Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Realistic Distance For Ethical Kills

Eddy,

What I am talking about is if I spot an animal at 800 yards and I can get closer say 600 then I will do that if possible. I try and get to a point where I know 100% that I can make a clean kill. I have not tried to close the gap on some shots in the 500's, but I don't consider those that long of a shot.

My longest kill was at 1031 yards, I had the elk spotted at 1800 and hiked to the edge of a vertical rock face at 1031 yards. I had perfect conditions and took the shot and the elk died. if I could have got another 200 yards closer before taking the shot I would have. I am not saying that everyone should do or needs to do what I suggest here, that is just they way I do it.

Sometimes it is just not possible, for example below is a picture of a typical spot where I would hunt deer and elk. They hang out in the reprod. You either have a 500 yard shot or you hike over to where the deer is crash though the brush and never see them again. No blacktail buck is going to hang around while you crash though the brush and let you get 10 yards from him where you can see him.




Another photo, you couldn't kick a dog though this stuff let alone sneak up on an elk, you either take the shot or you don't get an elk. This is good incentive to practice.

Edit to add, this is though a spotter at 525 yards, I wouldn't take this shot just using it as a visual aid.