What's the CLOSEST you've ever shot a deer? - Page 2

Fat White Boy · October 27, 2009, 10:54 PM

I was pig hunting on the Tejon Ranch just north of Los Angeles. I was walking across a hill when a cow elk walked out of a brush thicket 10 yards below me... She never knew we were there...

**Tom Servo** · October 27, 2009, 11:04 PM

Four meters. We paced it out. It was in heat and had come crashing through the brush into my back yard. I didn't know what the heck was going on, and I grabbed my gun.

It burst through the brush and I shot. It went about six steps before falling.

Funny sidenote: a few years ago, I was shooting with friends at a rural outdoor range. In the middle of a string, a buck walked right in front of the backstop. Everyone just froze. After about twenty seconds, he noticed all the humans with guns and bolted.

It was odd that nobody shot, but when we talked about it later, everyone seemed to think that doing so would have been somehow "wrong."

zahnzieh · October 28, 2009, 12:42 AM

Does hitting them with spit count? Had a stupid spike buck below me in the creek under my stand. I was tempted to spit on his ears - "hmm smells like human!" I let him go.

Rangefinder · October 28, 2009, 12:50 AM

How about point-blank? Had a broken scope mount on my 7mm the night before I left for a hunt. Had to take my .32 Winchester instead. Tied my guilly suit full of orange marking ribbon, flopped out at the edge of a willow stand, and had a young whitetail walk right up, sniff me, and then graze right next to me. No aiming necessary, I literally scorched hair on his side with hot gas from the muzzle.

hogdogs · October 28, 2009, 07:59 AM

Quote:

In the middle of a string, a buck walked right in front of the backstop.

It was odd that nobody shot, but when we talked about it later, everyone seemed to think that doing so would have been somehow "wrong."
Yesterday 11:54 PM

HEY! Call me Jack Kevorkian... Dude wants to commit suicide... Who am I to stop him...

Brent

Uncle Buck · October 28, 2009, 08:49 AM

I shot three deer with-in 25 feet of me. The first one was a doe, the biggest of the three. I shot her and she fell, the two yearlings with her ran off. Then they stopped and came back to her. I shot one of them and then the third one ran off a ways. When it walked back to the two dead deer I shot that one also.
The two were most definitely yearlings and probably dressed out to no more than 80 pounds. But they tasted the best. The does probably dressed out at around 120 pounds.

UniversalFrost · October 28, 2009, 10:17 AM

last year was the closest with a rifle at 20feet (paced it off). was a nice big arizona coues buck that followed my scent trail right to me (from behind).

with archery shot a big buck that was standing right under my stand (i was 15ft up), but he was 0 feet away my tree. I had to lean way out on my safety harness and nailed him righ between the shoulders and hit the spine and instant KO! luckily i had actually practiced this type of shot a week before, because I had a lot of big does the year before stand or bed under my tree and didn't shoot the previous year because I never tried a shot like that and didn't want to wound a deer.

tater134 · October 28, 2009, 02:25 PM

Closest deer Ive shot was at about 40yrds but an uncle of mine got one at about 25ft a few years ago when ran out of the woods during a drive.

StiveC2007 · October 28, 2009, 02:49 PM

Well seening how both times ive shot at dee ive missed, the closest ive ever gotten to a deer was about a lil less than 5 yards and it was a doe, I was sitting in a ground blind i had built she didnt even see me. I didnt shoot her too small. and ive had a deer almost jump on me when i was walking threw some high grass

elkman06 · October 28, 2009, 03:18 PM

0 yds..Knife, head..
elkman06

Oops, not a shot..edit

sc928porsche · October 28, 2009, 05:14 PM

About 20 feet. 300WM. I was in transit on my way back to camp and stopped to sit and eat an apple in fairly dense wooded area. Late morning about 11 am.

Old Grump · October 28, 2009, 07:07 PM

20 yards, spike buck. He had jumped the fence 65 yards in front of me and was walking right toward me limping a little, it was so small I put my gun down. Then he came over the little rise in front of my blind and I realized it was the deer that had been shot at by a black powder hunter and he had blown the knee off. Its leg was only held on by a small strip of hide and I knew it was a dead deer so I picked up my 308 and snapped off a shot, blew his heart apart. I apologized to the butcher for bringing in such a small deer but he laughed and said it was pretty good sized compared to some that had been brought in that day. I guess it was just baby deer day.

treg · October 28, 2009, 07:32 PM

Several in the 10 - 20 foot range while stalking corn fields. Haven't done that for years.

rmocarsky · October 28, 2009, 07:51 PM

On the ground.

