Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: TooManyHobbies on October 03, 2011, 07:57:00 PM
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Went to one of my properties a mile from the house. Wind was light SW. Was sitting on my fold up stool 19 yards from a well used trail. It's been a while since I've seen deer here, but the situation was perfect. Got in at 4:23pm. At 4:55, I notice movement from the SW. Perfect, wind in my face. Only takes a second to see antlers..that's all I saw at first. The sun was making them shine as he came my way. I thought, "Nice buck". As he gets closer, I thought, "Damn, real nice buck". And my heart gets pounding pretty good. He comes to the stream, which runs by me on my left at 10' or so. Jumps the stream, takes a few steps past the trees blocking my view...and stops, broadside at 19 yards. Draw, anchor, aim, release....arrow goes 10 inches to the left, right past his chest and THWAP into a dead log. He turns and hauls butt, branches breaking and mud flying. Stops 40-50 yards out and snorts his head off.
I know he didn't see me or smell me. But, I scared the hell out of him. Big 8 pt, with tall rack.
Don't know what went wrong, so when I get home, I shoot 6 shots from 19 yards. Three of my shots go left 10". If I cant the bow to 2:00 (which I did at deer), arrow usually hits within 3" of focus point. WTH? How do I fix whatever is wrong? While practicing over the summer, I would occasionally hit left, but not often. I'm thinking maybe I didn't follow through and plucked the string.
0/2 with the longbow.
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Have you practiced from your stool?
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It's hard to tell without seeing you shoot. Post a video if you can.
In the mean time, assuming your arrows are tuned to your bow, make sure the arrow is directly under your eye at anchor. If your anchor point places the arrow to the right of your eye, you'll hit left.
There are other things that can cause that, but you'll get a thousand different suggestions and none of them may be right. Posting a video of you shooting from the side and from above and behind will get you much better coaching.
Good luck.
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Could be a million things unfortunately. I'm sure you'll get a lot of tips here.
The biggest I can think of is hand/wrist torque on the bow. Only one possibility, but a potential one. If excited and you grip the bow too tight, upon your release the bow can turn in the direction of the hand pressure.
That can cause the occasional far left shot like that.
Plenty more ideas to come I'm sure. Good luck.
Follow through and plucking will absolutely cause trouble as you said.
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Sounds like alignment to me. Check out Terry's alignment post.
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Listen,shooting at home and shooting at game are drastically different.I think the biggest cause of misses on game is not picking a spot and aiming on it.The brain is scrambled,the heart is racing,it looks like there is no chance of missing and you don't or can't focus as intently as on the range,in a calm state.Combat defense instructors teach that once the heart rate reaches a certain level,tunnel vision kicks in and motor skills suffer.It is a wonder we ever kill deer.The good news is,the deer is well,probably not too badly spooked and you get to hunt some more.When the time comes again,put away any thoughts of the outcome and focus on THAT spot and making the shot.It is why I think,we shouldn't think of shots on game like,"if you can hit a pie plate".There are some individuals who are very experienced,cool calm and collected who can shoot at game exactly as they shoot targets on the range.Most people can't.Don't beat yourself up over something thst most of us have already done.Just know that shooting at whitetail deer is nothing like shooting at the range.Just focus.You will get it done.Don't miss the fact that you had a tremendous experience.It is truly all good.
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Yup, that sounds good. :thumbsup:
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We all suck somedays, I've missed my share too. I never miss to foam, but deer plenty. Heck I can shoot golf balls out of the air most days, but I've missed deer at 5 yards. That's what gets the blood pumping. If it was a sure thing, it wouldn't be exciting.
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Looking to see where the arrow hit undoes a lot of shots on game...
Follow thru and don't move a thing till the arrow hits.....hardest thing to do on live game going...in my opinion!
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JimB x2 :thumbsup: At least you did'nt wound him.You're psyche wouldn't give you rest.\\Experience/. Figure it out and may GOD bless.. :notworthy:
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Are you right handed and were you wearing a face mask?
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Dude, you got stiickbow close to a mature buck...from the GROUND. That doesn't sound like ya messed up too much. And a clean miss too....way better than a bad hit.
As for the issue...I think it may be a form issue. May need a blank bale eyes closed exercise to tweak the muscle memory. Sounds silly, but works wonders...atleast for me and a few of my friends.
Good luck.
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I too, absorb from time to time.
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I feel your pain. I missed a spikehorn last night, right over his back. But a small maple sapling gave its life to stop my arrow.
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Go shoot as many small game animals as you can. I put this one down to "the fever!" It happens to me with ducks all the time(not shooting those with a bow though). I have found that the last thoughts running through my conscious mind before I make a shot usually have the biggest influence on the shot. If I tell myself right before I draw, "Pick your spot, take your time!" things go a whole lot better. On the other hand, if I am over excited and impatient things head south really fast.
Someone on here has a tagline that reads "back tension BEFORE backstraps!" I would guess your form is breaking down in your excitement to kill the animal.
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Like TJ said, what hand are your. Makes a big difference.
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Just curious, what broadhead you were using. I can tune by arrows to shoot a wide broadhead and do fine at targets but on game, I must short draw or something and my accuracy goes out the window. Try a 3 to 1 broadhead like a Howard Hill broadhead and see if you can't start killing some deer. I know they work well for me when my form is less than perfect.
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Sounds like a few things, lack of concentration(pick a hair not the heart or lungs), not consistent release(ie. plucking,hand not coming straight back)and not following through. Practice,practice,practice. Best of luck! Shawn
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Have you practiced from your stool?
Yes, but when I saw the buck, I stood up with plenty of time to get ready.
Are you right handed and were you wearing a face mask?
