Just got some land to hunt last weekend and put out a feeder and stand, but forget to measure how far it is to the feeder. Since I don't have a range finder, do you think it would be ok if I shot an arrow once I got in the stand in the morning to get my distance down, or do I run a risk of scaring off any deer if they come in and see or smell the arrow.

I know I also run the risk of spooking a deer with the sound of my bow, but I think I would rather do that then hit a deer poorly.

So should I shoot a practice arrow near the feeder once it gets light or not???

look on Bing maps or google maps -- zoom in and you should be able to estimate the yardage very closely using the distance marker in the bottom left of the screen

Walk it off while on your way to the stand ???? If youve been there more than once and dont know how far the feeder is you need to look at it again IMHO. Good luck but if it was me no way am I shooting a arrow before I really hunt.

I wouldn't shoot if it were me. I don't like giving the more mature bucks any reason to be more suspect than normal.

Since you are bowhunting, a range finder would be a prudent purchase....period.

I would not be shooting an arrow, but may do the next worse thing and step the distance off before crawling in the stand. However, what if the animal doesn't go to the feeder and stands to the side somewhere with the perfect shot? How far is that shot?

Considering that, I'd prolly have a hard time hunting this way. 10 yards difference with a rifle isn't such a big deal, but with a bow that is a whole different story. Arrow placement is critical for a clean kill. I like to do everything I can to make sure my arrow will go where I intended. Give it my best shot. A good range finder while bow hunting makes a huge difference in that equation.

I took my target and my bow with me when I finished setting up my ladder stand. I took a shot standing and sitting (I had never taken a shot sitting so I wanted to make sure I was on).

Great advise on the range finder. You can use it to mark out several locations as markers for you yardage and you will what that is hopefully wherever they come in from.

Think that is the funniest thing Ive ever herd!

Definately wouldnt try to scale it off of a internet aerial. Step it off or like you said fire the test shot, it shouldnt matter.

Glad I amuse you. Without a real rangefinder, it's a heck of alot better than shooting an arrow or tromping around before the hunt spooking the deer.

If no range finder then just step it off. How did you get your distances when you practicing at home or camp?

^^^^^^hasapoint^^^^^^^

Hmmm.... map reading 101 in the Army. Did you try doing this before you said bad idea? Well I did, from curb to curb in front of my house. 27 ft 3 inches by steal tape measure. 9 yards on my range finder. On the the aerial google maps using the 20 ft scale and a set of cailbers to do the math..... 27.5 ft. Close enough!

Matt is right in that it wouldn't be practical to range a deer doing this in the field, but for scouting purposes, it is close enough.

Ya know BEFORE we had range finders, we used to step off our pins and place objects in an arc so that we knew the distance. You get to memorize them pretty well staring hour after hour. I bet most bow hunters still do the same thing but now we can set on stand and range TO the objects with our RF. I don't need to range a deer that it is working into my kill zone.

You could always make a range card from the map. Print it and label/mark key items like the feeder, creek, fence, tree line etc... and the distance to each item. I've done this hunting up north in the snow when the range finder doesn't work to well with thee snow reflecting the laser all over the place.

Shooting an arrow isn't going to hurt. I've shot at a hog and missed and a few minutes later, more hogs came in and ate all around my arrow. I was hoping none would step on it. Same with deer. Few yrs back, I shot at 3 different deer and missed all 3 times. I had a arrow stuck in the ground in 3 different directions, but still had deer keep coming in. My fourth shot was the charm!!!
But you can also spray a little doe pee on it and let'er fly.

I was still laughing when I read this post. You can shoot an arrow it won't hurt anything. I shoot squirrels all the time from my ground blind and the deer still come into my feeder pen. Beware though, if you shoot anything but BOWTECH your bow may be too loud!! Just joking!!

I would soak my arrows in deer lure and shoot them all
over the place, maybe even shoot a couple in your feeder so that the deer can see them and get used to seeing arrows. If no deer lure, you could urinate on them just before you shoot them, as deer cannot distinguish the difference between different types of urine. You could also step it off anddrive wooden stakes stakes in the ground and write the yardage on them, but maybe camo them and or write on them in special code as not to let the deer know how close they are to you....hope this helps....good hunting

When setting up a new stand, I always bring my target and place it at different locations I think the deer will be. I then practise each area and know which pin to use when the time comes. Nothing beats actually practising the shot you will be taking.

LOL

I'm a rookie, but in this case I can speak from experience. I have a rangefinder, and use it to set target at exact distances for practice in my yard. I used Google Earth and its "ruler" tool to check distances from blind to feeder in 4 locations that I could potentially hunt at my friend's ranch for opening weekend. I wound up hunting at 3 of these locations, and used the rangefinder at each to verify the range from sitting in the blind. How accurate was the measurement from Google Earth? In the 3 locations I did hunt, it was 1 yard different from the measurement my rangefinder gave me. I would use Google Earth's ruler to get the measurement. Pace off known objects in your yard and compare to Google Earth, and then measure with a tape to reconcile the 3 and see what you get. Then you can pace the distance at the stand the morning of the hunt as well. Unless you are shooting at a distance of 40 or 50 yards to the feeder I'd say go....lots of deer killed bowhunting before the rangefinder was available.

A miss is far more likely to be hunter error/poor shot than a mistake in the range.

Borrow a buddies range finder and bring some simple yard stakes next time you get out of the stand shot a couple yardages and put the stakes down if you don't intend to buy a RF anytime soon. Sounds like you have an item to add to your christmas wish list this year though.