Leaning against a tree.

Mature woods.

12 ga. 1100 fully rifled barrel, open sights.

'bout half hour earlier fired on a buck (nice one too) about 75 yards away, and watched it haul a** out the woods and across the bean field, about 400 yards into woods on other side and heard 3 shots.

Leaning against the tree wishing he'd been closer for about 1/2 hour when from behind the tree comes a little spike buck heading for the bean field.

Only thing . . . he had to get past me.

He didn't.

When friends came up and saw where the deer lay, they couldn't believe that I had not dragged it there.

Nope. That's where it fell. 8 paces.

One shot.

Rmocarsky

awaveritt · October 28, 2009, 08:20 PM

Don't know if sitting in a tree counts as a blind or stand but I took whitetail spike from 10 yards with a 130gr. 270 win Nosler PARTITION. At that range the bullet didn't seem to open up much and the deer ran about 50 yards before dropping. I always smile over the irony of having a flat-shooting 270 and finding my target of opportunity right under my feet.

.284 · October 28, 2009, 08:21 PM

My first eight point was shot from about 12 yards away. I did the deed with a Remington 870 Express using a 3" Winchester sabot. It wasn't that it was that close when I shot it. It's that when it ran after the shot, it ran right for the tree I was sitting near. As the deer ran by me, I could have reached out and touched his side.

williamd · October 28, 2009, 08:30 PM

15 steps. Muley in B.C. Walking a trail early in fog, dead calm. Muley materialized out of the fog (as I did to him I suppose). He just lowed his head and kept walking toward me. It was rut so I did not know what he had in mind

.... so bang, right in the forehead. Dropped like a rock. Then, I realized I was shaking.

flyboy14 · October 28, 2009, 08:43 PM

Shot one of my doe antelope this year at 32 yards with a 308, and my buck at about 12 yards with a 7mm rem mag. Was sighted in at 300 yards, guess I was over prepared, and over gunned! Both of em were drt. Both guns made quite a mess out of the boiler room. flyboy

bcarver · October 28, 2009, 08:59 PM

i didn't measure but it was close.
That is why I keep my scope on 2.5 power.

Brasscatcher84 · October 29, 2009, 11:22 AM

I took my first buck at about 12' with a 20 gauge slug at the tender age of eight.

Step-dad put me in a tree(no stand) in the middle of a small grassy clearing with a single-shot New England Firearms shotgun. I was exercizing poor hunting discipline and wasn't paying attention behind me, and this young 4-point buck walked almost directly under me. I took aim, thumbed the hammer as quietly as I could and got him right between the shoulder blades at a downward angle. He dropped where he stood.

SavageSniper · October 29, 2009, 06:55 PM

Danger close. Had one run out on me during a dog hunt. I do not know if it did not see me or had plans on taking me out. I shot him with a singleshot stevens 12 ga, 36in full choked barrel #1 buckshot. I do not know the exact range, but the wadding was stuck in the hair.

hardluk1 · October 30, 2009, 11:49 AM

Shot a camp meat doe at 20 feet ,had to circle the scope at 2.5 power and noting but fur,fire, deer down. Also shot a doe at 20feet straight down with a pistol out of a climbing stand a couple years before. And one doe straight down with a bow if that counts.

critter44 · October 30, 2009, 12:29 PM

1. Three steps with a .54 cal ML.
2. Five steps with a T/C Contender 30-30.
3. Twenty five yards with Win M70, 300 win mag and 6X scope. Could see only hair through the scope.

plainsman456 · October 30, 2009, 01:51 PM

I shot a buck at 14 feet with my 270 win.It un-zipped his hide on his belly.Good Luck

James R. Burke · October 30, 2009, 07:20 PM

It was raining, and I was standing under a tree to stay dry. A nice 8 point buck walked in front of me so close I had to wait to lift the rifle up. It was about 30 feet by the time he walked by, and I got the rifle up.

