I will say it has been pretty tough this year and I am having trouble keeping hopeful and positive. I have missed two shots. One was at a small forkhorn and another at a huge (to me anyway) 10 point both at less than 10 yards. My confidence is suffering and I have already contemplated pulling the training wheels out of the closet. How does everybody keep their chin up and stay the course????
Caleb
Keep at it. No need to pull out the training wheels...If hunting was easy then everyone would be doing it. I remember when i went thru a stretch of missing four deer in five days :knothead: And it was during gun season, I could have easily put down the stick and picked up my rifle. Its very depressing, but you will connect before too much longer.
Just focus on the next one, pick a spot and keep the faith
Caleb first you have to decide whether it is the journey or the destination that you are wanting. Do you NEED to kill a critter every year ? Do you want to learn a new way to do it, and maybe that means not killing something for a few years ? Do you want to maybe get some neat experiences with trad equipment ?
Only you can decide what is important to you.
ChuckC
You cannot let a few misses get you down. I have missed a lot of critters and elk specifically. I got so excited when I saw one that I could not seem to keep it together. I would short draw rush the shot and not pick a spot. This will make you shoot high I know for a fact.
Try to keep your calm. If you can let the deer be there for a little bit allow, your nerves to calm. PICK A SPOT. Imagine something like a orange sticker where you wanna hit.
This is what helped me some. Keep with it I know you can do it.
thats an interesting point Chuck. I do need to kill a couple every year because my family loves the meat. But since you ask I dont guess i need to kill them with a bow. I do utilize some of the late doe only seasons with my gun or muzzleloader. I try to tell myself that it will be so much better if I do it with my curve. But man it is so hard sometimes. LOL
Caleb
It is Caleb, but I think you will find that over time, you get a little more relaxed and sure of yourself and things go a little more naturally.
Try to enjoy the trip. See the little things, smile at what you see and hear. Enjoy it rather than worry over it. That sounds too much like work.
ChuckC
I aim.
rusty
Doubt is a natural impulse to conditions we feel are not under our control . Allowing it to control an outcome though is a choice. We allow doubt to interfere with out concentration to succeed.
Choose a distance. Decide that any deer that presents a shot within that zone is yours. You OWN the skill within that distance to deliver a lethal shot. No ifs. No buts. Anything in that zone is toast. Period. You OWN that zone!
I mean it.
Anything in there is in serious jepardy if you choose to draw.
Don't overthink the shot. Even thinking about how you can miss or if you will miss works against your concentration to HIT.
What is in your mind when you shoot is what will be the outcome. So within that "no doubt" distance you only are thinking "that deer is toast the shot is going to be true the arrow will pass through..."
Set yourself up to accept that anything outside that zone can go free without any regret on your part. Maybe next time. Maybe next year. Wasn't it great that buck walked by today...
Joshua
I missed 7 last year. But its not just about getting something.
Best thing to do is sell your wheel bow. Oh and practice, practice and then practice.
That old axiom, "pick a spot", is so important, but it is the most overlooked when the critter gets into range. Just about anyone with minimal skill can kill something with a machine, release and sights. You need to control your emotions during the shot and pick that one hair you want to hit. I would be depressed if I couldn't hunt, but not if I missed a time or two.
I miss every now and then and laugh at myself when I do. I expect to kill every thing I shoot at but I'm just human. Just relax and kill the next one. It is not hard. Just look at the goof balls here that kill stuff all the time.
Good Luck
Buff
For me it is a percentage game. I know if I hunt long enough I am bound to get lucky. I may not be just about getting lucky but it is a process and not the final product that is important. Enjoy the windy days,the cold and wet and the misses. If you are missing animals you have got pasted the hard part. It is like the diffence between art and a craft. Art is timeless never ending. It is always being reshape,rethought,and redone and will have beauty. A craft is a product that is completed to reach the end,and will be found on the shelfs of wallmart.
