Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Effective Bow Range for Deer Hunting

I practice a lot… and I still won’t shoot beyond 40 yards with the compound. Crossbow I’m confident to 75, but I don’t think that’s what you’re asking about.

I have friends who routinely try to shoot deer farther than 40 yards… and honestly, they wound a lot of deer that we don’t recover. Being able to hit a target is one thing, having enough retained energy to humanly kill a deer is another thing. You have to be willing to pass shots beyond the range you can cleanly harvest.