Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Killing deer at 1000 yards

Everybody,go to the LONG RANGE SHOOTING post and read it .These ?'s were gone over in great detail......Don,how's the hog's coming along........

Boyd,
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<br>They aren't, lol
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<br>We are stuck at 98 dead hogs on the year, so far. Dave took care of that hog that was against the woods, close to the lake.
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<br>Fortunately work has picked up quite a bit in the last 3 weeks and I am really busy right now, which I am gratefull for.
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<br>I guess I am doomed to not reach the 100 mark - on killing hogs for one season. Two years ago we killed 97. This year we beat that by 1, so far. We have been watching for local farmers cutting hay fields but nothing yet. I would imagine, based on the hieght of some of the fields they will be making their last cutting real soon.
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<br>I still want to have you and Butch come up to hopefully obtain some more video. I will keep you posted.
<br>Hope all is well with you and yours.
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<br>Don

Don... You are right. We are all human, and make mistakes. The difference between wounding an animal at 150 yards, and one at 1000 yards, is the closer one will be easier to hit with a follow-up shot. The further one, at or over 1000 yards, may be moving when wounded, and I'm dang sure most LRS can't hit the animal with repeated certainty to make a ethical finish-off shot. The distance is too great for a bullet to hit a moving target, and with the longer time of flight, the animal may move even further after the trigger was pulled.
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<br>Everyone must do a little searching to find animals to begin with! But its what one does after this, before a shot it taken, is what is refered to as "hunting".
<br>Taking a shot at an UNSTALKED animal at 1000 plus yards is merely shooting at live targets. There is no hunting involed. Finding and Stalking are two different things. Don't confuse the two.
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<br> ~~~Suluuq

Evening RUSTY-GUNN >> You said "Taking a shot at an UNSTALKED animal at 1000 plus yards is merely shooting at live targets. There is no hunting involed. Finding and Stalking are two different things. Don't confuse the two."
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<br>Always remember that what you have described above is what hunting means "to you". Period. Don't make the foolish mistake of thinking that you have the authority to tell others what hunting should mean to them. That's certainly not your place.
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<br>Frankly, I wouldn't give ya two pug nickles for your stalk. Defining hunting around a stalk is utter nonsense, in my opinion. Hunting is exactly what "I" define it as. And that is the clean, humane killing of the game that I choose to hunt in the manor that I choose to hunt them. If what I do is not deemed as hunting to you, I can respect that. But I expect the same in return. Later. >> klallen

Klallen
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<br>Agreed that " clean and humane killing" is the goal. But that goal is elusive at 1000 yards.
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<br>miki
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Elusive,for you,probably.For other's it's not..........

Boyd, Don, & Miki,
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<br>I would suspect that the fraction of hunters who should be taking 1,000 yard shots at deer is a fraction of a fraction of 1% of the people who buy deer tags each year.
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<br>The great thing about America is our right to choose. Boyd and Don can choose to shoot PA deer at 1,000 yards. Miki and I can choose to stalk our deer and take our shots at shorter ranges. Either way, we are all doing what we feel best matches our shooting skills, our situation, and our commitment to make clean, humane, kills.
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<br>Different people, different situations, different skills, different interests, America, where being different isn't held against you!
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<br>Sincerely,
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<br>Bearrr264

I am sorry I ever got into this one. We are miles apart in our concept of "hunting". Therefore I will agree to disagree and leave it at that, I am not trying to make you a convert. This is America and we are all entitled to our opinions and the pursuit of happeness as long as it does,'t interfere with others
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<br>Go in peace my friend.

Boyd and Don
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<br>I go along with Lee and Bearrr, good luck to you at 1000 yards and any other range.
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<br>I might even come down to Williamsport some day - I am in Western NJ - to see how you guys do it. The only time I have ever shot at 1000 was in 1953 at Perry, the Small Arms Firing School after I got home from Korea. I was using a perfectly standard M70 .30'06 with a hunting 'scope, I forget what. Probably a Weaver K4 in a Pachmayr swinging sidemount. I think I did hit the target paper more than I missed it but that is about all I can claim.
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<br>Will possibly hit the Harrisburg gun show next Saturday.
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<br>Miki

miki,The next match is on Sep 7th and 8th......Let me know when you wanna come up....We have a few guy's from NJ shooting up here.................I might even have a gun for you to shoot if you wanna try your luck...Make the trip up.I would be more than happy to show you around....................

K... So, here we are, two different hunters, looking for two different animals to shoot. We both see them at 1000 yards distance. I make a sneak for it, but you will prepare to shoot it.
<br>Now, we both aim and shoot.
<br>I stalked mine, you didn't. At what point did you "hunt"?
<br>Don't the word "hunt" mean "to stalk"? (I must have a different dictionary then you.)
<br>But thats otay, you can go ahead and do as you please, after all you're a different "hunter" then me. ~~~Suluuq

