Tell Me About Your Bow Kills

[The Hedgehog]

Farthest - 95 yards, antelope heart shot
Closest - 5 yards, elk also heart shot
On average maybe 40 yards (total guess over several dozen archery kills)
I've archery hunted annually for 39 years and lost 3 deer due to bad hits during archery that I'm fairly certain died. 2 whitetails, a buck and a doe, and one mule deer doe. Only one of those shots would be frowned upon by the ethics police.
The embarrassing statistic that I hold is rifle shot bears that I have no clue what happened - a couple at extra close range.
I've personally seen far more rodeos with bullets than arrows, but have heard a lot of bad archery losses.

I shoot extra light arrows with 100 grain fixed blade tips from a very well tuned bow (310+ fps). Have shot expandable head in past with good results, but with the right fixed and your bow set correctly, no need to worry about more moving parts. I don't mess with a dial sight, use 7 pins. For all my hunting, it seems to work best for me.

 

[elkfanatic]

Farthest shot - 64 yards- whitetail buck
Closest shot- 2 yards- whitetail doe
Avg distance - 25-30 yards

 

[elkstalker88]

- Furthest kill shot distance: 69 yards, doe antelope
- Shortest kill shot distance: 5 yards whitetail doe
- Average kill shot distance: 25 yards elk/whitetail

 

[mrcowboy]

-Farthest 47 yards -mule deer
-Shortest 20 yards -javelina heart shot. (Hunting with bow is a blast. Have harvested several. Spot and stalk.)
-Very satisfying 25 yards -mt lion

 

[Trevlist]

Closest 12 yards farthest is 37 yards both whitetail.

 

[briana85]

-Farthest 72 yds whitetail buck
-Shortest 20 yds whitetail doe
-Average 30 yds whitetail/turkey

 

[antlerradar]

Shot a grand total of two bucks with my bow, one mule deer and one whitetail. Both were at 25 yards.

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

Farthest 77 yards whitetail

Shortest 3.5 feet (maybe a little less) on a whitetail on the ground, from a bush. I walked two miles back to get away from other hunters on public land with a climber tree stand early in the morning. Once I got to my tree, found out that I was missing a cotter pin for the tree stand that was necessary to climb the tree. I was very disappointed in myself for walking all that way carrying a 28 lb. tree stand plus a day pack without double checking everything. I tried to figure out a way to make it work but it just wasn't safe. I didn't want to waste the morning hiking back to the truck to possibly find the missing pin as the sun was coming up. So frustrated, I found a depression in the middle of some bushes next to a dear trail, covered up with some rain gear and sat / kneeled in it. It was raining so I had some additional cover and it was the best that I could do given the circumstances. This is a thickly wooded area with about 45 yards of vis so it wasn't ideal but thought even though it was a long shot, I might as well give it a go. A Doe stepped into the trial at about 7:20 am and stood next to the bush overlooking a small feeding area where sunlight protruded through to the forest floor. She was standing right next to me and I knew it would only be moments before I was discovered. I didn't have time to think about it, I just pulled back and released the arrow with complete presents of mind. She ran off kicking up dirt and mud as she went. The Doe piled up just a few 60 yards or so latter. The hunt went from being one of the the worst experiences to one of the best in seconds.

