Pace off your effective distance?

[Number17]

From years of shooting 3D archery and years of bowhunting, I just simply pick out a landmark or two and say, "Yep, that's 40 yards." In the 3D game you need to be within 2 yards out to 50 to be competitive. In the turkey game, 10 yards is a safe buffer zone.

If I can pace off 40 yards towards a bird without getting busted I'm certainly not backing up and loosing ground on him.

[Dtrkyman]

I'm an archery guy so I just judge distance, only cost me twice and I have shot a pile of birds...I do not carry my range finder unless guiding a kid where distance is more critical and we are hunting fields.


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[bghunter777]

This isn't practical for most of my hunts. I'v been pretty good at estimating yardage typically I try to get bird at least 10 yards closer than my guns effective range so if I do misjudge I still kill the bird.

[hobbes]

As stated by others, that works great for some cases, but I rarely hunt in such a way that I can wander around pacing off distances.  I hunt big country and cover large amounts of ground trying to strike up a tom.  Once I hear a bird, its game on and rarely time to wander around.  I dont even want to hunt in a manner that gives me that option.

As far as misjudging distance goes.  If you're so danged excited that you cant tell 60 yards from 40 yards, get a grip on yourself.  Actually,  carry a rangefinder, it takes little effort to shoot a couple ranges before the tom shows up.  If your gun is such that misjudging 45 for 40 results in a wounded bird and you cant tell the difference, let him come on in to 35, or better yet 30. 

In most cases the misjudged yardage excuse is just that, an excuse.  In most cases guys just decide to take a chance and shoot farther than they know that they should and hope to get lucky. Stop convincing yourself that its do or die and you have to kill that bird right then and there.

[catman529]

When I'm moving on a gobbler I often can't afford to walk another 30 or 40 yards just to put a stick in the ground. I try to set up close and call less and let him come in looking for me. Usually in the woods. When he's close enough you will know. If you're not sure, let him get closer or let him walk if you don't want to take a chance. I'm sure a rangefinder would help a lot but I've never used one. 40 yards and under isn't too hard to guess, at least in the woods it's not


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[greencop01]

I use a rangefinder, compact, doesn't take much room, light. It always tells the truth. I never not know distance to my bird. Usually under 25yds or less. Like I say we wait all year, let em in close hunting for the hen, enjoy the hunt! PS When they hunt for the hen they are hunting you. 

[maddog3355]

If I was going to walk 40 more steps toward a gobbling turkey I would sit down there. Work on your distance estimates on your scouting trips. Sit down and look at a tree and try to guess how far then get up and step it off and learn that way.

[greencop01]

I should have explained I range trees, rocks, etc to get distances and when the bird comes inside tree #1 I know he's inside 30yds. I hunt inside the woodline from fields at least 60 yds. I make the tom come in the woodline to hunt me. And a lot of my hunts are in the woods. I try to stay away from fields if I can. I range when I hunt, when I set up and at times other than when I hunt. As I said I usually am sure on range. Let's me concentrate on the calling and the hunt.

[Marc]

Turkeys tend to see me were I to go pacing off distances.

For some of us, pacing off distance is practical...  I know it is not for myself.  I want to create as little disturbance as possible when setting up.  Marching around the woods and counting off seems a bit counter-intuitive to being a "sneaky" turkey hunter.

Most of the areas I hunt, if I can see the bird, it is likely in range...  When hunting open areas, I look for landmarks that I can judge distance on, and make sure the bird is past those marks...

In my case, I am more likely to misjudge a turkey due to my own selfish bias...  I want the bird to be in range, and might range it closer than it really is...  I am far less likely to make this sort of misjudgment with landmarks (especially prior to shooting)...

[g8rvet]

My worst mistake was when I first started using the old Remington Hevi-Shot.  Longbeard came in and peaked around a tree.  Had the bead on his head and neck and he just turned around and walked away.  Not scared, but knew something was up.  I think my nephew moved.  I paced it after and it was 38 steps.  I could have killed him. Like someone said above, I knew my new load and range, but had never even considered shooting birds at that distance and did not have a feel for shots over 30.  My few birds I had killed at that point had all been up close and personal.  Live and learn.  I think I killed him the next year, as he was in about the same tree and came in the same way.  Killed his running buddy the next day, but no way to know if the were the same two.

I let one pass at 40 yards one morning, never felt like I had a clear shot.  My brother was behind me and wondering why I did not shoot.  He rolled him up when he circled us.  Oooooops.  He had roosted the bird, so it felt fair anyways.   

[richard black]

I use a compact range finder. Doesn't take up much space, easy and fast to use. I can range a few landmarks in less than a minute and be sure of the yardage. Peace of mind.

[WNCTracker]

Range finder. Why not.


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[Sir-diealot]

I keep a string that is 30 yards long in my backpack. It has a rock tied to one end that I place in front of my blind and then I walk out with it until I feel my fingers go over the tape at 25 yards. There I will place my first decoy and then I walk to the end of the rope and place my next decoy and that way I know that if the are between the decoys then it is inside my effective range. I had numerous surgeries on my eyes growing up for a few things including being cross eyed and I have never been good at judging distance. I don't use my eyes together (No I don't mean eye dominance, this is different) When I dive I stay as far away from the vehicle in front of me for safeties sake.

[Canadian gobbler]

Easy easy simple little trick they teach you in the military for shooting and distances , you will be amazed

Look at the spot you want to know the distance , split it in half , your eyes will do that very fast if it's under 100 yards ,
Then add by 2

Example , your sitting down , longest I'll shoot is 50 yards , I look out at a tree , then just look at half that distance to you , it's way easy for the eyes to do , split it ,  if that distance is roughly 16 yards then I know that tree is 32

How good is this method, try it at home or outside in your yard , you will easily be within a couple yards of your target ,

I use it all the time

[buckmark13]

I usually warm up with my distance estimates when looking for sheds in early spring. I take a range finder with me and continually judge my estimates versus the actual range. By the time the season opener hit, I'm pretty spot on. Bow hunting for deer has got me into this practice and it works well for me. The trick is do do it in the woods, not your driveway or backyard.

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