October 27, 2009, 11:04 PM	#27
Tom Servo Staff Join Date: September 27, 2008 Location: Foothills of the Appalachians Posts: 13,059	Four meters. We paced it out. It was in heat and had come crashing through the brush into my back yard. I didn't know what the heck was going on, and I grabbed my gun. It burst through the brush and I shot. It went about six steps before falling. Funny sidenote: a few years ago, I was shooting with friends at a rural outdoor range. In the middle of a string, a buck walked right in front of the backstop. Everyone just froze. After about twenty seconds, he noticed all the humans with guns and bolted. It was odd that nobody shot, but when we talked about it later, everyone seemed to think that doing so would have been somehow "wrong." __________________ Sometimes it’s nice not to destroy the world for a change. --Randall Munroe

October 28, 2009, 12:50 AM	#29
Rangefinder Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2005 Posts: 2,017	How about point-blank? Had a broken scope mount on my 7mm the night before I left for a hunt. Had to take my .32 Winchester instead. Tied my guilly suit full of orange marking ribbon, flopped out at the edge of a willow stand, and had a young whitetail walk right up, sniff me, and then graze right next to me. No aiming necessary, I literally scorched hair on his side with hot gas from the muzzle. __________________ "Why is is called Common Sense when it seems so few actually possess it?" Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Politicians.

October 28, 2009, 08:49 AM	#31
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	I shot three deer with-in 25 feet of me. The first one was a doe, the biggest of the three. I shot her and she fell, the two yearlings with her ran off. Then they stopped and came back to her. I shot one of them and then the third one ran off a ways. When it walked back to the two dead deer I shot that one also. The two were most definitely yearlings and probably dressed out to no more than 80 pounds. But they tasted the best. The does probably dressed out at around 120 pounds. __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

October 28, 2009, 10:17 AM	#32
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,300	last year was the closest with a rifle at 20feet (paced it off). was a nice big arizona coues buck that followed my scent trail right to me (from behind). with archery shot a big buck that was standing right under my stand (i was 15ft up), but he was 0 feet away my tree. I had to lean way out on my safety harness and nailed him righ between the shoulders and hit the spine and instant KO! luckily i had actually practiced this type of shot a week before, because I had a lot of big does the year before stand or bed under my tree and didn't shoot the previous year because I never tried a shot like that and didn't want to wound a deer. __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

October 28, 2009, 03:18 PM	#35
elkman06 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2006 Location: Wyoming Posts: 885	0 yds..Knife, head.. elkman06 Oops, not a shot..edit __________________ "The right of the citizens to bear arms in the defense of themselves and of the state shall not be denied." Wyoming Constitution Article 1, Sec24 "Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6" Last edited by elkman06; October 28, 2009 at 04:33 PM.

October 27, 2009, 10:54 PM	#26
Fat White Boy Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2005 Posts: 1,276	I was pig hunting on the Tejon Ranch just north of Los Angeles. I was walking across a hill when a cow elk walked out of a brush thicket 10 yards below me... She never knew we were there...

October 28, 2009, 12:42 AM	#28
zahnzieh Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2006 Posts: 206	Does hitting them with spit count? Had a stupid spike buck below me in the creek under my stand. I was tempted to spit on his ears - "hmm smells like human!" I let him go.

October 28, 2009, 02:25 PM	#33
tater134 Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2009 Location: NE,PA Posts: 390	Closest deer Ive shot was at about 40yrds but an uncle of mine got one at about 25ft a few years ago when ran out of the woods during a drive.

October 28, 2009, 02:49 PM	#34
StiveC2007 Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2009 Posts: 237	Well seening how both times ive shot at dee ive missed, the closest ive ever gotten to a deer was about a lil less than 5 yards and it was a doe, I was sitting in a ground blind i had built she didnt even see me. I didnt shoot her too small. and ive had a deer almost jump on me when i was walking threw some high grass

October 28, 2009, 05:14 PM	#36
sc928porsche Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2008 Location: now living in alabama Posts: 2,433	About 20 feet. 300WM. I was in transit on my way back to camp and stopped to sit and eat an apple in fairly dense wooded area. Late morning about 11 am. __________________ No such thing as a stupid question. What is stupid is not asking it.

October 28, 2009, 07:07 PM	#37
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	20 yards, spike buck. He had jumped the fence 65 yards in front of me and was walking right toward me limping a little, it was so small I put my gun down. Then he came over the little rise in front of my blind and I realized it was the deer that had been shot at by a black powder hunter and he had blown the knee off. Its leg was only held on by a small strip of hide and I knew it was a dead deer so I picked up my 308 and snapped off a shot, blew his heart apart. I apologized to the butcher for bringing in such a small deer but he laughed and said it was pretty good sized compared to some that had been brought in that day. I guess it was just baby deer day. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

October 28, 2009, 07:32 PM	#38
treg Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2006 Posts: 1,102	Several in the 10 - 20 foot range while stalking corn fields. Haven't done that for years. __________________ .44 Special: For those who get it, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible.

