Distance from tree stand to kill zone

[HuntOrBeHunted]

This is a topic I can't recall being covered. And a really big deal if you want to get that good shot and not spook the deer with your draw. 

So, what is your guys and girls ideal distance from your stand to where you expect or want to get your kill at. Mine is around 20-30 yards. Gives me just enough space to feel covered and still close enough to get a good, clean and accurate shot. 

How about you?

[Doc]

I begin preparing the shot (drawing and aiming as soon as I feel that the deer's vision is adequately blocked and when the shot is immanent. The set-up usually is for a 20 yard or less shot. There is always something out in the shooting lane and along the trail that I have measured to be 20 yards. When the deer reaches that point and is broadside, I am in the zone, and ready to release the arrow.

[Jeremy K]

Depends on the section of woods but without opening the place wide open,20-30 yards also.

[Robhuntandfish]

def depends on location and where stand will be for the right wind.  But always try to make it a minimum of 15 and a max of 30 for the spot I expect a deer to come from.  But of course they often dont go right to that spot. 

[growalot]

With my old bow it was 10 to 20 yrds...New one 3 to 35. I have  noticed kill shot comfort has lengthen with the new bow,it's s faster flatter shooting. But distance really  isn't on my mind at a shot...It's best angle and deer behavior. Won't shoot at a spooky alert anything. I have passed on many a beautiful buck chasing doe. I just can't get past how crazy fast they can spin and or lunge when that doe bolts. In practice where every thing is measured. I'm  consistently dead on at 25 yards...be  it on  the ground or in the stand.

To the draw, well I shoot low poundage and my practice consists of drawing and holding the draw. I draw when I see they can't get a visual.on me and no other deer is around,sometimes they decide to stop and I'll have to let down but not often..

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

Is this serious question ? How far are you going to shoot with your bow,, uhmmm I plan about 40 to 50

[BowmanMike]

I got in a tree with my climber last year and had two toung deer and a mature doe come towards me. I was waiting for the big doe,and the two young ones were at the base of my oak tree. The doe never presented a shot until she was 5 yds from my tree,and that was too close for sure when you are 16ft up.

She got away,which was ok. This was a new spot,but when i set up i hope to see the deer from 10 to 25 yds.

[First-light]

I'll be the first to admit I suck at long shots on deer. I don't like taking them more than 20 yards. Let them come in quick, I get ready and let'r go. I actually moved my stand this year 20 yards closer to the thick cover that most of my 30 yard misses have come from at some real big deer. If I spook them well maybe I'll just have someone else shoot them for me. lol

[stoneam2006]

I go up high with my climber and as soon as I see the deer I am up and have bow ready to draw as soon possible and within 40 yards then take first opportunity.

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[Nomad]

I kill a lot at around ten yards, the rest seem to be twenty or just under . I have some spots where I could shoot thirty , just never had to .

If you know where they move through, it's not hard to be within twenty yards, that's a forty yard wide area right ? Twenty each side of tree .  

[G-Man]

Height is the deciding factor in placing stand for where i expect deer to show..if I'm 12 to 15 ft..15 to 20 yards..if I need to go higher for cover. I will place 25 or more yards due to shot angle..

[biggamefish]

20 yards and under.  After 20 yards shots can be done but alot can go wrong. One step and you are tracking!

 I will get Sh*# for this but guys shooting deer at 40 yards are just lucky and that luck will run out sooner or later. 

[grampy]

Most all my hunting is from ground level. 20 yards or less for me for most all my shots. Nothing like being eye to eye, on their level, and close enough to spit on! Wouldn't have it any other way! And up the difficulty X2 when there are two hunters, like when my grandson hunts. Figure if we can get it done on the ground, when he's on his own, hunting from a tree will seem easy! His education on the ground will serve him well, long after I am no longer able hunt with him. 

[stoneam2006]

Most all my hunting is from ground level. 20 yards or less for me for most all my shots. Nothing like being eye to eye, on their level, and close enough to spit on! Wouldn't have it any other way! And up the difficulty X2 when there are two hunters, like when my grandson hunts. Figure if we can get it done on the ground, when he's on his own, hunting from a tree will seem easy! His education on the ground will serve him well, long after I am no longer able hunt with him. 

I'll give you a ton if credit I can not for the life of me get it done on the ground with a bow.

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[BizCT]

1 hour ago, grampy said:

Most all my hunting is from ground level. 20 yards or less for me for most all my shots. Nothing like being eye to eye, on their level, and close enough to spit on! Wouldn't have it any other way! And up the difficulty X2 when there are two hunters, like when my grandson hunts. Figure if we can get it done on the ground, when he's on his own, hunting from a tree will seem easy! His education on the ground will serve him well, long after I am no longer able hunt with him. 

