A question for crosseyed cricket. Or anyone who really knows.

If you are standing on the ground with a very powerfull bow and fire it at a deer on the ground, say roughly parralel to the ground how far does the arrow go? It can't be very far? Tree hunting is nothing like that but, just wondering? It's not too hard to be out of bow hunting range. How far is a typically tree stand shot, best case, best equipment?

Does everyone else know that the link is reffering to bow hunting, not shooting?

So, what kind of strange cities do you have over there that are not populated?

Yes, I actually would, if walking my dog was something I enjoyed doing, and if I wasn't already out here on the hunt myself. We hunters aren't dumb, ignorant, or unintelligent... well, not ALL of us :) And I'm not saying you believe we are. Hunting near a hiking path or bike trail is fruitless. A deer has a sniffer on it better than your dog, several hundred fold what a humans is. They can smell the leather on your shoes hours after you have walked by. Even though they get used to the scent, they avoid it. We hunters know this, so we are nowhere near the trails. We are in the thick of things. In the early morning and the evening is when you bow hunt. When the deer are moving. During the day they are bedded down, mostly. And the woods are usually quite empty in those time. Anyhow, I'm getting too far off point. The fact is that Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than the 375,000 bow hunters in the state of Michigan, and I like those odds.
I'm not trying to convert anyone here, just putting my POV out there. We don't shoot at sounds, we only shoot at our target.

I'll answer this one. If I were to take my bow, which is rather high end, using a carbon arrow and aiming somewhat up in the air, maybe 30degrees from the ground, I'd guess it'd go several hundred yards, 350 - 400... maybe, I'm just guessing there. With an arrow it is not speed that is the factor, but rather velocity. But the fact you have to consider here, is that even standing flat footed on the ground, you re still aiming at a downward angle. The heart and lungs of a deer are located just behind it's shoulder, between 30 and 40 inches from the ground (I'm being generous there) and a person holding a bow would have it at the height of about 50 to 60 inches. So the hunter would be aiming at a downward angle.

Assuming someone might release early aiming up in the air, 400 yards might be possible (the high number). That's somewhere near 1200 feet. Over 1/5 of a mile say, in ideal circumstances.

This is my point............ If there is bow hunting in the area If you are 1/2 mile away you should be pretty safe. Not that far away is out of range.`

BTW I ridden my bike over Ted Kennedys bridge. :)

But...
When you draw a bow you do not point it into the air to draw it, that is a Hollywood act for a more dramatic effect. Most people point theirs down and some hold it in align with their target. Pointing a bow upward likely causes your arrow to fall off the arrow rest, so then you'd be left with a drawn bow and a dangling arrow.
And I ment Ted Kennedy's car, not the bridge. My point was that not a single person in the state of Michigan has been killed by a bow hunter (accidentally) whereas Ted Kennedy killed someone with his car not too long ago.

I just want to thank all that have replied to this thread for keeping their cool and discussing the topic rationally. And apparently the residents of Davenport are accepting the need for the deer herd to be thinned in the most rational method, as there were no negative comments made at the city council meeting proposing the hunt.

Many communities have tried to thin problematic deer herds through other methods such as relocation and birth control. These have proven expensive and less than 'fruitfull'. At least this way mouths will be fed from the harvest.

To the person that referred to some of the posters in this thread as 'anti-hunters', I don't think we've seen any true anti-hunters in this thread, only hunters and non-humters. There is a difference and suprisingly even the anti-hunters in Davenport seem to be accepting the need for the hunt. (hope I didn't speak too soon on that one).

I just hope that all continues to go well in Davenport and other like cummunities and that all that share the land have a safe and happy Fall season.

This kind. I live in town. 85 miles south of Davenport.Pictures taken from my living room window. I've seen as many as nine deer at a time grazing in my backyard. When they aren't eating the flowers they eat at the bird feeders.

Hey, even I can be civil from time to time, especially when I'm not on the fire water ;)
I was the one who made the anti-hunter comment, but in retrospect I do realize that I jumped the gun on that one.
Hunting is my one personal joy in life that has been with me ALL of my life and I take it seriously. My wife still doesn't "get it". I'll come home from a hunt, she'll ask how did it go, I'll reply that it went great, awesome, etc then she'll ask if I got anything and I'll say no. She doesn't understand that the actual kill is a minor part of hunting for me. It's being out, away from the city rat race I live in now (I grew up in eastern Kentucky), and having time to think and reflect. But a 200lb 10 pointer sure would top the day off :)

That settles THAT then, what an iron clad theory you have.

Not the only one with a Switchback, either.;)

Dianne, keep the "lime", it's easier to see.

This has been done in other areas, and the hunters picked are not your average hunter. Some cities even hire professionals that use .22 caliber rifles and take head shots at night. Crews then butcher the deer and the meat is used to feed the hungry.

I hunt from the ground, and would not take a shot where there is anything within 100 yards or so behind my line of fire. From a treestand, the arrow goes right into the ground. These hunts usually require treestands to be used. The hunters talk to homeowners about deer patterns and try to set up where shots will be within 20-30 yards from the base of the tree. Outlying parts of the city are where this takes place.