Hey, :scared: I watch as my arrow disapears into the cactus behind her and she gallops away. I just smile an smack myself for missing while thanking God for the absurd amount of fun I was having.
Fastforward to the next evening hunt...
Same setup, and this time the doe is at 16yards slightly quartering away...I start to draw and it happens again.
Blurry, Tiny Spot becomes VERY BIG SPOT....I let loose and the arrow disappears into the cactus as all 14 deer burst out of the scene.
I sit there......
Pissed..... :(
I replay it all over and over...
SOOOOO, I need your help....how do you stay focused and keep the adrenaline at bay? How do you translate target accuracy to "heat of the moment accuract"?
How do I stay focuced long enough to connect on my first deer?
The scene:
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z39/stick_string/Gettysburg.jpg)
Welcome to buck fever. Not that I have killed a bunch, but it is the excitement tat keeps bringing me back. What do you mean tiny spot gets big. You are totally focused so it appears big, or you are no longer focused on the spot?
Concentrate harder. It's not natural for alot of us, me included. Get rid of your target with the dots on it and shoot at a bare bale. Concentration is the key.
As far as the jumpy deer, get away from the feeders 8-)
Aim lower... Remember Your shooting at Texas Deer.. Texas deer seem to drop faster then other deer when hunting with Stick and String...
Next time aim just under the belly, So if the deer doesn't move Your hitting/missing just under by inches. As the deer drops You hit heart/Double lung.
Biggie is spot on as usual. Yep, stop shooting at dots, get a deer 3d with no dots on it. Sit on stand with a bunch of deer around and just observe. The more you are around deer the easier it will be to focus.
Ha! welcome to the challenge. Yes, misticguide alludes to a common phenomenon...deer can duck a arrow - especially if they are wound tight or otherwise alert.
In situations like that you will need to hold low...how low is always the problem - you will need to figure that out on your own but, just take into consideration the shot distance and even consider your bow. I can remember vividly taking a shot at a small doe one morning. She was wired but wanted to come through. When she did, I held maybe four inches below her briscut and watched her literally drop down to her belly while, at the same time making a turn. The arrow hit her the top of her lung...
The panic can be easily dealt with.. I am happy to quote Biggie Hoffman here because this was taught to me many years ago and it works like a charm...when in deer camp we will seldom hang a target but imagine the bale as a deer..then actually pick a spot on the "deer" and let er go!
It works and I have passed that on to my brothers and fellow archers..all have had success.
Good luck!! Stay with it - you'll be okay.
What Biggie and Danny said is about as right as you can get. I never shoot at dots, just 3-D or a block with outline of a deer. As for the adrenaline flow, the first time I don't feel it, is the day I put the stick and string up for good. That I hope never happens. I found that lots of hunters forget the one thing that helps most of all and that is TAKE A DEEP BREATH, and then relax, sounds easy doesn't it?
CALMMMMMM DOWNNNN!!! N ur only gona do it through experience. I shot the very first deer i saw with a recurve, very lucky id say. I didnt hunt for the rest of the year that much like an idiot I shoulda rode that wave of confidence the rest of the way for the year. But i only went a few more times. The next 3 seasons were rocky to say the least. i missed more deer than ive ever even shot. 20 deer missed would be a conservative estimate. I hit n didnt recover a few. I was tryin to hard...tryin to "MAKE" it happen. Ive learned to calm down n enjoy the experience. I Tagged out this year.
QuoteOriginally posted by Danny Rowan:
[QBSit on stand with a bunch of deer around and just observe. The more you are around deer the easier it will be to focus. [/QB]
Good Advice!!!
I agree with "Biggie", but would also recommend that if your shooting from an elevated stand you should practice as much as possible from an elevated stand. There is a difference. As pointed out above, Texas deer are very alert when coming to corn feeders. I will normally aim at the body line on alert whitetails. Last but not least, don't lift your head on release. Head down on the arrow until you see it hit your target. Move your head up at release, and you'll shoot high every time. Good luck and whatever you do, don't get frustrated. Your time will come. Just be ready when it does. :archer2:
i used to have that problem then I started shooting at a 3D target of a deer. I know it sounds absurd, but you have to train your brain to recognize the deer as a target without dots and not an animal you should be extremely nervous around. I know very odd to think of it in this way but its true.
Ha! When I started I missed 3 in one morning and at least one or two more that night. I'm getting better but I still have to talk to myself when the deer are there. I keep repeating to myself to focus on a spot and reach my anchor.
Good luck
Shooting 3D during the off season will help you to concentrate on the first shot. What you are experiencing is natural, and will pass with time and a little work. Just hang in there and have fun.
James...........................
Great advice in not always shooting at dots! If you pick your spot on a bale you will begin to develop how to pick your spot on a deer. Look for a definite spot on the deer, a change in hair coloration or crease and forget about antlers or getting home with your deer and just think about the moment and your spot on the deer. You will be able to concentrate better. Don't try to take it all in and get what we call the "Buck Eggers" It will come with practice. Welcome to the great process of controlling your excitement and adrenaline surge. That is one of the things that makes Traditional archery so great. You have to stay focused until the arrow hits the deer. Keep it up, you will get there!
