Tips and advice on "picking-a-spot" on game, its ruining my hunting

[CLK]

Ptaylor,  I found this to be of help to me.  One, take a printed paper target of the game you are hunting.  Cut the head off, the legs, and the body in half with only about 3-4 inches behind the kill zone.  It will help you to focus on what matters because anything else is a miss or pretty much a wounding shot.  Practice this way for several weeks, and you'll find that you eye will naturally be drawn the the kill zone and you'll learn to ignor everything else except the "spot".

[DAS Kinetic]

I have a suggestion that may sound a bit wierd, but give it a try and you might be surprised.  Picking a spot is difficult for many, especially when there really is no spot.  What I do is imagine a black dot in my mind, and then project that dot onto the animal.  At first it will seem strange but before long you will find yourself doing it out of habit.  You can imagine the dot any color really, as long as you get a good mental image.  It's like using photoshop in your head.  The image comes in and you paint the dot on it in your mind.

I've heard a little peyote helps with this   :D

[Chad Lewis]

I don't have this problem anymore. What really helped me was getting some boxes from walmart or where ever. Take an open the box up so there is no text on it at all. Only small lines from where the box was folded up. Go to a shooter friendly area and shoot at edges, creases, and such on the box. There are no aiming points or x marks so you must define that when you shoot. You will find it will force you to pick a spot or you will miss completely, just like shooting at game.

[Shaun]

3-D shoots are good practice. I use 3-D targets at home, but the mind gets bored seeing the same old sight picture over and over. At a shoot, there is fresh and unexpected visual at each shot - much like the real thing. I mentally score "kill, long blood trail, wound, miss" instead of points.

Go to the zoo. Every critter has a pick-a-spot and there are lots of kinds to keep the mind interested at the zoo. Remember to mentally switch to a heavier bow when you get near the elephant house.

[ptaylor]

Awesome advice! Thanks for taking the time to respond.

I'm going on my third year without a large game kill (I got a grouse last year).

I see deer almost every time I get in the stand around here and 25% of the time they get within 40 yards. I missed around 5 times last year and about the same amount the year before all on white-tails.

The same thing happens every time for me...I see the deer coming.....my heart rate gets going so fast I have trouble controling my emotions.....the deer walks within shooting range.....and all of a sudden I just pull up and shoot in one swift motion....nothing like when practicing........this has happend every time I've taken a shot at game since I picked up bowhunting three years ago.

I've realized its a mental hurdle that I must overcome. Just need to figure out how, with sound practice and advice from people in the know!

I agree, once I get a good clean kill on large game it will become expontially easier, but until then, very discourging.

I don't practice enough to kill animals at 30+ yards but 20 and under should almost be a sure thing so sayith the "block" target in my back yard.

[John Krause]

ptaylor,

Next in range deer just draw and hold on it and then let down. Do this as many times as you can get away with. Feel the calmness, breathe then let the deer walk. Repeat as necessary  

[kojac]

lots of advice givin' the only thing I might add is shoot alot of animals (what ever you have in your area that is legal)

don't shoot very long shots (I can't tell you how many deer I've taken under 10 yards)

go out w/out your bow and see how close you can get w/out looseing control of you thoughts

just have fun

[Wile E. Coyote]

John is on the money in my book. You need to draw on an animal and let down, do it a second time then just before letting down switch focus to releasing.

[swampbuck]

Thanks AL,I was kinda thinkin spine shot and also looking for legs to figure that out.On the flip side while I,ve never gun hunted turkeys myself the guy that does the callin for me at least so far LOL does carry a landcannon so I,ve got back up that I really hope to not need.His boy almost got his first last weekend while thye stayed out 40 yrds from me the birds were only 25 yrds from them...no shots were fired by anybody.

I still like the fat wrinkles for deer most have them in the archery season and while you'll probably miss that small wrinkle it likely won,t be by enuff to matter to the deer that falls over a short distance away......good luck ALL

[ChuckC]

Sounds a bit funny, but try this.   Whenever you can, practice picking a spot.  Your neighbors dog walks by, pick a spot and concentrate, the cat, the bird, etc.  Not just while holding a bow, but anytime.  I also like to approach full mount animals, especially at panoramas like at Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops, and just sit and look at them and imagine.  Pick a spot, feel what it is like to be that close.  I find that it helps, maybe, if nothing else, because I am now used to picking spots on everything.    Heck, next time your boss walks past...( I didn't say that did I ?)    

Chuck

[ChuckC]

Along the same vein, I once took a college friend bowhunting, a Looong time ago.  It was his first hunt.  At the end of the day, he walked into camp smiling and I thought he shot something.  He described how he had a very young deer walk past him, very close, while he was in a ground hide, and that it was near him for several minutes.  He said it was great, he was shaking and excited and everything.  

When asked why he didn't shoot he calmly stated...well, remember how you told me to always pick a spot to aim at......well the little guy had too many spots and I couldn't decide on which one !   Big smiles, happy hunter.  He had a great day.  

Also, learn that, "the kill zone"  or the "heart / lung area" is NOT a spot.  A clump of hair, or a dirt spot etc is a spot.  Aim small / miss small.
Good shooting
Chuck

[ChuckC]

Sorry I'm talking so much.  PT...you made an excellent statement earlier, about sure shots...so sayeth "the Block".   That is a great statement that we all need to take to heart.

When we hunt, we are (typically, anyway) not hunting "Blocks" but critters.  What you do when shooting at targets doesn not necessarily translate to anything else.  The fact that you can hit a "Block" at 20 yards does not seem to carry over to deer....at least not yet.  It will, with enough exposure and practice.

Without preaching the issue, please take note of that statement.
Chuck

[Mudfeather]

I struggled with this exact same thing for years. I was very sucessful with my compound. I'll bet the first thing you do is pick a spot on the animal.

My mentor RC helped me more than anybody! Here is what he told me.

He asked me one day how did you shoot your compound?? I drew and held a minute. Actually I didn't pick a spot untill I was at full draw then I placed my pin on the spot and shot. Then he asked.........why do you shot your recurves differently???

Now I look at the whole animal...when I hit full draw.............NOW I pick a spot...burn it..and let it slip.

NOT prefect but alot better!!!!!!!1