Skip to main content

Course Outline

Skip audio player

Judging distances is critical for correct shot placement because arrows have a short trajectory.

  • Judging distances is an acquired skill that you must practice continually. Optical illusions, perceptual expectations, “buck fever,” and weather conditions can affect your ability to judge distances correctly.
  • Judging distance without using accessories, such as range finders, is a matter of vision, preference, and practice.
    • An Oregon study showed that adult hunters, especially men, suffered from a high percentage of vision problems, ranging from color blindness to visual acuity. These conditions affect a hunter’s ability to judge distances and can hamper the performance of other hunting techniques, such as following a blood trail.
    • Be sure to have your vision checked and corrected to prevent problems in the field.
  • A responsible hunter learns to correctly judge distances to a variety of game animals correctly to within 90 to 95 percent of the actual distance.
Distance practice shooting with decoy
  • Unit 5 of 9
  • Topic 4 of 5
  • Page 1 of 3