Howdy SULUUQ >> Ain't necessarily saying that my shot would be taken at 1000 yds., but I suppose for arguement sake, my hunt would pretty much started when I entered the woods, continued on as I found the game, took the shot, as I was cleaning and tagging the animal and ending as I was putting it in my truck, all while you were expertly implementing the all-american stalk on the animal. I don't complicate much. You can waste the time differentiating between the two if you'd like, but it's just that to me, a waste of time. You legally take game, you're hunting. Simple as that.
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<br>Would appear as though I'm not that far off from ole Webster either. Near as I can tell, the #1 def. for the word hunt is "to kill or catch (game) for food or sport". Don't find the word "stalk" anywhere in the primary def. I do see that the #2 def. is "to find or search", which can be done regardless of distance, 100 or 1000 yds. And lastly, #3 being "to chase". This must be where you get the "your" primary definition of hunt needing to include a stalk of some sort. Stalking ... chasing, I get the similarity. Just keep in mind that the #1 def. was. to kill or catch. This is what defines my hunt, no matter the distance that the animal is taken. I'll stalk if it's necessary, but I won't do it just to say that I did. Wasting time while hunting don't appeal to me at all. The season's far to short as it is. Chat with you later. >> klallen
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Gents
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<br>We can reduce our discussion to absurdity and I suppose if I had the time and energy to embroider it and you guys had the patience to listen to it, I could make a pretty solid case (my legal background should be good for something) that the failure to use a spear is taking too much advantage of the game. So that all hunting, except I suppose subsistence hunting, since the invention of the bow has been unethical.
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<br>Miki

I don't buy it. I have read Dan llija's writings on long range hunting and it is very interesting but why? When shooting at varmints the huge energy per pound of animal mean kills with non peripheral hits. Gut shot, a 2 pound prairie dog hit with a thousand foot pounds will die pretty quick....it's also a prairie dog and there are a kazillion of them. A deer is a lovely sophisticated game animal with finely tuned senses and great vitality. It is not a mere target and with all due respect the thousand yard shooter is using this fine animal as one. You can't overpower a hundred plus pound animals biology with a poorly placed bullet. I grew up in Saskatchewan and it is pretty flat, but over a thousand yards there are lots of places a wounded dear can get out of sight. Over rough ground how long will it take me to get there to search? When I misjudge the wind slightly and drift a bullet into the guts when will I see this animal again? Has my scope been bumped off a minute of angle.. is there a slight downhill or uphill angle...Doesn't the deer deserve for me to give it every chance for a clean kill.... do I have any responsibility to it or am I in the field purely to test my equipment out on a living animal? Do me a favour and buy some balloons for your thousand yard shooting and leave the hunting to people who love their quarry... because any one who shoots deer at a thousand yards loves their gear more than their game.

Tak:
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<br>Welcome aboard.
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<br>Rick Bin

Taku
<br> I like it. Well said. You nailed it with "because any one who shoots deer at a thousand yards loves their gear more than their game."
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Takujualuk... good post. They'll likely make efforts to explain it away, though. They're good at coming up with excuses to justify their behavior.
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<br>The deer, etc do deserve a quick and clean kill, no matter the range, but the longer the range, the more differcult it is to ensure this, especially with a follow-up shot on moving game (not all animals will just stay put when being shot at) .
<br>Far too many variables, beyound their control, regardless of their ability and equipment. This, they don't care for, or else they'd more likely make efforts to get closer, thus reducing the chances of error. But, its just a game to them. Their ability, their equipment, against live animals, based on their ability to hit a paper target. Unethical, if you ask me, but I'm sure the LRS won't ask me. ~~~Suluuq
<br>~~~Suluuq

Takujualuk, First let me add my WELCOME! to the campfire. And I agree with you and Suluuq. But we are not gonna convince these guys of our point of view, so I have decided to agree to disagree with them and leave it at that.
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<br>I can't get into the woods anymore but I was as interested in the stalk (the best part of the hunt IMHO) as the actual killing. I never trophy hunted either, only for meat. Passed many a iffie shot rather than wound and waste and animal, just the way I was brought up.
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<br>If they can make clean kills at long range, more power to them. If not, shame on them.
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<br>To me it is more the spirit of the hunt and being out in the woods than just killing something because you can.
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Takujualuk
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<br> Welcome to the discussion.
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<br> This reply is a general reply and not directed toward you but the system seems to reuire I reply to one individual post.
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<br> I'll address one thought in your post and the reason it's a general reply is that folks seem to have agreed with you.
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<br>"....it's also a prairie dog and there are a kazillion of them. A deer is a lovely sophisticated game animal with finely tuned senses and great vitality. "
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<br> Where I live and hunt there are a "kazillion" deer and they share the status of varmint with animals like groundhogs and rats, there are however no Prairie Dogs and one would certainly be viewed as a lovely animal to be preserved. This year in Maryland there is NO LIMIT on anterless deer in the majority of the state, they are becoming varmints even in the eyes of the DNR. There are corn fields here that farmers won't even bother to harvest because of the deer (read as varmint) damage.
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<br> You and I are products of different environments and we live in different conditions. I kill deer and other animals at longer ranges but this does not automatically indicate that I enjoy wounding them or blaze away in a poke-and-hope frenzy. I hunt in the manner I believe will be most productive and best accomplish the required task.
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<br> I don't love my gear and I don't love animals, I know my gear and I respect the animals.
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I guess I still haven't gotten a good answer as to wind implications in long range hunting of deer. I won't be hypocritical and will admit that I've shot deer on a few occasions at ranges beyond 500 yards. When living near Sun Prairie, Montana I had the opportunity to shoot targets and deer from my bench on the back deck of my house. I took a couple of B tag does at distances in excess of 500 yards. (640 and 590 by Geovid ranging)These shots were taken when there was absolutely no wind and conditions were perfect. I readily admit that the long range harvest of deer is possible. The question I still ask of all the long range hunters is - How many deer have you harvested? How many have you wounded? Please answer honestly! I am really skeptical about anybody reading changing wind conditions accurately at 700-1000 yards. I restate the point that a 3 mph error or a fishtail in wind direction will result in a gutshot deer. Taking a "spotter" shot is silly. Conditions change in seconds, if a spotter shot is necessary I submit that a shot shouldn't be lobbed at a deer.