Challenges of longrange hunting?

[midwesthunter]

I live in the midwest, more specific I just moved from IN to MI. So the only long range hunting I can do around here would be ground hogs and coyotes. Even then I am limited to the distance. I have my first real long range hunting trip out west this year. Cow elk hunt in CO. One of my buddies asked why would I want to hunt that way? He said no challenge really is there. SO I thought about this, as I always try and challenge myself in anything I do. Then take it to the next level. Like I said I have never hunted long range out west but have hunted and filmed many hunts. I feel its not hard at all to get with in 500+ yards most of the time. So to me the real challenge comes down to its all about me and my gun. Reading the conditions, makinging sure I have the wind just right, adjust for angle, elevation, distance. You still have to be phisicaly ale to get into possition to make the shot and recover the game.
I feel these are whats against the longrange hunter, its more on the hunter making the shot then it is finding game.
Am I wrong in my thinking? Is there more to it?

[azsugarbear]

I think you are dead on. Everybody looks for new challenges. I first started hunting with a rifle - anything with horn. Then I began raising the standard of the minimum trophy I was willing to take. Next came the primitive style muzzleloader which required me to get within 100 yards. All the while, I was increasing the minimum level of trophy acceptable to me. After a while 100 yards and a cloud of smoke was no longer challenging, so I picked up a bow and dropped my acceptable max range from 100 to within 50 yards. I still love the bow, but I am always looking to learn more.

For me, that challenge is now LRH. At 200 yards, it is pretty much point and shoot. Unless you are dealing with quartering shots at twilight, there aren't that many ethical dilemmas at 200 yds. Many LRH videos are so good now that the impression is left with the newbie viewer that LRH is also simply point and shoot. Nothing is further from the truth. In fact, I have to pass up more shots on game than I ever did with a std. rifle at 200 yards. LRH forces me constantly to wrestle with my own ethics and perceived vs. known abilities. LRH requires great skill in pulling the trigger and knowing the shot will fly home. LRH requires even greater element in all ethical hunters - knowing when not to pull the trigger. LRH has a mental component that tests us much like those that hunt with bow and stick. That is why I like LRH.

[kcebcj]

I got serious about shooting long range about 5 years ago and am very confident out to 600 yards deer or elk. The reason I took the step up to long range shooting was to improve my odds of taking a good animal. The challenge for me is still finding a good animal and then taking him at 50 yards if I jumped him in his bed or 600 if he gave me the slip and thought he was safe topping a far ridge.

I took a 29 inch 4 point mulie at 460 yards this last season. The hard part was finding him. Putting him in the freezer was easy. A few years ago I would have passed on him as he was beyond my PBR. You just have to practice your butt off at distance and develop a system so when the animal is spotted you can get the shot off quickly and accurately. If I don't like the look in the scope I don't shoot. I don't care for chasing a crippled animal into the next county.

The real challenge in hunting mule deer and elk is finding a quality animal not making the shot.

[rscott5028]

One of my buddies asked why would I want to hunt that way? He said no challenge really is there.

No disrespect intended. But, your buddy is ignorant. You need to enlighten him.

[midwesthunter]

I feel I have acompliced all my goals with my bow. I have taken 2 b&c whitetails within 20 yards. Taken a 300" elk on public land by myself in utah. I still love the challenge of getting up close and personal with them. But I am looking forward to extending my range with the rifle.

[RockyMtnMT]

In my opinion it is much easier to get a good shot under 300 yrds than it is to get a good shot past 500 yrds. The shorter shot does not require the time to make an accurate shot. Thus you do not need to have a relaxed target. Long range requires time to set up a quality shot. Thus you must have a completely relaxed target that is not on the move. As soon as you start to hurry a long shot you should stop. You are risking a poor shot.

Last season my hunting partner and I hunted for a week to get a long shot on a mule deer. In that week we shot 5 other deer at short range. We finally got a quality shot at 834 yrds and every thing went perfect.

Long range is much harder to do than short range.

Steve