What are the top 3 mistakes you make just before a shot. Im going hunting this weekend and im constantly worrying about messin up the shot. I need to know what gets most bowhunters seeing as I haven't taken a deer with my bow yet. Thanks
Forgetting to adjust the yardage on my single pin sight. Worrying too much about the shot Worrying too much about the shot
Biggest mistake ........ constantly worrying about messin up the shot. Don't think just let all the hours of shooting to take over. But I do say to myself just before the shot to "settle in". Not to hit the trigger the instant the pin is on the mark.
Dont jerk the trigger. Slow down and think about the shot. If you take your time it will fly straight
Buck Fever. Once you decide he's a shooter, don't even think about the caliber of buck and don't focus on the rack. Make sure you set your anchor point just like when you practice, and be sure to bend at the waist if you are shooting from an elevated position. If you just drop your bow arm, you will MISS. If at all possible, do not shoot at a deer on full alert. There's a good chance he will jump your string. Try and wait for them to be in a relaxed state. If they are walking, just give them a vocal "mehh". They will stop, that's when you release the arrow. This does not seem to put them on alert.
1. Not picking a spot 2. Not maintaining good breathing. 3. Not following through after the shot. Dead deer.
Thanks guys. All the things yall said seem very true. I guess worrying would make it a lot harder to make a good shot. I knew about the bend at your waist thing but I never understood why. Im doing it anyway.
After a few years and a buck or two, you stop "worrying about messing up the shot" and you do everything you need to do without even thinking about it. I've found I'm most nervous when I hear a deer but have yet to determine if its a shooter. The last deer, as soon as I saw his rack and knew he was a shooter, I actually became very calm.
Worrying about messing up Taking a shot you never should have in the first place Worrying about messing up
I also find that I can remain very calm until after the shot now. That's when the adrenaline kicks in and my whole body starts to shake and shiver.
I become very calm after I draw my bow. But my worries would be.. How far.. Pick a spot.. Pick a spot..
this all the way. The first deer i took a shot at, he took a good 30 min to work his way about 30 yards in to range. I did a lottttt of thinking during that time. I ended up overthinking the shot and shot high. the second one came in on a rope and it was all i could do to get my bow and get drawn back. at that point, all the practice took over and i made an excellent shot. So dont over think it!
Bend at waist, pick a hair, know when that arrow leaves where it's gonna hit, watch the deer after the hit.
Not knowing the yardage. Not following through. Not taking your time and rushing the shot. Not necessarily in that order. I think for me my biggest problem is rushing the shot. As soon as that pin hits brown I want to hit the release.
Forgetting to turn on my sight light in the last fifteen minutes, cost me a doe last week. Came to full draw and couldn't make out pin color. Squeezing the handle on the shot. Not picking a spot. Not in that order. And getting flustered and out of breath.
I missed two before I connected with a bad shot and didn't recover the third. Went a season without taking a shot and now, I haven't missed the last 3 I have set a pin on. Ill list the differences. Bad/missed shots: Misjudged yardage. I did this all 3 missed shots. I had the yardage tight the first time and when I drew back, second guessed the yardage. I didn't bend at the waste on one of them. Caused me to hit high. Add to that the yardage being way off and you have a completely missed deer. Add the above to rushing the shot and there will be a miss in the future. That what happened on number 1. The last 3: Over a years worth of practices. Both in and out of a tree. On block targets, indoor spots and 3D courses. I shoot a lot. I shoot on average 14,000 shots a year now. Since that last miss, I know I'm going to shoot the deer the moment I see it. I don't even think about the shot. Just where I am going to put it. I'm not saying I will ever make another bad shot or miss but, I'm confident that if I draw back, I'm killing the deer. I feel like you have to have that level of confidence or you will second guess every single time you draw back. Second guessing and false confidence are in my mind two of the biggest reasons for injured and missed deer.
I think the biggest thing a lot of guys do that are new to it or haven't had a lot of shots is not waiting for the deer to turn broadside or for it to step out from behind some brush. When I was a green horn a lot of years ago I shot a doe that was facing me. That is the worst shot you can take. I did kill the deer and actually found her the next day after hours of tracking. I cant believe I did that. I ALWAYS wait for the broadside shot now or quartering away. Never try the straight down between the shoulder blades either. Can you kill one with that shot ? Yes, but it is a very low percentage shot.
