I've been doing spot and stalk for the past couple of weeks, and I'm getting a bit frustrated. I've missed 3 times, well gave one a hair cut. I have been taking my laser rangefinder the last couple of days but no opportunities.

JD- one thing that has helped me to estaimate distance is when I go for a walk I'll guess how far an object is and then count my steps to see how close I was. My stride is pretty close to 3'/1yd- close enough and how I measure the distance to game when I shoot it.
I also play golf which really helps estimating longer distances- for rifle shooting.

That's too bad. Sounds like it might not be the time to be hunting deer. If I were you, I'd step back and start spotting and stalking stumps/small game with Judo points. If you lob another one in and it makes a poor "connection", you'll really regret it.

Simple!

1. Draw 2 lines on a piece of cardboard about 1/2" thick and 18" apart.
2. Paint a thin white stripe on your site pin guard and tie a piece of white thread just below the painted line.
3. At ten yards, bow extended, slide the thread until the first mark and the thread line up with the 18" marks. When aligned, paint a mark where the thread was.
Repeat process to your maximun yardage.

Now in the field, if the deer fits between the top and second line up, the deer should be at approximately 20 yards. Get the idea! A cheap rangefinder that only costs time.

How far have these three shots been? Have the animals been aware of your presence?

With stalking, you should keep in mind that you are going to blow more stalks than you make, but you shouldn't be blowing the shot. You need to get close and you need to be accurate from sitting and kneeling as well as standing. A range finder is fairly useless for what you're trying to do. It's uneccesary movement and one more thing to get lost, catch on something, or dig into your body in awkward positions.

The further the shot, the greater the chance of the deer reacting to the sound of your bow and arrow and the greater the chance of a miss or a wounded animal.

Stalking isn't easy, especially in the Dakotahs where deer densities are lower than in the East and South and where cover can be hard to come by.

Frustration and being hasty are real accuracy killers. Getting your confidence back up is step number one.

A poorly placed arrow is pretty much a given at 35-40 yds in a 40 mph wind.

Captjack: I've been doing the same thingfor quite awhile. I play golf as well, and I can judge the distances pretty well when they're 100-500.

Aquavit: You're right about it being a problem taking the range finder; I did take it out and ranged the shots I took. It's about impossible during the middle of a stalk to have it on me though. I usually leave my quiver as well. The actual distances were between 36-44 yds.

Two were at the same buck, one shaves his belly and the other went just over his neck with his head down(didn't allow for windage in a 40 mph wind).

2 things happen when we get a shot at a deer.



A lot of the time we are so concerned about being busted when we draw that we don't draw all the way back to full draw which means we shoot low- this could be a good or bad thing- read below



The other thing to know about deer- whenever a deer string jumps you they momentarily squat to load up their leg muscles before they jump. that's why a lot of people shoot over a deer they thought they were properly aimed at.



..things to keep in mind...

make sure you're at full draw and aim a little low

CaptJack: Yes, I've seen the deer squat many times, but this is not the case in any of these. The deer didn't move until the arrow impacted.

I've been shooting bow for 40 years or so. When I was young, I did fail to get to full draw a couple of times shooting at close, spooked deer.

JD, Something else to do when you are out in the woods,
Carry a blunt or two and as you are walking out to your car or in the middle of the day in an area that is open and you figure you have afew minutes to practice, use the blunt to stump shoot. Pick a target, estimate the range, shoot and then pace it off and then go back and hit it with your range finderas well. Figure out what you think 20 yards is and what your bow thinks 20 yards is and then do the same with the range finder. At times if you are hunting with someone or a guide, their idea of 20 yards and yours is different. Trust your concept once you figure it out.
The deer woods is a different place to estimate range than the target butt but practice makes perfect!

Good Luck!

I hunted out of a ground blind this evening. Before I went to the blind, I was practicing range estimation. What I started doing is estimate 10 yds. and then the next ten yards and so on. When I was doing that, I guessed pretty darn close. Once guessed 42, and it was right on.

When I just looked at the distance and estimated, I was bad. Once I guessed 22 yds. and it was 32.

Only saw a couple of does. One walked within about 10 yds. I passed, hoping for a buck.

JD, maybe you could take a string and tie a knot at 10, 20 and 30 yards. Then tie a weight to the end of it, maybe a big fishing sinker. Then pick an object out in the distance, and if you thought it was 30 yards, then grasp the 30 yard knot then throw toward it and you'd be able to see how close you were without taking a measuring tape.

I probably read this somewhere, so if i steal someone's idea, it's because i read a lot and can't keep track what i figured out my self and what i read.

Plinker

I'd like to get some of those blunt arrows. Saw a great big black lab dog back in the woods, and it was chasing the deer. I'd like to give it a reason to stay home It was here once before chasing my ducks. How bad do blunts hurt, i only want to sting it bad.

Plinker

Sorry but I would not shoot a blunt at a dog unless I wanted to kill it. Maybe at 60+ yards but anything closer with my bow and I am going to kill it.

If you can identify the dog at all, I'd contact the owner and if seen again, then Fish and Game.

I don't think I'd stump shoot either. Tried it and even with a 58# stick bow you loose too many points and ruin too many arrows. My BowTech and carbons would be very costly.