NY

[Dom]

In our hunting areas what is the average shot range/distance?The area that I hunt at max is 200yrds shootable.

[Mr VJP]

In the woods about 150 yards, but in the open fields 500 is possible.

 

[mlammerhirt]

85-100 in the woods.......225 open fields.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[G-Man]

Woods under 50 on average, field 125 average since 1993 At camp.

[grampy]

Woods,40 to 80 give or take a few yards. In the fields 500 yards or as far as you are comfortable shooting. But in our area that we hunt, it's very seldom to see a mature buck in the open fields during legal shooting time. Or any deer at all in the open around here.

Edited March 26, 2015 by grampy

[stoneam2006]

100 yrds almost anywhere I hunt....i do have one spot where I could touch out to 200 but that is very uncommon where I hunt.

[Nomad]

In the thick stuff my average gun shot is bow range as that's about as far as I can see. The rest well......

I'll add I've hunted everything that you can see in this pic.

[blackradio]

I think most people in this thread do not know what average mean.

[Hock3y24]

25 -75 yards in my shotgun area , rifle is around 200 max I won't shoot further

[Mr VJP]

I think most people in this thread do not know what average mean.

 

 

Were not your "average" deer hunters

[stubby68]

                 I could take shots of 80 to 100 yards in the woods and out to 500 in open fields. Have taken a wounded doe at 380. However being a hunter and not a sniper I prefer to get in close and actually hunt the animal so I keep my average to around 50 yards. My father always told me if you can't get in close and hunt the deer then I shouldn't call my self a hunter.

 

[growalot]

average 100yrds

[mmkay]

depends on the seaon...right?  less than 20 yards bow.  less than 40 yrds with a shotgun....could reach out to 120 yrds with the shotgun, but very rearly do

[Culvercreek hunt club]

depending property, stand and time of year I have a few I can only see 30 yards and others that I can see 400

[ncountry]

Most area that I rifle or muzzle loader(southern tier) hunt I can see 100-150 yds. with a few spots that I can see further than I would shoot 300+ yds..

 

I would guess that my average shot is around 40 yds .

[Nomad]

I think most people in this thread do not know what average mean.

That seems rather redundant , as mean is an average......

[Larry]

average shot with a bow less then 20yds in ny average with a gun less then 50yds

[kpkot]

Woods maybe 75 yds average. Fields 100 yd average. Furthest ive shot is 175.

[wolc123]

This Adirondack mountain 8-point buck I took last Thanksgiving weekend was the largest-bodied deer I have ever harvested. I weigh 200 and could only get the front of the field-dressed buck up off the ground, with a rope and pulley, before I lifted my own feet off the ground. We ended up using my father-in-law's atv to make the lift and even that spun the tires a bit. My guess is about 240 lbs field-dressed. This buck carried a lot of weight in its hind-quarters for that time of year (post-rut), probably due to the bumper crop of acorns up there last fall.

The shot was also the farthest I have ever taken at a deer, and it looks to be about 350 yards per the "google maps" scale. I was up on a ridge and shot across the valley below. I plan on getting the exact range this spring with gps on Memorial day weekend when we go back up to camp. I marked my shooting position and the tree he dropped under (in his tracks) when struck by the 150 gr. Federal Classic, 30/06 bullet. I had practiced with the rifle, in preparation for a Western hunt, at ranges up to 400 yards. Ironically, my Colorado mule deer buck that year(not quite as heavy) was a much closer shot at a little under 100 yards.

Range does not intimidate me too much and every time I have pushed it a bit (except one time with my ML), it has paid off. The ML buck (basket-racked, 1-1/2 yr 8-point) was probably struck near where I aimed with my 50 cal in-line. He was quartering away at 175 yards. He showed no reaction when struck and there was no hair or blood on fresh snow. After the shot, he took off across a creek, and a road. I followed the tracks for about 400 yards, but lost them in a big golden-rod field. I incorrectly assumed a miss, but my neighbor found him a week later, about 50 yards beyond the farthest circle I took after I lost the trail. I am guessing the bullet clipped one lung and all the bleeding was internal. That weapon (50 cal pyrodex ML) just lacks the energy for a good kill at that range and I replaced it, for most hunting in non-rifle areas, with a blot-action, 12 gauge shotgun.

Now that sucker packs a wollop at long distance and is every bit as accurate as the ML, plus comes with 2 extra shots. My longest kill with that was a big doe at 163 yards and it literally knocked her off her feet at impact. I am guessing that the energy it delivers at 150 yards is at least double that of the ML.

My crossbow buck last year also pushed limit a bit on range and I have taken considerable flack for taking a 59 yard shot. I think the main reason for that is that most NY'rs have no idea how much more effective a scoped crossbow, fired from a rest, is compared to a conventional, vertical, compound bow. I probably wouldn't take a shot at a deer at that range again with that crossbow however as the penetration, with a 3-blade 125 gr mechanical broadhead, was only 7-1/2". Fortunately, the spot I hit was good (with some help from above I am certain) and that marginal penetration took it all the way thru the heart, resulting in a dead buck in less than 40 yards.

Here's my bottom line on range for deer hunting with various weapons: 30 yards with my compound, 50 with my crossbow, 75 with my 16 ga. smooth-bore shotgun, 125 with my ML, 175 with my 12 ga. rifled shotgun, and 375 with my rifle.

[Doc]

Lol ...... I was just picturing how I would establish the average shot distances on the area that I hunt. We have mixed habitat that runs from long mowed fields to tight swamps and everything in between. How far you can see depends on every different location on every different kind of terrain and vegetation density. All this for over 600 acres. I think I'll pass on this one. I don't have time enough to take on that project ....lol.

[greensider]

i took a deer at 200 yards last year crazy far for me most of the deer i have taken over the years were under 50 yards

[Terry]

Most of my spots with a gun are around 50 yards. Longest was about 125.

[MACHINIST]

Thinking about the deer I have killed I can count on one hand and still have fingers left the times I've shot a deer over 100.Most of the time they are 75 or less

[Doc]

Most of my shots over the years have been within 50 or 60 yards, but then, we have only had the use of the rifle for 2 of all those years. One of last year's deer was about 130 yards ...... rifle, bench rested, standing deer, perfect shot. Average shot for me? ...... not hardly.

[NFA-ADK]

My average gun is about 30 yards with 65 being the longest and a few feet the shortest.  Most area's I hunt you can't see past 80 yards.  (ADK Still hunting)

 

Bow I would estimate most shots are about 20 on average with most shots in the 15 yards or less and a few long shots up to 60 yards.  (LI Public Land still hunting)

 

In a tree stand for the first time this season in many years my average bow shot was 25 yards.  (LI private land) 30 yards if I go back to when I first started bow hunting from a tree.  (Private southern zone)