Same. My xbow (now compound spots) are all on the ground. 1 groundblind, the others just some camo burlap wrapped around my area. I can either shoot sitting down or stand up and shoot. It's nice because I can even get up and move a few yards either way to get a shot. Last year I shot my buck at 18 yards, but when I stopped him with a "meeeeehp" his vitals were covered by a tree, so I scooted over to the left and then double-lunged him. Being mobile is key IMO.

regarding the OP question. It's typically heavy woods where I am and I can't see more than 30-40 yards on the ground unless my spot is up high on some rocks, then I can see a little further.

Edited September 14, 2017 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Elmo]

20-30 yards and the arrow flies.  40 yard if near perfect conditions...fairly leveled, no elevation, no wind, etc.

[Doc]

Oops!.... I just noticed the title said "tree stand", and I came down out of the trees decades ago ..... lol. My stands consist of solid walls of natural local materials on the ground, and that is where I do my bow drawing. I could be break dancing back there and the deer would not see it. Then I just let the deer walk by and if all goes right, I get a nice 20 yard or less, slight quartering away shot.

That's if everything goes alright and the deer are on the trail. However what I have found is that unless they are on the trail of a hot doe, most of the bucks that I have seen are traveling at right angles to the majority of trails. Probably just scent-checking as many different trails as possible. But I have been caught more than once with bucks walking in behind me or out in front coming straight at me, offering nothing but face-shots, on no trail at all. What a helpless feeling that is. My stands will never work when that happens.....lol. But that's all part of hunting for me .... you win some and lose most.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

9 hours ago, Bowshotmuzzleloader said:

Is this serious question ? How far are you going to shoot with your bow,, uhmmm I plan about 40 to 50

It wasn't a question in regards to not knowing. Beacuse im set the way I hunt now ive had zero problems and have been doing it for years. More of a topic drawn from a curious mind. Thanks for the input lol. And ps ive been shooting 30 plus yards for half my life so yea I would have no problem with a shot like that. Although I wont be taking one on a animal.  Thanks tho

[HuntOrBeHunted]

6 hours ago, stoneam2006 said:

I'll give you a ton if credit I can not for the life of me get it done on the ground with a bow.

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My first Bow kill ever was a big doe. From the ground around the 15 yard mark. Still one of my memories that pop up first when thinking about past deer hunts!!

[HuntOrBeHunted]

7 hours ago, G-Man said:

Height is the deciding factor in placing stand for where i expect deer to show..if I'm 12 to 15 ft..15 to 20 yards..if I need to go higher for cover. I will place 25 or more yards due to shot angle..

+ 1... Good post

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

16 hours ago, HuntOrBeHunted said:

It wasn't a question in regards to not knowing. Beacuse im set the way I hunt now ive had zero problems and have been doing it for years. More of a topic drawn from a curious mind. Thanks for the input lol. And ps ive been shooting 30 plus yards for half my life so yea I would have no problem with a shot like that. Although I wont be taking one on a animal.  Thanks tho

Glad your finally figuring it out after all these years...

[Larry]

I like it so I can jump on their backs so I can ether break their backs when I land on them or stab them with my knife.

[Jeremy K]

On 9/14/2017 at 9:00 AM, biggamefish said:

20 yards and under.  After 20 yards shots can be done but alot can go wrong. One step and you are tracking!

 I will get Sh*# for this but guys shooting deer at 40 yards are just lucky and that luck will run out sooner or later. 

I will argue that a 40 yard kill shot is not luck , I do agree that the longer distance increases the odds of a bad shot ,the more shots taken at 40 yards will also increase the odds of a bad shot eventually . Thankfully , most bowhunters are in it to see how close they can get to achieve a clean, ethical kill. My farthest kill shot was 42 yards . That was from a stand with well marked shooting lanes that had I practiced out of leading up to the season. 

[chas0218]

On ‎9‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 0:18 AM, HuntOrBeHunted said:

This is a topic I can't recall being covered. And a really big deal if you want to get that good shot and not spook the deer with your draw. 

So, what is your guys and girls ideal distance from your stand to where you expect or want to get your kill at. Mine is around 20-30 yards. Gives me just enough space to feel covered and still close enough to get a good, clean and accurate shot. 

How about you?

Right beneath me, nothing like having a deer walk right in on you and be right under your stand. I love getting shots like those I aim for the middle of the spine right between the middle of the should blades. Usually if I hit the spine the drop and bleed out if I'm a little left or right I take out the lung and heart exiting the bottom of the chest cavity with instant blood to where the deer died. O and they will usually die within eye sight.

[biggamefish]

Jeremyt by no means am I saying those shots can't be done or don't happen.  Alot of guys are great shots out to 60 yards and hit the kill zone everytime. 

Deer will jump the string at 10 yard sometimes less. At 50 yards a deer could spin, jump, duck, dance, do the limbo by the time the arrow gets there.