Mike Cox of Awendaw has the mind-set of a long-range hunter when carrying a deer rifle. While he also loves the close quarters of bowhunting, he goes to great effort to set up his gun stands so he is from 180 to 250 yards from where a deer is likely to be first seen.
“The key here is being able to see the big buck without being seen by him,” Cox said. “That’s point No. 1 and a key to long-range success, but that’s only the beginning. To see deer at the very first opportunity is important, and being able to make an accurate shot is obviously essential. I go to great lengths to ensure I have all the data I need.
Cox said there are key essential items for anyone wanting to hunt at long ranges. They include binoculars, so you can see the deer even before it steps into an opening. The second is a rangefinder so you know exactly the distance from you to the deer. Finally, a quality scope is strongly recommended to give a hunter clear vision, even in low-light conditions.
“I strap the binoculars around my neck and scan constantly with them,” Cox said. “If I am hunting a stand for the first time, the first thing I do is use the rangefinder to identify several easily recognizable reference points. When a deer steps out, even if he is between two areas, I can quickly surmise the approximate distance. If I have time, I’ll put the rangefinder on him. If not, I know very close to the accurate distance.
“Finally, the scope is crucial to me,” he said. “I held off a long time because of cost, but the best investment I’ve made in my deer hunting was to buy the best scope I could get, which for me was a Zeiss. A quality scope, the best you can afford regardless of name brand, will give you a clearer image, thus a better picture of your target. Also, if you have a long zoom range on your scope, you can maintain better image quality if that buck steps out at 300 yards or more.”
Cox said using all three of these tools are part of the routine on every hunt where he sets up for long range shooting.
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