I have had one whirlwind of a season so far ....from PA to NY ... I have been on deer and have missed missed missed without going into details, ....ok I will I have missed 4 bucks so far ... I have been hard pressed to even see a doe ... I have passed on a small doe and 4 button bucks (not that I woulda hit them anyway) I have shot my bow at targets and I am killin it out to 30 yards and beyond ..... So today I went to Gander Mountain and bought the Diamond stone for my G5's and I shot my broadheads from an elevated stand and was dead nuts ... I sharpened them back up .. My problem is I get too stressed ... I don't take all the steps for a good shot when a deer is around ... now a squirrel paid the ultimate price the other day as I really needed to see what was going on ... it's deer ... the next shot I get, I am gonna pretend it's a squirrel :D So tonight it will be a hunt in Suburbia ...ground "blind" with Andrew ...hopefully he will see me take a deer ....there are some MONSTERS in this area ... my huntable land is very small, however ...pray for us ...send good thoughts our way ... whatever it takes to calm me down
Good luck to ya preach. I don't know if it'll help you or not but I tried a little trick that has helped me out a few times. I took a small plain white sticker and wrote "pick a spot" on it. Then I stuck it to the inside of my riser where I'd see it each time I draw my bow. I know in the heat of the moment things can get kinda blurry but I found that if I had this simple phrase constantly reminding me of what to do, I made consistantly better shots and it reminded me to slow down. It works for me, maybe it would work for you. At any rate good luck and I'm sure you'll make it happen on the next opportunity you're given.
Vito ... you got it!!! :D Okla ... I am gonna try that .. that what Rob always telss me ... I also thought if I kept thinking "follow thru", that might help me with all the steps before that ... Dan ... thanks man .... I appreciate that no one has (or will ) hammer me on this ... I have been frustrated beyong belief this year .... I have had more chances than ever .... I finally felt ok to just tell y'all about it...
Its understandable. You put in all the time and effort to get a chance, and then you miss. It can be a big let down. I'll bet you put one on the ground soon. All it takes is one good shot, and you know you can make it.
Tony, shut everything out and relish the next opportunity. Don't look at it as another chance for failure, but as mechanical procedure. Draw, anchor, pick an area, squeeze the release, and stay down after the shot. You as much as anyone should be able to have faith and belief in your ability and the things you can control. Your equipment is on, your practice technique is solid, Believe, Breathe and Squeeze! I expect a good report by Saturday Night..you will give thanks on Sunday!
PT, I say shoot the next deer that gets in range. Buck, doe, fawn....doesn't matter. Just shoot the next one you see. You can shoot, its just mental at this point. Put that tag on an animal and break the slump!
PT...I'd say take it one step further - and rather than picking a spot, pick a hair. Focus on EXACTLY where you want the arrow to go, not just the deer. I went through that a long time ago...I would get so excited that I drew back and moved the pin onto the deer and basically never actually aimed....just squeezed off when I got on em. I missed a bunch too, I know how you feel. Once I started really focusing on picking a specific spot (ie: a hair) things got alot better for me. Good luck....aim for the exit hole!
Pick a hair....? ( Borrowed pic from Simans post) I think it's paralysis by analysis. Pick a single "hair" on this buck I understand aim small miss small..but I think we are creating a picture that many can't grasp. Follow the back of the front leg up, move a third the way up the body and bury an arrow through both lungs. Miss 4 inches left right up down and you have a buck just as dead! From an elevated stand or quarter shot imagine the path of the arrow through the body (aim for exit hole).
Tony, if you're whacking squirrels and missing deer you need to RELAX. I won't pray for your aim as it's obviously on. I'll pray that you don't get the shakes:0) Good luck.
Dude it's just a deer. Shoot the dang thing. :p Next time one is in range give it a ho hum almost like you could give a crap it's even there. Draw/shoot like it's a target. Then after the shot you can hyperventilate, pass out and all that fun stuff. Best of luck to you guys tonight. Knock one down.
You call your "Sage" and get advise from him. Then, you do what he tells ya and follow through! I know Gr8 has never led me astray!
Gr8....you are right. What I mean by pick a hair...is focusing on a specific spot vs an area, and holding the pin right on that specific spot and follow through. On the buck in that pic, I would pick that little light colored spot on him just at the top left of the shoulder...that would be my "spot" or "hair" per se. I've been where pt was, that is what helped me. Also, another thing that helped me ALOT was drawing on deer that I wasn't planning to shoot - holding the pin on a spot and mentally saying "gotcha" and letting down. Did wonders for me. My first few years were a mess, I got so excited I didn't know what the heck was going on - and missed a bunch of deer. I did manage to connect with a few, but it was more luck than anything. I had the fever something awful. LOL
Bob ... thanks Bro .... it feels like a new game to me, so I should be able to do that Dave (BBM) Mark told me to do that as well ....I then had 2 BB at 5 yards ...couldn't do it .... DPSteve and WV .. thanks NY ...ROFL!! ... I WANT to act like that! :D IV .... dude ...its gonna hAPPEN
Tony, I know some here will criticize this approach, but as usual I don't really care. The next doe or button buck you have come into range draw back on and put your pin right where that arrow needs to go. Focus on what you are doing, each step and you'll see how easy it is to aim at a deer. Obviously make sure your finger is off the trigger. Punching target, especially dots, is a lot different than shooting at deer. Practice aiming on a deer and you'll start killing them. Good luck bro. I'm pulling for you.
I sent good thoughts your way and the deer showed up, now I'll send more good thoughts your way and the arrow will do the job . Remember, hunting is fun and no one is keeping score. Relax. :D
PT, I just checked the voting records and all BB's voted Democratic. You still think they're too cute?!? lol
Good luck to you and Andrew PT, the time will come... I have been frazzled and missed this year too. But I like the squirrel idea, there is a fat fox squirrel that has been asking for it