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Bowhunting
World’s Adventures In Archery
The World Past 20 Yards—Extending
Your Range
Stuck at the 20-yard threshold? Three nationally known bowmen show how to increase your effective range and make the most of each opportunity. “You guys will have about two hours to hunt and still catch the plane,” said the manager of the Jupiter caribou camp in northern Quebec. “If you can pack back the meat, I’ll take things from there. Just don’t miss that plane!”
A mature white-mane bull emerged from the timber. Another animal soon followed. Were there five, a dozen, or 20? Numbers didn’t really matter; one caribou in range was all I sought. Testing the wind, I retreated and then made a wide circle. Sneaking to a large rock, I inched above the horizon, scanning the vicinity for antler tips. No caribou. Glassing intently, I finally spotted tall velvet passing through thick brush well to my right. There was no time to waste. Reversing course again, I dashed through several openings, then closed the distance toward an ambush trail. The bulls were traveling through waist-high brush, making enough noise to cover my approach. Crouched as low as possible, I closed a final 50 yards with just seconds to spare. My hands trembled as I ranged a scrubby bush at 30 yards. The first bull stepped just beyond the shrub. The second bull was larger. The duo moved steadily and I remembered a trick a guide had suggested. “Ark!” I barked briskly, and both animals stopped. Already at full draw, I settled the 40-yard pin high in the chest, held and released. In an instant the Carbon Express shaft flashed to the target, zipping through just behind the shoulder. The arrow was exactly on target, a shot for which I had prepared and practiced. In this instance, preparing to surpass the 20-yard pin spelled the difference between success and “next time.” Think Short, Prepare
for Long
My rule of thumb: never take
a long shot if you can plan a short one.
To ethically hunt whitetail deer from a treestand, an archer must place an arrow within a 5-inch circle at 20 yards. This margin of error is 2.5 inches from the point of aim. Extend this degree of accuracy to 30 yards and wounding may occur, even under ideal circumstances. For this reason, the 20-yard threshold has become a “glass ceiling” for many bowmen. Today’s advances in archery technology such as carbon ICS arrows, one cam bows, fiber-optic sights, and vibration reduction—and, most notably, rangefinders—can reduce the “error of arrows” and extend your effective range. Each year, more and more hunters take actions to extend their effective range well beyond the 20-yard pin. Is that right for you? Only you can answer that question, yet consider the views of three nationally-known bowmen. The 100-Yard Pin
Schultz has been an IBO World Champion several times and grew up with a solid background of long-range target shooting. His ability to use extended range pins is a combination of finely tuned form and equipment. “My fixed-blade broadheads fly at about 320 fps,” he says. “It’s all about alignment—little things like twisting the cable yoke. Also, I twist the bowstring to increase brace height. This increases the preload on the limbs as well as brace height.” Schultz shoots a Hoyt Hyper-Tech bow set at 79 pounds, Easton ACC 360s and a Titanium 100 broadhead. Schultz believes his long-range ability is an excellent insurance policy when the unexpected happens. “If something unexpected occurs, you are helpless unless you have those long-range pins to fall back on,” he says. “If your arrow hits a twig, the animal suddenly moves, or some other calamity occurs, the long-range pins may allow a second shot.” Several years ago Schultz was moose hunting and believed he had a stationary target of immense size. At the moment of release the big bull took a stride, causing a non-lethal hit. “I killed that moose at 67 yards with a second shot in the ribs,” he says with satisfaction. “I relied heavily on my Leica rangefinder and plenty of practice.” Spot and Stalk
to Success
I had the good fortune to practice with Kobrine in his expansive back yard; where retrieving arrows and walking for exercise go hand in hand. “I practice between 60 and
80 yards because that’s the range I expect to shoot,” says Kobrine. “Most
African game will give you that leeway.”
This young man’s physical prowess adds to his hunting effectiveness. A lanky 6 feet 6 inches, he shoots a full-length arrow at a draw weight of 80 to100 pounds. This long power stroke combined with a heavy 1,000-grain arrow can provide kinetic energy in the 100 foot-pound range. How Far Is The
Moose?
Small Steps To
Extended Range
“If you practice at 60 yards, you either improve your aim or you lose all your arrows,” says Schultz. From a practice standpoint, the farther away you can group arrows, the more consistent your shafts at a closer range. A flaw in form or rest clearance may not affect your shooting at 20 yards; however, beyond 50 yards erratic arrow placement becomes clearly evident. All three men shoot fixed-blade
broadheads and practice with them. Foulkrod has been a consistent advocate
of the Titan four-blade, a large cut-on-contact head that creates a large
slash factor. Like Schultz’s 100-yard pin, Foulkrod counts on the extra
cutting power of his broadhead as insurance, should something go wrong.
“I never thought I’d give up aluminum arrows,” admitted Foulkrod several years ago, after learning from a bad experience. Traveling through dense alders on a rainy Kodiak bear hunt, several of his shafts bent, without his knowledge. “Feathers can get wet and not work,” said the Pennsylvania resident, however, my Carbon Express arrows are always straight.” Foulkrod’s shafts are beefed-up to 12 grains per inch. His 500-grain arrows develop between 72 and 75 foot pounds of kinetic energy. Foulkrod alters his maximum range with available practice. Early in the season after a full summer tuning form, he extends his effective range, based on conditions. However, with many days in treestands and the onset of bad weather, he reduces that distance. Scent control is a top priority of each sportsman. Schultz produces Scent Blocker Plus, Kobrine uses Scent-Lok even in Africa, and Foulkrod employs the Hunter Specialty scent elimination system. The message: relaxed game stands still. Range And Animal
Behavior
Just as I stopped the caribou with a sharp vocal sound, “cow calling” will almost always stop a bull elk in its tracks. Allow a bull or cow to move into an open shooting lane at a known distance and then chirp. Whitetails bucks often stop at the sound of a grunt, even a voiced “baa” sound. Feeding animals are usually relaxed and fairly stationary. In this situation, hunters can often wait until the near front leg moves forward fully exposing the heart/lung area. An animal in a head-down position can signal a closer stalk. The sounds of crunching acorns or grazing grass will help mask approaching footsteps. If the animal is feeding in a general direction, you can circle ahead for an ambush. Bedded game is another matter. Lying down, a deer or elk’s vitals are compressed to the bottom quarter of its body cavity. If possible, wait for the animal to stand or sneak in very close. How Far Is Too
Far?
Finally, rangefinders are
wonderful tools; yet require practice in actual hunting situations. Treestand
hunters should make a habit of ranging trees as soon as they are buckled-in.
Spot-and-stalk artists require familiarity with the device. Opening a Velcro
pouch can be too noisy at close range. Bushnell’s pocket size optic saved
my caribou hunt. From pocket-to-range-to-pocket took mere seconds.
The maximum range is the distance you can put a broadhead inside of a five-inch circle every time. Practice realistically, know your limitations and you can release with confidence. Extending Maximum Range
Bowhunting World Magazine
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Pressured
by an unexpected departure schedule, I dressed by candlelight as the eastern
sky began to pale. Pushing the darkness, I climbed the ridge, stopping
often to survey the tundra surroundings. Several days before, thousands
of caribou migrated through this area, concentrating in a narrow patch
of black spruce. The nearby funnel would offer close-range potential. As
the sun crested the horizon, action soon followed.