Average 17 yards

You didn't ask for this but here is my shame; Worst shot ever: Shot directly below me from a tree stand on a whitetail. I grunted the deer in while he was rutting and tending a doe about 100 yards from me. I first saw the doe in the distance but she was acting weird. She was obviously being harassed and was in heat. The big 10 point came into view moments latter and would not leave her side lip curling sniffing, mounting again and again. It was obviously rutting behavior and this buck had lost his mind. This was getting good and I was excited to witness it all. This buck had thown all caution to the wind. Normally supper skittish he didn't seem to care that the sun was up, that hunters were in the woods and he was making all kinds of noise. I waited for him to walk my way as was his pattern but he would not leave that doe. Another 6 point came in and ran him off. I needed to get him to come over to me so that I could get a shot. I did a quiet snort and a grunt. I had know idea what I was doing but figured that I had to try something. He ran in fast like a freight train and stood directly under my tree stand stand snorting, stomping looking for a fight with the "buck" that snorted and grunted at him. I remember thinking that his accuracy on locating the source of the grunt was amazing. I peered at him through the grate that made up the base of my old man climbing tree stand. I could even smell him. I leaned over the edge of the tree stand base pulling against my safety strap, to get a shot directly below me and aimed for the spine. I thought that i should wait, if i could just get him to get a few feet away from the stand I would have a better shot. Things were intense, the buck is making a scene looking for a fight with a buck that never was there, and I worried that waiting was going to miss this opportunity. Direct hit through the back but just missed the vertebrae. Deer ran off the mountain looking to escape down hill off the mountain. I spent 12 hours that day and 13 the next looking for that deer and never found him. I'm color blind and had a difficult time trailing the deer. Enlisted help from a buddy but seemed like that vertical shot didn't produce much blood. I lost that animal (only time) and was crushed. Important lesson learned, stay frosty, wait for the shot, make a shot that they can run away and die with when your color blind, don't force it, don't rush it.

 

[Djfan]

Just got my first deer tonight. White tail doe. 1st one with a bow. No pics. I was alone.

 

[Cap-Tan]

I only have two archery harvests. First was a doe at about 23 yards, next was my biggest buck to date at about 30 yards. Hoping to stick a few more this year!

 

[NEWHunter]

Furthest: Jake and WT buck @ 40 yards
Shortest: WT doe @ 5 yards at most
Average: Around 20 yards
Taken 4 WT bucks and 3-4 WT does along with a few turkeys, a woodchuck and a raccoon.

I’ve missed two turkeys, a WT doe, and a WT buck. I’ve hit and not recovered one WT buck and a turkey. The buck looked fine during gun season 2 weeks later and I’m pretty sure the turkey didn’t make it.

 

[tkhuntsman]

The archery bug bit me and I bought my first bow this past year. One of my hunting goals for 2023 is to kill a whitetail with it. Went to the bow shop this weekend for a tune, built some new arrows, bought broadheads, etc. It got me thinking, I wonder what everyone's bow "stats" are on Hunt Talk...?

So, all that being said, I'm interested to hear from the collective on your successful harvests with your bows:

- Furthest kill shot distance (and animal)
- Shortest kill shot distance (and animal)
- Average kill shot distance (and typical animal/animals harvested)

Feel free to include any other details you feel are interesting or relevant (bow specs, arrow specs, broadhead used, etc.)

Well I've killed 13 bull elk and 2 cows, 2 whitetail bucks and maybe 6 or 8 does, 2 mule deer bucks, 1 antelope, 1 black bear, 4 turkeys, and a dozen coyotes, oh and 5 hogs.
Farthest shot was a bull elk at 64 yards missed him at 6 yards hit a limb and he stopped broadside.
Closest was a bull elk at 8 yards.
The average is probably 25 yards.
I've used several different bows and maybe 7 different broadhead.
Longest was with an 80 lb Mathews monster and goldtip arrows and a 4 blade wack em broadhead. Closest was with a bowtech allegiance at 70 lbs and goldtip arrows with a G5 montech broadhead. I now shoot a Mathews V3 with 75 lb mods cranked tight to 79 lbs draw weight and Victory VAP SS 250 arrows and 125 grn exodus broadheads.

 

[rogerthat]

Well I've killed 13 bull elk and 2 cows, 2 whitetail bucks and maybe 6 or 8 does, 2 mule deer bucks, 1 antelope, 1 black bear, 4 turkeys, and a dozen coyotes, oh and 5 hogs.
Farthest shot was a bull elk at 64 yards missed him at 6 yards hit a limb and he stopped broadside.
Closest was a bull elk at 8 yards.
The average is probably 25 yards.
I've used several different bows and maybe 7 different broadhead.
Longest was with an 80 lb Mathews monster and goldtip arrows and a 4 blade wack em broadhead. Closest was with a bowtech allegiance at 70 lbs and goldtip arrows with a G5 montech broadhead. I now shoot a Mathews V3 with 75 lb mods cranked tight to 79 lbs draw weight and Victory VAP SS 250 arrows and 125 grn exodus broadheads.