Missing is part of the game, everyone does it whether they admit it or not. Last year I missed the first two I shot at, got p***** off, tokk a few days off and then drilled the next two I saw.
Don't beat yourself up over a few misses, sticks aren't easy but they are very rewarding. It comes with patience, practice, and experience.
Go out and get them now.
Getting close is what makes this so much fun.. then doing it right when close is "gravy"! Get focused and follow through. Even Bryon the best bow shot I've ever seen admitted to not being able to hit a deer when he first started. He was shooting at the whole animal...
Focus on that spot..!
Good luck and let us know when you have one killed.
John III
This is my first year with a trad bow and i missed 2 deer this weekend one being a rack buck. I can feel your pain brother but for me i will never go back to a wheel bow. Looking back to when i first started shooting a compound 28yrs ago i missed a truck load of deer before it finally started to click. I have killed over 100 deer with a compound and i just had to have something different and i have found it with a stick and a string. :thumbsup:
I miss ALL THE TIME, so i no how ya feel. I just dont take it to seriously anymore. In my mind missin is as good as killen cause i was able to get the deer close enough to were i thought i could hit it with a recurve, thats a task in itsef, plus now i dont have to drag anything out of the woods. I know the deer was right were i needed it to be it was just my nerves (usually) that ended up keepin venison out of my belly.
missin also makes hitin allot more rewarding :thumbsup:
Keep at it!! You received some good advice here.
Focus and pick that spot!!! It will happen.
Been at it thirtysome years, missed yesterday and i'll probably miss tomorrow but i'm still healthy enough to go out and sit with the critters and thats makes me very Positive!
Keep positive????!!! Your getting shots,what do you want. I have never killed a deer with a longbow or recurve, started hunting with one in 1968. now I'm not even seeing deer around my home state. Atleast you are missing a few....at this point I would love to miss one....lol!!!
you will have bad periods when you want to give it up, and you will have exilerating days. I have had years when there were far more bad shooting moments than good. On the other hand what is better than being out in the woods and just seeing and feeling what others don't or can't. Each year for the last 20 I have tried to make my shooting better, and finally this year it came together for awhile and I had some great moments. If you stick with it and just try to figure out whatever it is that you are doing wrong you will get there. It is not life and death, but it is a serious challenge and you can keep getting better at it until the day you stop.
Some good points here.....
I'm with Ron here... I haven't gotten a shot off at a deer with a bow in years! Last deer I killed was with a muzzleloader in 2005.
They say the journey is what it's all about, and Lord, I'm trekkin' hard! I keep picturing the hammock at the end of the trail, feet up, margaritas and roast pork at the luau, and I keep trudging along like a good girl. Thank goodness the scenery is pretty!
Killdeer :wavey: :pray:
Everybody misses every once in a while. Just relax a remember it is better than being at work. Nate
Don't be ashamed to use a compound bow.
Well, I've been hunting since I was 14, mind you not every single year but, but getting out there when I can. I'm now 41 and still haven't gotten my first deer but, I refuse to use a gun, compound or what ever other mechanical thing is out there! I love the hunt, the solitude of the woods, scenery and companions from time to time. I had my first miss at an elk this early season and had myself a blast and a good laugh! I'll be back out there for the late season Nov. 21st.
Stay focused and enjoy the journey. :thumbsup:
One thing I've always done is spend an hour or two in my blind when I first complete it or brush it in shooting judo points at everything around it, leaves, pine cones, sticks, etc. Become familiar with the trajectory to each thing. I also shoot a couple when I arrive at the blind in the afternoon. It builds confidence with me, maybe it will work for you.
A lot of very good advice here already, not sure what I can add. As has been said, you need to believe with your entire being that you CAN and WILL make the shot. If there is a whisper of doubt in your mind, it seems that bad things will happen. Of course, we all know that things don't always go exactly as we expect, but we just have to accept those times as aberations and go on to the next opportunity.