Yes, both. And no, I don't practice much w/the mask. :mad:
Thanks for the responses. BTW, my first miss this season was a 6pt at 14 yds, from a stand. Shot over his back.
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I sucked Saturday morning, also. This is a great thread and the responses are very reassuring. I missed a spikehorn right over his back from 12 yards. I've really been beating myself up over it. Thanks all for chiming in here...really helping alot of us regain our confidence.
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I have been there too. Do a search for "Game Panic". I read some threads about this and it helped me find a way to get calm. 1) Control your breathing 2) Focus on the spot. A fellow suggested to me to shoot all of the small game I could to practice the pressure of shooting at critters. It has helped me.
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I keep saying to myself and I ready this year to take up the trad bow and or should I stay with the compound. With the compound if I see a deer I have been been able to shoot them if they are under 35 yards. But with the trad bow I just seem not to get it. I was ready for this year ( at 69 ) there may not be a lot more of hunting season as the body goes south. But yesterday I went to shoot BH.s with the trad recurve bow. The first arrow went over the target and is in the back woods somewhere. How could I miss the mind asked at 20 yards a 4 ft block. I shot another arrow and it went into the center of the block. I pulled the arrow and shot one from 15 yards and into the center it went. I did this for another 15 minutes and all were in the center and all would have been kill shots. What I learned was we still have to make sure we all have a shooting sequence, draw back, lock in, pick a hair to shoot at and keep that bow arm up till you see the arrow strinke the target. It seems it is more mind over physical. I did not make sure I took the time in shooting the 1st arrow to lock in that ancor. I also am sure I did pick a spot but maybe it was the 4 ft block and not that hair. I did try also sitting in my bow stool that I carry into the blinds.
keep your chin up, I think we keep working at archery skills due to we all can not be a fred Bear...
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I went to a "bowhunting school for women" in TN once a few years ago. Actually it was 10 years ago this season. Right after 9/11.
It started with us all (I was the only trad hunter) shoot some 3-D. I was keeping right up there with the others and kinda wowing them.
But when I got on stand and had deer in front of me it was a different story. Missed the same deer 4xs! I had hunted before but not many shot opps. It took me about 5 months to get it back under control. But I didn't have Tradgang back then! Lots of good advice and support here!
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I am right hand and if I pluck or otherwise get a sloppy release my arrow tends to go right. For left shots, I think it most times is my bow arm or bow hand. Best thing I can do for left shooting is be sure to have an non torque grip, be pushing on the shot, and not be at full arm extension at the shot so my arm can only follow through by going left instead of straight ahead. I also find trying to hold the bow with no push can cause my arm to jump around on the shot.
Another left shot issue for me is not getting my anchor tight into my face or pulling through tight to my face. Getting your fingers sticking out farther or the face mask could cause you to hit anchor, but have your string out a little and throw your shot left.
There are many other factors like panic on a deer, but you said your arrow went low and left on the deer, and it was doing that off and one while shooting the target. Deer panic usually cause shots to go all over the place not on consistent spot. Could be a combo of stuff, but I suspect something in bow arm or anchor.
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I think Doc Nock nailed it and others alluded to it. I have had the same problem even on the foam deer and it almost always comes down to lifting my head to see where the arrow went. My experience has been that if you are right handed, this will cause the arrow to go left every time. I have to force myself to follow through and hold until the arrow hits the animal.
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Doc & Stinger, I think you guys are correct. I think I peeked, and didn't follow through. I shot in my yard today, Only shot left once out of 20 or so shots. Concentrated on the follow through, and was consistent. It was also a cold shot that went awry. Just like the miss, a cold shot.
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You may also be left eye dominant - point at someone's nose and they can tell you. I am left eye right handed and have to concentrate to keep from letting the left eye take over which makes me hit left. When I don't follow through or get too pumped, I shoot over deer. Hang in there - we all miss more often than seems possible.
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I missed the biggest buck I have ever shot at with traditional gear the same way. No follow through and tried to peak, shot to the left in the dirt. That was two days ago...... hard to shake it. You are not alone.
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.i am a peeker and have been working this year with my therapist to cure it. Once i found out that i was a peeker and came out, it was much easier to confront my issue head on. I have been going to a traditional archers support group for 6 mths now and feel better now that i know there are others with the same problem. My therapy support group has all kinds. Peekers, short drawers, string pluckers,flinchers, bad aligners and arm slappers. The guys i really feel bad for are the ones who suffer from pre-mature releasing(they have the hardest time admitting it). So all i can say is to look for a local TRADGANG Reformers chapter near you.
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Originally posted by TooManyHobbies:
Have you practiced from your stool?
Yes, but when I saw the buck, I stood up with plenty of time to get ready.
Are you right handed and were you wearing a face mask?
Yes, both. And no, I don't practice much w/the mask. :mad:
Thanks for the responses. BTW, my first miss this season was a 6pt at 14 yds, from a stand. Shot over his back. [/b]
About four years ago I was on the ground hunting in a heavy snow storm with a thick face mask on. To make a long story short, a doe drug a really nice heavy horned 10 pointer right by my tree I was standing behind. When the buck got broadside passing me I grunted and he stopped perfectly about 12 yards away. I released and the arrow went WAY left. I shot a lot and never shot left. It was the face mask. It made my rear anchor point more right than normal which in turn made my arrow fly left. Loose the mask and be a painter. Or practice with it all the time and your anchor will change. Of course then when you don't have it on your arrow impact point will move back right....Just easier to lose the mask IMO.
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LMAO @ Maxfit. Hi, my name is Brian and I'm a peeker too.
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Brian
i am thinking i need to bring this specific topic to the forum...anything i can do to help my Trad brothers!
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Originally posted by TooManyHobbies:
LMAO @ Maxfit. Hi, my name is Brian and I'm a peeker too.
X2 :biglaugh: