Yardage Average

[BT]

15 - 35 seems to be the mean average with most shots in that range being taken @ 15 - 25 yards.
Now the question becomes 2 part

[CopperHead]

Thsi year has been very untypical for me. Generally my shots are from 15 to 18 yards but this year they all seem to be around the 30 yard marker.

The landscape has changed a lot this year to which I accredit for the change in deer patterns. Several large areas of wood lots have been cleared and planted in rotation with rye and corn for the dairy farmers.

[nkybuck]

I like my shots to be around 20 yds but I can stretch it ifneed be my shortest has been 6 and furthest 42 not a shot I would normally take but the deer was feeding and clueless to my presence

[BT]

Nov 15, 2008 12:22:30 GMT -5 nkybuck said:

..... furthest 42 not a shot I would normally take but the deer was feeding and clueless to my presence

Thats the difference on such shots.
If a person takes the time to read the deer and can shoot well to that range, it is not as risky as a shot that might be closer.... on an alert deer.

[jamaltwy]

the bigger the animal, the longer i may take a shot!! Hogs i like to take short tight shot vitals are way smaller, caribou had bigger chest area then whitetail longer shot plus on tundra no objects messing up your shot, out west in plains area like this too... to me this makes the difference.

[ccwilder3]

I generally hunt from 15 to 20 feet off the ground and just adore a 12 yard shot from that height. Most of the deer I’ve killed have been under 15 yards as I tend to hunt thick nasty places since the deer seem to stir more in those kind of places in the daylight. The longest I’ve taken is 64.5 yards and the shortest was directly under me.