I almost missed low due to the mechanical offset of the scope. Hit her just inside the sternum, but it was enough to put her down. Litterally could have spit on her.

 

[jt13]

Seated in this hedgerow, I shot a doe at 7 yards with my grandfathers Marlin 336 a few weeks ago. I spooked the first one that came by when I cocked the hammer back... that close

 

[Gunner46]

This still needs to be confirmed by a dependable source, but "Hear Say" is my nephew popped a 160#ish pig at about 6 inches. Story goes that Tim was sitting back against an Oak and the pig just was scarfing up acorns along it's way right up to him. 30/30 in the snout. I'm yet to be convinced.

 

[Four22]

20 feet.

This guy worked up the powerline edge right at me but never gave me a shoulder until 20 feet. Hard quartering and he flipped over backwards and never moved.

 

[CPAjeff]

17 steps with a 160 grain AB from a 7mm. I took the family for a walk on an old two track and brought the rifle just in case. We came around a blind corner and standing 17 steps away was this buck.




I called the local biologist and asked about the big dangle ear tag in the buck’s ear. Apparently this buck was part of an urban deer transplant project that took place a few years ago and it was tagged as a fawn.

Doe mule deer below - 11 steps. I found her bedded up against some rocks, and snuck up above her. 168 grain VLD from a 7mm in the neck did the trick. My wife and kids watched it all from the comforts of home and then came out to see once I drug her down by the barn.

 

[geetar]

Whitetail doe so close I had to shoot under the rail on stand instead of resting on it. 12 ga buckshot. She went down hard.

 

[David58]

Once missed one at well under 10 yards, with my rifle. Yes, it can be done, never forget to get a sight picture...

 

[shrapnel]

Since The title is specific to big game, this deer was 70 yards with an HK K-3 Squeeze cocker in 380...

 

[dcreiss]

I took my bull elk after bugling him in at 9 yards this past fall, too close to hear a thud from the bullet impact and too close to sight the rifle through the scope. He started running off after I pulled the trigger and I panicked, running up the ridge so that I could clear the timber and hopefully get a second shot without trees blinding my sight picture. I was completely distraught when the herd moved up and across the adjacent ridge without the herd bull in tow. Completely dejected, I hiked back down the ridge to where the encounter happened. I looked back in the direction the bull and herd escaped their ambush...one of the best views I have taken in for quite a while.
Talk about a change in emotions, I went from completely dejected and remorseful to loosing myself in joyful exuberance. The bull only stumbled down the ridge 20 yards. He is by far my best bull and currently at the taxidermist.

 

[grizzly63]

Shot a doe at 4 yds first day of rifle season one year with my Howatt Super Diablo recurve. I was walking in to a group of trees and she was running through, stood still, she stopped 4 yds away and when she looked away, i cranked it back and let her fly. She dropped at the sound and I severed her spine. No tracking.

 

[jeff_gibbons]

I'll play on this one. A few years ago I was walking into my deer stand and I stopped because I could hear deer moving in the cornfield. I hunkered tight to a tree right along the edge and out pops a pair of fawns. Got the phone out and snapped this shot when it was about 5 yards away. It then proceeded to walk right to me! It came up to me and licked my bow!

View attachment 150145

Getting close is what hunting is all about and I love it. To get close to an animal you have to either convince the animal your something you aren't (calling them in) or you recognize animal patterns and movements and position yourself in the right spot at the right time. I have shot over 20 deer and an elk under 20 yards with a few of them being under 5 yards. The rush when they are that close is unreal!

You sir are a Jedi level hunter! Hat tip, golf clap and high Five.

 

[Falcon75]

I shot a little basket 8 at 2 yards. Our party hadn't gotten any deer on my future father in laws farm. I was worried he might not let us hunt again cause he counted on us to thin deer because all of the damage they did to crops. Deer crossed creek and stopped other side of blown down tree and looked away from me into woods. I shot because of having the surprise and such short distance.

 

[Happy Myles]

As I recall, about one foot, after a wounded leopard mauled me. A bad day about twenty years ago......

 

[rmyoung1]

As I recall, about one foot, after a wounded leopard mauled me. A bad day about twenty years ago......

Hey @Happy Myles ... can I talk you into providing more detail? I’d like to hear the story!

 

[Nick87]

I took my bull elk after bugling him in at 9 yards this past fall, too close to hear a thud from the bullet impact and too close to sight the rifle through the scope. He started running off after I pulled the trigger and I panicked, running up the ridge so that I could clear the timber and hopefully get a second shot without trees blinding my sight picture. I was completely distraught when the herd moved up and across the adjacent ridge without the herd bull in tow. Completely dejected, I hiked back down the ridge to where the encounter happened. I looked back in the direction the bull and herd escaped their ambush...one of the best views I have taken in for quite a while.View attachment 166826
Talk about a change in emotions, I went from completely dejected and remorseful to loosing myself in joyful exuberance. The bull only stumbled down the ridge 20 yards. He is by far my best bull and currently at the taxidermist. View attachment 166828

That is an awesome bull! Nice hat

 

[MITCHMO]

This guy was 13 steps and was looking to kill whoever was raking the brush. I remember needing to adjust my point of aim about 4’ higher when he came out. The bush circled in red is where he came out. I was kneeling where the camera is. I shot him again before he made it to the closest spruce in the background....I pooped a little.