I like to compare it to like being a cornerback on a football team. Even the very best ones will get beat for a touchdown occasionally, but they go right back out with the conviction that they WILL win the next battle.
Archery is like most sports - it is 10% skill, and 90% mental :readit:
What everybody else said. I'm still waiting for my 1st. :rolleyes:
Charlie
Killdeer's drinks and roast pork sounds good, do I have to shoot the pork???? If so I may have to go to Ray Hammonds...lol!!!
Relax and enjoy the hunt!
Focus on the tiny spot.
DON'T rush the shot. You can't outdraw a deer anyways. (learned this from a gobbler)Take your time and smoke the next one!
Good luck Bro!! :thumbsup:
The first doe I drew on this year I missed!! it happens, but I would rather miss clean than to wound one! to me it is deffinitly the journey!! I don't hunt with anything but the recurve and I would'nt have it any other way!! :thumbsup: Keep your chin up, it'll happen soon enough!! Jason
Well, all these folks, and awhole lot of experience! you asked Caleb and the proofs in the print!
We're here to help. My 2 cents worth is I went 10 years before I had one down. Would'nt change any of it.
I will also say, deer are'nt the only game to go after. I have set myself to shoot a squirrel every fall and then go after the deer. Small game is a great way to train your eye and help with the emotions at the hunting shot.
Shootin at a moving animal is alot dfferent then the target in the backyard! It will come, if you have the burning desire to be there when it happens! Good shootin, and look foward to hearing of your success!
One thing that has helped me stay positive lately is a lot of practice and this fine web site. Every thing posted on here is uplifting and helpful to me.
i miss but dont let it bother me because i know the next time is coming and things can work then.i pretty much just love the hunt the kill is a bonus
I recommend getting yourself a hunting partner that misses way more than you do. That way when you miss, instead of getting all upset and down on yourself, you can just act like you did it to make him feel better! :D
Nice, Tim.
A miss is better than a wounded animal, just chalk it up to experience and continue forward. Your day will come.
When you draw your bow, CONFIDENCE is your biggest asset. Fear of missing, or worse cannot be allowed to cloud your vision. If you practice and find you are accurate, then you must LEARN to trust your abilities as a shooter.
The same CONFIDENCE in your abilities, is your weapon for remaining positive. You KNOW you can do it!!!
Now, next week, when I miss, help me remember how to remain confident and positive...OK???? :D
There is a reason bow season is not one day long.There is always a tommorrow that way. :goldtooth: Practice your close shots more if you are going to be letting them get that close to you.
it is huntin season man ! missing is apart of the game.I have missed so many deer it aint funny I missed 3 just the other night.an yesterday Imissed 2 more an the ones I missed yesterday. I got up at1:30 am drove 3 hrs. an sat on stand all day with a small break at lunch. I missed one at 7: 50 am an one at 6:30pm .It aint no 3-d course An inspite of what I just told you I really aint a bad shot at all.Every hunt is a little differnt.every shot is a little differnt.An what I come to realize is your treestand will take you out of form almost every time.Ialready know somethings I am really going to work on this comming year.Istarted off with a 4 pt this yr.Anit has been tought every since.In closing I will say that any great hunter you know didnot get that way in one yr.or five yrs.there good because they stuck with it. an worked it out!!!!! now go get dressed an climb a darn tree.
so much good advise above: I have been at it almost 40 years, and killed a buttload of critters, I had a really good streak goin till this year. I shot through the brisket on a nice 10 point early in season, then last weekend shot over a really nice buck, both were about 16-17 yds broadside. normally a slam dunk. the one this weekend was looking at me when I drew, and I really rushed the shot, not picking a spot,and shot over him. I know in my mind I was scared he was "gonna get away" it happens, I just have to realise what I did wrong and dont let it happen again..
if youve made the decision to shoot trad, then sell the wheel bow, dedicate your self to the stick and string. It will all come together. if your not confident enough to hunt trad this season, then hunt by whatever means and then practice all summer with your stickbow, and sell the compound then. Dont let it be a crutch.
