I have been bow hunting for about 7 years now.... I have had a good amount of success in harvesting deer and even have taken some decent trophy sized bucks.... When first starting out it didnt seem that I really ever got buck fever or had problems rushing my shot... But it seems this past season I have been having problems rushing my shot....I normally start off low and at full draw raise my bow from the feet of the deer up to behind its shoulder... It seems I have been getting so excited I cant allow myself to draw and hold on the animal before letting the shot fly! Just wondering if anybody has any hints or helpful tips that have helped you out with this topic.... Thanks
Close your eyes while drawing and open them when at full draw. I don't know, sounds like a little buck fever to me.
String, I am no expert archer but I played decades of competitve sports. It is a MIND thing, not a skill set or lack thereof. I know in any sporting related movement that if I projected the movement out too far in my mind instead of focusing on the right now and then, then I would get tunnel vision and my small motor skills would break down. What I think is happening is that you might be thinking too hard on the END product instead of the small basic archery skills such as a solid clean draw, aiming small and then releasing in a relaxed manner. I am not sure what is causing you to do this, but quite possibly you could be putting too much pressure on yourself in killing big bucks. Maybe you think you have to prove yourself to someone(yourself or your friends or family) and that is influencing your mindframe...not sure. But I do know that your issue is a mind control thing that is being influenced subconsciously by your ego in some manner. Lose the pressure on yourself and regain the control you have over your arrow flight.
Target Panic. Practice setting up your shot, settling into the target, and just holding there..........then letting down. Don't even put your finger on the trigger. You need to get yourself comfortable with being in the middle. A solid 500-1000 repetitions of this will kill it for good.
I think you're onto something here. I seem to have the same problem and a buddy is constantly telling me that I put way too much pressure on my self. I'm a decent shot but not when that big boy is in front of me.
The way I was brought up from my dad was to practice like your hunting. 90% of the time when I'm practicing I treat It like It's a hunting situation. I draw slow, etc. In my opinion not many practice like this and It hurts them come hunting season. Check out this thread here. Good topic- http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?p=205034#post205034
Hey thanks guys.... I dont really believe it is Buck Fever! I get that way when I am aiming at a block target.... But I do agree with practicing drwaing and getting on target with shooting a couple hundred times... Think that will help alot! Any more tips would be greatly appreciated!
aint nothing wrong w/ buck fever its just the damn "side effects" that gets you ha-ha just breathe and slow your heart beat and ya mind overthinking or ahead of time thinking can hurt you more sometimes than being under prepared. keep your mind clear and enjoy the feel of you equipment in your hand( your bow you sicko's) go thru each step of the shot like you are in quicksand breathe find your target area and dont rush it get comfortable at full draw float your site from top down to the target area and when you feel comfortable touch of your release and follow thru after the shot is fired after you are done shooting sit down w/ your bow wax your strings check out your bow and your arrows its like making love to a woman if you rush it'll always end half ass and most likely somebody's going to be unsatisified but take your time enjoy it, do it right and everybodys happy!
It sounds like a bad case of target panic to me. I've dealt with it myself when I was younger as well. Rick James has a a good point and what he said also helped me. Lose the start at the bottom and slowly raise up to the target. That only builts to the anxiety to the situation and alows your mind to anticipate whats going to happen next. By slowly bringing your pin to your target, it is telling your mind that ok Im going to shoot here as soon as I get to my spot. Not Good in the archery or hunting world. Practice holding your pin on the bulls eye and then placing your finger on the triger. Then let up and don't shoot. Do this over and over until you get comfortable. Then do the same thing hold it on the tartget with your finger on the triger and concentrate on form and squeezing it off. If you go backwards and start punching it go back and start the process over again until you can train your mind that anxiety is not helping the situation. It's worked for me.....give it a try. It takes time, it's not going to happen overnight.
I have been fighting this since I started shooting. In sure sonewhere it has something to do with the pressure my old man used to put on me. What I hve found that helps is do what was mentioned above by concentrating on holding steady on your target than let down. Just try not to let it give you the same issue that I am fighting where I can hold my pin anywhere without my finger near the release. As soon as I out my finger there I either hammer it fast and pull my shot or I lose my aim and fight to get it back. I am now just shooting at ten yards in my basement tryin to fix it. It sure isn't easy fighting the stupid bad mental habbits that we all an get
Thanks for the explanations and help These have to be the best explanations of what to do about target panic I have seen. I have been fighting this crap alot too. I do the same thing as mentioned above, I can do anything I want, hold my pin on anything without my finger near the trigger but once I put my finger on the trigger, I go to crap. I will definitely be trying everything said in this thread. Thanks alot. So basically I shouldnt actually shoot by bow for a while? Just draw, aim(without my finder near the trigger), steady the pin on the target, hold it, then let down?
No just don't shoot for a while and hold your pin on the bulls-eye and place your finger on the trigger and hold it there. Do this until all the anxiety is gone and then move on from there. This will train your mind that there is no need for you to panic. Once you get past that then move on to Sqqueeezing it off. Like I said before if you start to punch it, go back and start at the beginning. It just trains your mind that you don't have to puch the trigger once the pin hits or gets close to the bulls eye. Try to not hold your breath either and just relax everything in your body and shoulders. Like I said, I had this target panice before and I think it was also due to the pressure my dad placed on me when I was younger. I used to hate shooting around him when he was watching me or if anyone else was watching. It's a pain in the butt but all it takes is a little work. Once you get past the target panic get read of the buck fever by drawing on does or yearlings when they walk by and don't shoot. Just hold on them with your finger on the trigger and don't shoot then let up and this will help your mind get used to drawing on a live animal. Hope this helps and good luck!!!
It has taken me about a year to rid of what you speak so I would follow Matt's A.K.A. Rick_James tip and go with it. T
What you talkin about? I plan on shootin the first deer that walks by me with my bow. I've never killed anything with my bow (except a bream this past weekend out of my pond). Thanks alot for the help.
