Rosey poll brings up a topic for discussion.

[Snapshot]

I'm not going to jack the Rosey poll thread, so I've brought my thoughts on an implication that was made on it over to a freah thread to open further discussion. It was suggested that getting a bull within 100 yards was close enough to consider putting up an arrow.

Inside 100 yards??? Respectfully, that is in my opinion just plain wrong-thinking. I believe that for a bowhunter a bull is not 'called in'  to shooting range unless he is inside of 25 or 30 yards. [NO, I don't have a garage full of antlers but the best bowhunters I know do have, and they GET CLOSE.]

To anyone who is young and still forming their values in hunting with a bow please read and understand this analogy: Bowhunting, like basketball, is a closer-is-better sport. And so speaking in basketball terms, a decent shooter strives for an open shot at free-throw range or closer, but if an open lay-up is possible he/she gets closer and takes the higher percentage shot. The excellent shooters, if they have the open shot, will take them from the three-point line but they only hit around a third or half of them on their best days. And throwing it up from half court or three-quarter court away is not a good shot opportunity.

In basketball no harm is done if the half-court prayer bricks off the back of the rim or whiffs the bottom of the net. Because steel and cordage doesn't bleed. In bowhunting it is morally wrong to loose and arrow unless you KNOW you can make the shot.

The challenge of bowhunting is not how far a person can shoot (they call that target archery), but rather how close to the prey animal a person can get. How close can the best bowhunters I know get? My brother once arrowed a six-by-six Idaho bull at six yards; but as many as a half dozen other mature bulls were all taken at well under twenty yards; and only a few were arrowed from as far as twenty-five yards. Uncle Jer's five or so Rosey bulls all came closer than fifteen yards before he slipped a razor-sharp broadhead through their boiler rooms.

Challenge yourselves to get close. You will never regret it.

[PlateauNDN]

Well said.

[wrongway]

I have shot bulls from 60yds to 1yd I feel the shot is where it happens. If I call in a bull to 60 yds and I killed it, I called that bull in. I to like them close, but I have spooked off more bulls when to close then at the 40-50 yd range. at that range I can draw my bow and take my time to make a good shot with out spooking the bull. But every archer has there own range that they feel best at, if that is 15-25 yds then that is what it is. I feel good to 60yds

[blackveltbowhunter]

  In the rosie poll, I interpreted the OP to mean he was inside 100 yards when he setup. In other words he was in a position where he thought the bull should have come in closer and did not thus not presenting a shot due to range, OR the bull did commit but due to setup limitations no shot opportunity presented itself?   Again simply how I interpreted it..... I agree being close is what makes archery fun and challenging.  But range is simply one factor in shot selection... How big of factor will vary widely.

[Fullabull]

That is how I read it also, get within 100 yards and begin your calling to increase you chances. That is kind of a rule of thumb anyway and very good advice 

[rebal69972]

I agree closer is better. I have yet to call a bull in under 40 and yet to kill or ever shoot at an elk. With that said I have an 80 yard pin on my bow but I have never even thought about using it in the field and wouldn't. I always want a good clean kill and I don't feel my bow would do that past 50 yards

[Snapshot]

the under a hundreds yards was just my qualification for what i counted as a "called in bull" an i was curious to know what other hunters success rates were once they got under that hundred yard barrier.that being said i can not agree more with this thread and i hope i did not give the false impression that i start winging arrows after they get to a hundred yards,closer is better

Understood.    [Kids, pay attention!]