I sleep on it. Somehow, miraculously, the next day I have renewed hope. I tend to be an optimist anyway.
I missed an easy shot once so far this season and have yet to have another chance. I keep kicking myself for it because I should have been practicing from an treestand if I'm going to hunt from one and I hadn't shot from one in a couple of years. I didn't check the distance from certain markers and when the shot came I over shot. At least it was a clean miss.
RELAX and enjoy the scenery...PR
One more thing to think about is that I have found that I miss more when I let the deer get too close to my tree. I then have a tendency to rush the shot and shoot over their back. I found that setting myself up for the 15 to 20 yd shot changed my shot angle and I take my time more and I then made more good hits........and that said I still miss at least once a year.
QuoteOriginally posted by BUFF:
Just look at the goof balls here that kill stuff all the time.
Buff
:biglaugh: or is it they just don't mention any misses........
The only thing in the woods that really fear me are the trees and dirt. I seem to hit them without really trying.
Dennis
I am just thankful I can get out and hunt and enjoy the woods. Missing is a part of bowhunting and connecting is the result of a lot of things coming together for you. Good Luck the rest of the season and just enjoy yourself.
Dave
I think they make a "Pill" for it! :smileystooges: :p
All good advice above! :thumbsup:
Raven
>>>>-------->
I believe that everyone that takes a shot at a deer that they can make in the back yard and misses, miss because they didnt pick a spot and i'll bet most shoot over the deer as I have. I think it is because the line on the top of the deer gets our focus, if we (I)dont concentrate on the spot, tuft of hair, whatever you can put 100% of your concentration on. I did it twice on the same doe, frustrated I went home climbed in my stand with my buddy watching and zip a arrow right where I was looking. Then I say OK maybe I didnt bend at the waist so I just drop my bow arm and hit about 3" low. So for me it was just not picking a spot not my inability to make the shot. I not ever talking about other things that can go wrong like hitting your clothes with your string or a twig or branch that you didnt see or the deer being on high alert and moving. I just laugh it off and am having a great time in the woods this year no looking back for me.
Good luck and keep at it, keep a positive attitude and your season will be positive.
Terry
focus like you did when you saw a girl you wanted,you would try harder when she blew you off.So try harder and relax!!!!!!!
I highly disagree with just sitting back and thinking you are using equipment that isn't as effective as some others or you should just accept missing as part of the way we choose to do what we do. I think you aren't practicing enough or properly.
Are you practicing at home on dots on a target? I figured out a few years ago that is a bad thing to do and it doesn't carry over to the field on what we are trying to hit. No dots on deer to aim at. I shoot at my deer target or deer shaped cardboard a lot with not dot or aiming point. The cardboard deer should have necks and legs and of similar size to your local deer. That has helped me greatly in acquiring a target and a more appropriate sight picture on what it is we are trying to do.
You will know you have practiced enough when after you kill that first deer and you have no recollection of aiming, drawing or picking that spot. It just was routine from practice. Now go get 'em.
T.J.
Good post TJ!
Yeah, we all goof up and miss at times, but missing 5-6-7+ times in a row? And accepting as part of the game?
Naaa, no way....like TJ said, either not enough practice, or the wrong kind.
As a general statement.....from what I've seen at shoots and gatherings.....a lot of people that shoot trad equipment need a lot more practice before they hunt with a stickbow!
And I don't buy the "I stink at targets, but I'm a good shot at animals" claim either...
but that's just me....
I hang out at the local archery shop every day I can all year round shooting bow and bull. I am waiting for the end of July for a trip to Denton and October for archery season I do not let a little unproductive time in the woods get me down. You got to be in the woods to connect. So far this year nothing closer than about 75 yards but I know they are there . Still enjoy watching the other critters and the expectation of things to come! KEEP YOUR SPIRITS UP!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Don't put so much emphasis on killing something. Relax and enjoy the ride.