I also get super krinked for every shot at a live animal. Now BEFORE I go into the woods I make sure I've already peed in my pants! Takes the edge off a bit. Kidding. Nerves are all part of the fun. It'll manage soon enough.
On all my good shots the animal has given me time to calm down and collect myself. I am, in these times, able to talk myself into not missing.
On all bad shots, the shot has felt rushed. The animal was wired, walking into my wind, etc...for some reason I felt the need to shoot now!
I've made enough good shots and marginal shots now to be able to correlate the two situations metnioned with the resultant accuracy.
One thing I and alot of others probably need to learn is how to pass on GOOD shots when our BRAIN is not ready.
I've found that I can practice the pressure in my head and some years I somehow envision good shots months in advance of season. I like to play little "mind videos" in my head of me being calm and being able to make good shots.
It seems to help.
Good luck!
B
QuoteOriginally posted by HcSmitty:
CALMMMMMM DOWNNNN!!! N ur only gona do it through experience. I missed more deer than ive ever even shot. 20 deer missed would be a conservative estimate. I hit n didnt recover a few. I was tryin to hard...tryin to "MAKE" it happen. Ive learned to calm down n enjoy the experience. I Tagged out this year.
This is almost exactly what my buddy said the night of the second doe "incedent". Said I was trying to hard and that I wanted it too bad.
See my lease is bow only, BUT I had to talk the manager into letting me hunt with a TRADITIONAL BOW. He said I could but only at Does, Hogs, and Turkey. I would have to "PROVE" I could do it before I have the green light at bucks.
This added alot of pressure as I am a bit nervous to make a bad shot and him tell me I cant shoot anymore.
AND...just as many of you have said, I explained to him that in order to be good with my long bow I needed the opportunity to shoot at hair...not just targets...
He agreed and let me; but there is still the voice in the back of my head. :knothead:
Stop psyching yourself out. I had it bad when I began bowhunting, and spent HOURS in the stand mentally preparing myself. It took a few years, and a lot of misses, but I got to where I am fine until AFTER the shot. Then I have to sit down or fall out of the tree.
It showed it's head again when I started trad. I missed the first two I shot at, high, then low. It took a quick mental session and then next two deer I shot at were in the freezer.
You may of blacked out cause you forgot to BREATHE!
QuoteOriginally posted by onewhohasfun:
You may of blacked out cause you forgot to BREATHE!
I actually thought about this and then my next thought was....
:banghead: :banghead: :deadhorse:
my eyes blurred like that on me once,...i was turkey hunting and hiding behind a tree , the gobbler was rite on the other side of the tree and stepped out and gobbled .....(i lost it)......a pounding heart and adrenaline...he was about six feet away when he stuck his head out....il never forget that one..
Its like hippie, touchy feeliy rhetoric n all that jazz.....FOR ME!!! I used alot of new age positive mental imagery. Id "hypnotise" myself abd imagine myself doin it all right...over...and over...and over...you git the picture. The first deer i drew on this year, twas like it was the 1000nth one. Ya see, the Subconscious mind CANNOT differentiate between a real event and one that is fake. So if u convince the subconcious mind youve done it a buhzillion times already...heck it will believe it. Its helped me n ever aspect of archery AND hunting.
I kno...ur thinkin this is alot of jibberish, but it works home slice. For real, try it. I learned this when i was ridein bulls from a world champion named Gary Laffew. He used it to win a world championship.
Tell ya how good it works man at controlin those voices that seem to show up wiht the adrenaline rush. ( n hey, no need to talk urself through the shot). This i me now: behold, a deer is approachin. The POUNDIN heart, sweatin palms, strong urge to pee ur pants. This is when huntin shows play that crappily intense mood music.
Now the deer is in range..ohhh man. its broadside. Theirs the shot...all systems GO! and the subconscious mind takes over. Muscle memory. repetition. all is calm dead silent, no heart beat,urge to piss in drawers. all is gone. the arrows smacks home. I LET IT HAPPEN.
NOWW is when the crappy rock n roll plays in the huntin shows. NOWWWWWWW im excited again. i cackle like a chicken (laughin). now i feel the urge to make number one in drawers again.
See how it works??? I kno this all sounds far fetched but it completely changed my approach to shootin at animals and cured the "hurry up n miss" thoughts. I just let the subconscious take over. I knooooo......this all sounds crazy but for real my man, TRY it.
Take 10 minutes every day. relax in the quiet, close ur eyes. breathe deep. n FOCUS. See the deer. ur bow up. " thas the tuft of hair". feel the draw, the shot just happens. the arrow smacks RIGHT where u were lazer beamin with ur eyes. repeat over n over.
Try it man. Zen, Woosahh n all that good stuff man.
