When prepping for a western whitetail hunt, these two Minnesota bowhunters spent many hours on a local 3-D course shooting at targets big and small. On the largest targets, such as this caribou, they extended their practicing up to 60 yards.
I wrote about this topic recently as it relates to pursuing whitetails, with a focus on beginning bowhunters. Click here to check it out.
In this follow-up article, with a focus on western bowhunts, I’ll explain my “how good is good enough” accuracy opinions on bowhunting larger big game animals such as elk, and smaller ones such as pronghorn.
As I stated in my whitetail-focused article, deer have a heart/lung area of about 9 inches across. Elk have a larger heart/lung area — literally a larger target — so it makes sense that an hunter can shoot a bit farther on elk than they can on whitetails.
For example, because of limited archery practice (numerous reasons, including a shoulder injury) I limit my shot distance on whitetails to 25 yards. Yes, I have bowsight pins dialed in for 30, 40 and 50 yards, but I don’t shoot enough arrows at those longer ranges to feel comfortable doing so on a deer-sized animal. Note: As a general rule, I think if you can put five out of five arrows into a 5-inch diameter circle at a given range, then you can consider taking a shot at a deer-sized (or larger) animal at that distance.
If I were pursuing elk, which have a heart/lung area closer to 12 inches across, I’d extend my maximum range to 35 yards. Because the target (vital zone) is bigger on an elk, my margin for error is about the same on a whitetail at 25 yards as it is on an elk at 35 yards.
What about 40 yards, or 50? I don’t think so. I’d have to do more long-range practice before I’d gain the confidence needed to let the arrow go on a 40- or 50-yard elk.
Another consideration: Just because an animal lives in the wide-open West, that doesn’t give you permission to shoot farther than you would in the whitetail woods. Take an adult pronghorn buck, for example, which is smaller than a mature whitetail in most of the country. A pronghorn’s heart/lung area is closer to 7 inches across, which means for me, I’d stick with my 25-yard maximum range. If I practiced a ton at the archery range before a planned western adventure, then perhaps I could improve my skill enough to shoot a pronghorn at 35 yards.
FYI: I killed a Pope and Young pronghorn many years ago in Wyoming. Shot distance was only 13 yards, and I was totally hidden in burlap ground blind overlooking a waterhole. Even from that distance, the broadside buck, which was relaxed and drinking, jumped the string enough that my arrow struck the buck in the spine. (I was shooting a modern compound; it wasn’t very fast, but it was whisper quiet.)
I shake my head when I see bowhunters on YouTube who limit their shooting distance on whitetails to 30 yards, then fling arrows at pronghorns at 40 or 50 yards, even though their long-range shooting skill hasn’t changed. A pronghorn is smaller than a whitetail — it’s a smaller target — so your maximum range can’t be farther. The math doesn’t lie.
One final comment on shooting long range at animals: It doesn’t matter if you possess Levi Morgan-level archery skills. An animal doesn’t have to move much as you’re executing the release or your arrow is in the air to cause a poor hit. Just because you can smash poker chips every time at 60 yards, or hit a 3-D elk target’s vitals every time at 100 yards, that doesn’t mean it’s ethical to shoot animals at that range.
Let me be clear: A bowhunter’s only ethical shot is an animal’s heart/lung area. Period. It’s never okay to think, Well, if my arrow strikes too far back, then it’ll hit the paunch. And I can always wait for the animal to bed and then find it tomorrow, or 12 hours later in the day.
Shooting animals is serious business. Don’t take it lightly. Closer is better.
