Distance Judging Is Critical for Shot Placement

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 judge distances to a variety of game animals correctly to within 90 to 95 percent of the actual distance.