October 28, 2009, 07:51 PM	#39
rmocarsky Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2009 Posts: 406	8 paces On the ground. Leaning against a tree. Mature woods. 12 ga. 1100 fully rifled barrel, open sights. 'bout half hour earlier fired on a buck (nice one too) about 75 yards away, and watched it haul a** out the woods and across the bean field, about 400 yards into woods on other side and heard 3 shots. Leaning against the tree wishing he'd been closer for about 1/2 hour when from behind the tree comes a little spike buck heading for the bean field. Only thing . . . he had to get past me. He didn't. When friends came up and saw where the deer lay, they couldn't believe that I had not dragged it there. Nope. That's where it fell. 8 paces. One shot. Rmocarsky

October 28, 2009, 08:20 PM	#40
awaveritt Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2008 Location: Central Texas Posts: 259	Don't know if sitting in a tree counts as a blind or stand but I took whitetail spike from 10 yards with a 130gr. 270 win Nosler PARTITION. At that range the bullet didn't seem to open up much and the deer ran about 50 yards before dropping. I always smile over the irony of having a flat-shooting 270 and finding my target of opportunity right under my feet.

October 28, 2009, 08:21 PM	#41
.284 Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2009 Location: davison, michigan Posts: 665	My first eight point was shot from about 12 yards away. I did the deed with a Remington 870 Express using a 3" Winchester sabot. It wasn't that it was that close when I shot it. It's that when it ran after the shot, it ran right for the tree I was sitting near. As the deer ran by me, I could have reached out and touched his side. __________________ Guns have only two enemies, rust and politicians! Deer are amazing creatures....so please don't burn the sauteed onions and I'll pass on the steak sauce, thank you.

October 28, 2009, 08:30 PM	#42
williamd Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 801	15 steps. Muley in B.C. Walking a trail early in fog, dead calm. Muley materialized out of the fog (as I did to him I suppose). He just lowed his head and kept walking toward me. It was rut so I did not know what he had in mind .... so bang, right in the forehead. Dropped like a rock. Then, I realized I was shaking. __________________ "Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns!" Unfortunately, we may be moving in that direction. NRA Benefactor, Conservative!, VN '64-'65. Never sell a gun or a car ... and retire rich!

October 28, 2009, 08:43 PM	#43
flyboy14 Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2008 Location: south dakota Posts: 175	Shot one of my doe antelope this year at 32 yards with a 308, and my buck at about 12 yards with a 7mm rem mag. Was sighted in at 300 yards, guess I was over prepared, and over gunned! Both of em were drt. Both guns made quite a mess out of the boiler room. flyboy

October 28, 2009, 08:59 PM	#44
bcarver Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2007 Location: Jackson,Mississippi Posts: 838	about one truck length i didn't measure but it was close. That is why I keep my scope on 2.5 power.

October 29, 2009, 11:22 AM	#45
Brasscatcher84 Junior member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 128	I took my first buck at about 12' with a 20 gauge slug at the tender age of eight. Step-dad put me in a tree(no stand) in the middle of a small grassy clearing with a single-shot New England Firearms shotgun. I was exercizing poor hunting discipline and wasn't paying attention behind me, and this young 4-point buck walked almost directly under me. I took aim, thumbed the hammer as quietly as I could and got him right between the shoulder blades at a downward angle. He dropped where he stood.

October 29, 2009, 06:55 PM	#46
SavageSniper Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2005 Location: Crawfordville, FL Posts: 494	Danger close. Had one run out on me during a dog hunt. I do not know if it did not see me or had plans on taking me out. I shot him with a singleshot stevens 12 ga, 36in full choked barrel #1 buckshot. I do not know the exact range, but the wadding was stuck in the hair. __________________ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights!

October 30, 2009, 11:49 AM	#47
hardluk1 Junior member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 600	Shot a camp meat doe at 20 feet ,had to circle the scope at 2.5 power and noting but fur,fire, deer down. Also shot a doe at 20feet straight down with a pistol out of a climbing stand a couple years before. And one doe straight down with a bow if that counts.

October 30, 2009, 12:29 PM	#48
critter44 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2000 Posts: 247	1. Three steps with a .54 cal ML. 2. Five steps with a T/C Contender 30-30. 3. Twenty five yards with Win M70, 300 win mag and 6X scope. Could see only hair through the scope.

October 30, 2009, 01:51 PM	#49
plainsman456 Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2008 Posts: 260	I shot a buck at 14 feet with my 270 win.It un-zipped his hide on his belly.Good Luck

October 30, 2009, 07:20 PM	#50
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	It was raining, and I was standing under a tree to stay dry. A nice 8 point buck walked in front of me so close I had to wait to lift the rifle up. It was about 30 feet by the time he walked by, and I got the rifle up.