Up close and personal

[Brad1974]

I recently had a discussion on here regarding long range shots on mule deer and got some great feedback, but now I'm interested in going the other direction... I'll preface this by saying I am in no way anit-long shots. But as impressive as those long shots are, I am just as impressed (or even more impressed really) by the guys who get extremely close. I am an avid hunting podcast listener and there were a few that really stood out, with one being an old guy named Jerry Stout, a trad bow ule deer hunter. The podcast host asked him something along the lines of "what is your max distance you'd shoot at a mule deer, about 20 yards?" and his answer was "20 yards?... no, I'm a better hunter than that". Another guy I believe was Brian Koelzer, who is a trad bow hunter who had quite a few mule deer kills that would be measured in feet instead of yards. That kind of hunting is simply awe inspiring to me.

So my question is, what is the shortest shots you've taken on mule deer?
Was it with a gun or bow?
how did/do you do it? (tricks/tips/tactics, spot & stalk, ambush, etc)
What type of terrain and what time of the season? do you think that plays a big part of why you can get that close?

My closest was a spot & stalk on a bedded mule deer, & the shot was 30 yards. It was in high desert wyoming on sept 5th. Then on October 31st this year I tagged a whitetail buck from 12 yards away, but that was definitely not something I planned.

 

[Macegl]

5 yards still hunting with a rifle…almost entirely luck.

 

[J.B.]

3 yards with a bow, buddy was 20 yards behind me bawling like a fawn in distress. Doe came in hot and I shot her frontal.
Stalked a couple bucks sub 20, couple more sub 40.

 

[willfrye027]

Closest mule deer 13 yards, with a bow. Was a young forky in California and essentially fed into me while still hunting timber.

Closest big mule deer was Arizona low desert about a year ago, 21 yards. I stalked in to about 60 yards and the group got up and fed right to me down the wash.

With a gun closest and biggest buck ever was 30 yard running neck shot, high desert Nevada. Actually heard the deer walking up behind me while glassing, heard him start to take a piss, stood up and had a short stare down at about 25 yards. He bolted and jumped and I shot with my crosshairs on his neck.

Bouncing off your long shot thread..it pays to be a well rounded “shooter” if you want to be a good hunter IMO