Personal Limitations

Personal limitations are set by hunters themselves based on their known ability to make an ethical shot. Each hunter must understand his or her own abilities based on multiple factors that would influence their shot. Let’s review what factors may influence you as you set your personal limitations for the hunt.

Personal Health

Your health is important when planning your hunt. It can dictate the style of hunting of which you are capable or how you choose to pursue the game animal, such as stalking versus still hunting. It may also impact what equipment you will use and the distances you are capable of shooting (ie, lower bow draw-weights = less arrow speed/power = less distance able to shoot)

Equipment

Understanding your equipment and its effective range is essential to setting your own personal limitations. Practicing with your bow or firearm to become extremely familiar with how it performs and creating muscle memory for better form in the field will only increase your confidence and opportunity for success.

Distance Judgment

Learning how to judge distance is an extremely important skill to have, especially for archers. Technology, such as a range finder, offers the hunter a sure measurement — if you have the chance to range the animal. What if you don’t? An archer that may need to get within 40 yards of an elk, may not have the opportunity to use such a tool, but a firearms hunter ranging out to 100 yards or more would. This is where the ability to judge closer range distances by sight plays a large role in your ability to execute a shot. In the close range scenarios of archers, the hold points for a sight between 30, 35 and 40 yard shots may be drastically different and if judged wrong will likely result in a wounded elk, or a complete miss.

Judging your shot distance is essential. Elk are large animals and their size can cause you to misjudge your yardage. Also, the open areas that elk roam can play havoc on your yardage estimates. The solution may be as simple as visiting your local sporting goods store and picking up a range finder to help judge your distance. Your shot at an elk will likely be made at 40 yards or less. Practice the most at those distances. Also try shooting from beyond 40 yards to better hone your skills. Even if you are not comfortable shooting an animal at those distances, practicing at longer distances will make you a better archer. Practice helps you learn how far you can comfortably shoot; don’t exceed that limit in the field.

Size of the game animal you pursue

Size of the game animal you pursue may affect your limitations in a couple of ways. First, the ability to judge distance accurately may change with animal size. An elk, being much larger than a whitetail, may look closer than it really is to a hunter that is not familiar with elk. Second, the larger the size of the animal, the more force or power needed by the arrow or bullet for essential penetration of the vitals. For example, an arrow shot from a bow at a whitetail at 40 yards, may only be suitable at 30 yards at an elk in order to have proper penetration. To recap, elk have much more muscle mass, hide and bone to pass through than a whitetail.

Weather & Terrain

Knowing your ability to perform accurately from multiple shooting positions and in different weather conditions will help you set personal limitations as well. The ability to research or visit the terrain prior to the season will allow you to create scenarios to mimic shots presented in the field (shooting from an elevated platform, shooting up-hill, shooting from a sitting or kneeling position). Terrain can play on the size of the animal. For example, a steep slope makes them appear much closer than what they really are.

Understanding Your Personal Limitations

Now that we know many of the factors that play a hand in setting your limitations, how can you be sure you set the correct limits for yourself?...PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!

Practice makes perfect right? In this case, practice creates the opportunity you need to make a perfect shot with confidence, resulting in a successful harvest. Setting personal limitations for oneself, with the above factors, is important for you and for respect of the animal. Only you will truly know what you are capable of with your equipment. If you know you are shaky at 40 yards when you practice, imagine how a surge of adrenaline will impact you when a big elk steps out! It’s best to have a game plan going in, and more importantly STICK TO IT. By doing this you’ll be able to make that confident shot and greatly increase your chance of success. You may only get one chance, so make it your best!