Didnt mean to git all out their but this has helped me Xponentially. Im a lil off my rocker, but not off the front porch. Try it.
Its all in your breathing, take two big breaths and then take another as you draw and let it out slowly and when it's out release.Practice breathing and shooting and you will be ok.You must breath and focus on that and the spot and your good.As A rifle and pistol coach in the Corps I found that most of peoples problem was they didn't breath(held their breath)and couldn't be steady or focus.Works the same for Trad and any other shooting .IMHO
Definitely practice shooting on a blank bale. That's good advice. Forget about the missed shots.
I would suggest you decide where you're going to take your shot and anticipate it. Practice focusing on a spot on the ground and drawing back while you're on stand. If you get in the habit of visualizing the shot before it happens you can prepare yourself ahead of time mentally and reduce that rushed feeling when the deer are coming in.
I have to disagree with letting out your breath on the shot. If you do that with a bow you will lose tension and collapse on the release. Personally I don't pay any attention to my breathing when I'm taking a shot at game. I just breathe in as I draw and shoot when I hit anchor.
From the time you see the deer and make the decision to shoot it ,concentrate on one spot and one spot only ,where you want to put that arrow,When you decide to shoot AIM SMALL ,pick a tuft of hair or one hair and shoot at that only .Shoot enough tha the proper form of shooting comes naturally.You only want to be concentrating on one thing at the shot and thats where you want to put that arrow.PLus spend lots of time around animals .where I hunt we may see 30-40 animals a day .Best of luck!
Quote...where I hunt we may see 30-40 animals a day .Best of luck! [/QB]
This is the reason I joined the lease I am on. It is in the heart of Texas (litteraly that is what Brady,Tx is called). The 2000 acres we hunt is loaded with deer...like I have never seen. It is managed by the state and we have to take 30 bucks and 90 does off a year. :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
THis will be my first year on the lease.
In TX...I pick out a spot on the ground 2 inches below, and 3 inches behind the elbow.....and they drop right into the shot.
Took me a couple of years to figure that out....but since then, I've shot at three bucks and got all 3 on my wall.....an 8 and two 10s.
Hunter Smith :biglaugh: After reading your post I had to look and see your real name Iv'e worked with a few construction guys that sound like you. Man i'm not into the new age thing but as funny as it sounds I believe most of the successful shots are because the mental battle was won long before the shot opportunity arrived. Good post!
Read Jay Kidwell- it is NOT a physical issue, so no type of physical practice will solve it- it IS a brain thing. "Button Technique" is the answer.
I always shoot a black 1.5" button. After hours of shooting at a black dot I then begin to transfer this to other targets. I never again pick a spot or shoot at a deer- EVERY shot is always a black button.
Dan in KS
Best advice here is to remember to breathe. You only do it by making it happen. I train my guys under stress to "combat breathe",controlled inhalations and forced exhalation. I still miss deer but I dont black out.LOL
I know this sounds crazy but trick yourself into thinking that you are not going to shoot the deer. It will help you calm down. Draw on the deer and focus on a tiny spot -- hold for a couple of seconds and let down if you are not able to really focus. When you are able to really concentrate on a small spot, let the string slip. Around Brady, there are so many deer it is not going to be hard to get a shot. Draw and let down as many times as you need to to take control of the shot.
No negative thoughts ! From the time we are kids till we die people will tell us either outright or indirectly that we can't do or achieve certain goals . The sad part is not that they voice their opinions or actions , the sad part is we start to believe them . Never let the fear or missing keep you from taking the shot . Everyone misses sometimes , think positive , and yes I also visualise the shot being perfect .
Great suggestions here. Besides breathing, focusing and anticipating animal drop, I force myself to annuciate each part of my practised shot routine which has served me well in calming down. I am still a nervous wreck but have managed to pull off a decent shot or two ever so often.
I still cry when a I miss a turkey. Should be used to by now.
Man do I appreciate you all. This is why I love this place!!
I was talking about this with some buddies of mine here (all wheel hunters)...and the cool part is they want me to suceed almost more than I do.
Last night I played the shots over in my head and realized one SMALL thing...
When hunting with my wheels (yep, still do)...and I am going to shoot, my attention is diverted to the whole sequence of lining up my peep, find the pin, put pin on deer, squeeze...then it all hits me!!!!!
But when my stick is in hand there is no sequence to calm me down, or distract me...its PURE if you will. I am concentrating on the deer that is yards away....then I start with the.....DONT MISS, DONT MISS, DONT MISS, DONT MISS, DONT MISS, DONT MISS....
:scared: :scared: :scared:
By the way....this buck was standing within 7yards of the blind on both misses....
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z39/stick_string/thebuck.jpg)
Just some more reasons why I am hunting Brady...
THis should help me pick a spot:
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z39/stick_string/JDA_email_AXIS22.jpg)
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z39/stick_string/axis_North_Stand.jpg)
This one wont help me at all:
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z39/stick_string/interestingbuck3_southstand.jpg)