A dozen coyotes with a bow? Teach me your ways Sensei! That’s unbelievable

 

[Flatbrimmer]

13 bull elk?!!
Why dont YOU make YouTube videos?

 

[Jmnhunter]

Furthest: 25 yds
Closest: 15 yds

I've never shot a buck with my bow for the last 21 years i've hunted bow hunted, granted I'm not hardcore anymore, and when I had more time for the bow I was picky.

I did miss a decent buck on opener this year 20 yards away after hitting a stick i did not see and a doe the other night that I tried forcing a shot on. I'm not giving up hope yet though

 

[Steiny77]

Have killed dozens of whitetails over the last fifty years with archery gear, three last season.
Don't think I've ever killed one further than 30 yards, average shot is usually 15-25 yards.
Have shot several nearly straight down under my tree stand, so maybe 20' or less would be closest.

I shoot fixed blade Muzzy broadheads and not a lot of poundage, current bow is 49#.
Always go for a broadside pass thru or slightly quartering away shot. Arrow typically passes right through them and sticks in the ground, undamaged. My record is three with the same arrow.

 

[rogerthat]

13 bull elk?!!
Why dont YOU make YouTube videos?

Bull elk are pretty simple to kill with a bow. Hard part is finding the elk off course. Now coyotes. Those suckers with a bow are tough due to the act of drawing your bow. I have literally been picked off by those things when I have been 25’ up in a tree and they should have had no clue I was there. I think I have maybe only ever killed one in all my years of hunting. He looked the other way so I drew. Missed a few others so chalk those up to being a crappy shot but for me getting the damn bow back has been a major problem on them.

 

[CMF]

Furthest - 55yds mule deer (45 on whitetail) (48 on elk)
shortest - < 3yds whitetail straight down below tree stand
Average on whitetail(15+ buck/doe) 25yds, on elk(2 bulls)46yds, mule deer(2 bucks) 43yds
missed a bear at 50 this year
have shot several coyotes from deer stands and never found them.
killed a dozen grouse avg 20yds(I try and get right at 20 so my pin is dead on....
wounded one WT buck on a hard quarter away and shot too far forward, rifle hunter killed him few weeks later
wounded one doe and never found
have missed a wt doe and bull elk from arrow hitting limb and deflecting.
First whitetail took 3 arrows, missed twice and he walked right back underneath me. Sent 4 arrows at my first bull, first hit was good, but he didn't run so I kept sending them, 2/4 connecting... point being, keep enough arrows, especially if you hunt where there's other opportunities like hogs or grouse.

 

[tkhuntsman]

13 bull elk?!!
Why dont YOU make YouTube videos?

I think YouTubers are ridiculous and I have no desire to make a fool of myself. I was born and raised on the mountain that I killed 9 of them on and got my first with a bow at 14. I've guided all over the west and been fortunate to get to hunt and guide elk for 30 years. I've drawn some great tags in good units in 5 states.

 

[tkhuntsman]

Bull elk are pretty simple to kill with a bow. Hard part is finding the elk off course. Now coyotes. Those suckers with a bow are tough due to the act of drawing your bow. I have literally been picked off by those things when I have been 25’ up in a tree and they should have had no clue I was there. I think I have maybe only ever killed one in all my years of hunting. He looked the other way so I drew. Missed a few others so chalk those up to being a crappy shot but for me getting the damn bow back has been a major problem on them.

I used to be on the predator staff for Mossyoak and Buck Gardner. I love to call coyotes and never pass up a chance. I've only intentionally called 2 that I killed in an archery only area the trick is to get into the thick stuff and hope you see them weaving through the cover before they get into range so you can draw and hold until they are close. I have called in dozens that I missed those areas are usually target rich environments. Both shots were under 20 yards. All my others have been targets of opportunity on other hunts. I've shot em from the ground and from a tree stand usually lip squeaked in close.