i think i'm going to give up bowhunting....

[ozy clint]

at least until i've beaten this damn target panic and can shoot more consistently.

about 2hrs ago i lost a buffulo. i got to about 17m only to let fly with a lousy target panic shot. it hit him a bit low in the leg bone that joins the scapula. he was limping badly and i tried to get around him for a another shot but i couldn't get in front of him. i lost sight of him and circled wide but i didn't cut his tracks so i headed back to where i last saw him and i found him in a bunch of bushes. it was nearly dark by then. so here i am approaching a wounded buffulo in a bush in the dark. anything could have happened. luckily he crashed away from me as i was getting close. it was way to dark by then so i had to head home. i'll be back tommorrow to try and find him. i'll carry my gun i think. i don't trust myself with my bow anymore. i need to give up bowhunting and beat this target panic!!!!  :mad:    :mad:  
i had a few draws and let downs while stalking and it felt comfortable but when it matters my target panic lets me down. such inconsistenent shooting isn't fair to the animal.
what a low!

beating target panic may well be the toughest challenge i've faced since i started bowhunting.

just needed to vent and to confess my poor shooting.

i'm off to crawl into a hole now!  :(

[frank the hunter]

dont let it take over you these things happen fight throw it you will win. good luck

[TheFatboy]

The true power of the human mind, is in the fact that we - unlike any other living creature - are able to manipulate with our own subconsciousness. When you become truly aware of this simple fact and begin to bend your mind to your will... things will start happening.

[Don Stokes]

I think the best way to get better at shooting animals is to shoot more animals. Experience is the best teacher, and nothing else equals the experience of shooting live game. Of course you don't want to wound them, especially the dangerous ones, but perfection is not reality. Sometimes things go badly, and you just have to get over it and keep on keeping on!

[wv lungbuster]

I've been having some trouble also. It seems like before the shot, I'm concentrating on trying to reach full draw and hit my anchor when I need to be completely focused on the intended target. Any ways I heard Jay Kidwell Instinctive Archery Insights book my help.

[Big Sneaky]

I had TP.  One of the hardest things I ever went through with my shooting.  I have been TP free for about 3 yrs now.  I read Jay's book, watched video's and read anything I thought might work.  My problem was not getting to full draw.  The instant my draw hand touched my face the shot would go off.  Now I could come to full draw when drawing on my truck or house or something I knew I wasn't going to shoot, but if I knew I was going to shoot, boom, it went off before I was ready.  I basically had to retrain my subconsious.  I did it by drawing my bow on a target I intended to shoot, but not shooting just let down.  I had to do this for about 7-10 days.  I was then able to hold and shoot.  If I had a relapse and the shot got away from me, I went back to the no-shooting drill.  This is how I beat it but your case is probably different than mine.  It can be conquered!  Don't give up on something you enjoy.  Good luck, Cade.

[Dawnpatrol]

That sounds pretty rough.

Keep your head up. You are among a large group of survivers of TP. "Hello, My name is Alex and I have TP".
You too can beat this thing. Have patience, be disiplined, and do the work to get back on your feet.

[CEO]

There is no worse feeling than wounding an animal (bow or gun). I hope you find your buffalo.

[Gregg S]

Try a clicker for now. You will be able to come to full anchor without that uncontrollable urge to let go of the string.

[nightowl1]

tape a sight pin to your bow. At first when I tried this, I had TP so bad i couldn't even get the pin close to the target without letting go. I finally powered through that and I am now a better shot than I was before TP because I learned to hold steady and a controled release.

I almost did the same thing, I was in the same boat. Don't be afraid to try ANYTHING.

[KSdan]

Study Kidwell and do the exercises. Last I heard- he was seeing virtually 100% success with Olympic shooters dealing with TP.  The button technique also helped me greatly.

[Earthdog]

I also had a run in with TP.

You can get over it.

Used a Formaster and breathing exersizes.

Sorry about the animal,,,know how you feel.

Kia Kaha.

[Chuck Hoopes]

I gave it up after I realized I couldn't keep it together anymore.  Animals I have wounded, haunt me to this day, and will all the days to come. Its taboo to talk about this, but Iam guessing that there are many others similarily haunted by images of wounded animals limping away.   This said, you may be able to overcome the live animal target panic--the only way I know is to shoot at live animals-- I would suggest red squirrels,- If you hit one, its a clean kill 99% of the time, If you miss, ---No harm done.  Good Luck- you'll likely get it together--If not quit--- The wounded animal thing, sucks the joy right out of it.

[Ray]

I had to completly change my shooting style to try to beat my tp.I had to what I refer to shoot like an olympic archer.My aim needs work, but by drawing to anchor with both shoulder inline with the target and a low anchor it utilizes my back muscles.I can anchor now, which was my biggest problem before.
 I know your feeling about quitting hunting.I tell myself that alot but every year its like some primal urge to get out there.Best of luck with your shooting-Ray.

[Zog]

Hunters with all weapons wound animals.  I have had target panic at 400 yd with a rifle.  That elk hurt just as bad as your buffler.  Yes it sucks the joy out of it but I keep going.  

For me, TP was helped greatly by doing exactly what Chuck said - practice, practice like our native ancestors did.

[tradtusker]

hang in there mate think positive, i had this problem at one stage took quite a bit of work to get on top of it, i have some info that was very very helpful that i will try find in my old e-mails and ill forward it on to you.

also on top of that, i now shoot with a clicker...something i think is well worth having a play with.

hard luck on the buff...chin up

[eric-thor]

i dont know your hunting history nor your personaality yet all i can do is drop my 2cents from my limited experience. i remember the first many times i hunted i was a ball of trembling nerves and my breath looked like a locomotive steaming down the track in the cold morning air.everything around me sounded like amplified though a bull horn,and i felt like a giant spotlight was on me .
 well after several misses ,many blown opportunities ,and yes wonded animals to boot :(i was sitting in tall grass 8 yrds from a crazy lookin some kinda corsican ram "half curl" almost bsted me twice but to his demise he whent back to drinkin .i mentally slapped myself in the face and said its just a bow and arrows and there's your target just think through the shot and let it fly like youve done only about a 100,000 times before ,relax, breath,pick a spot, draw,touch that anchor hold!!! shot looks good release and "dont drop that dam arm"!!!!!OMG i hit him!!!!!!and just whrer i was aimin !!!! he ran 40 yrds and dropped dead!!!! OMG!!!! i did it !!!!! yeeee hawwww! double loung and the artery along his spinne . the best day of my life besides seeing my children born .moral of the story : you can do it i asume you doit every day on target. just get a grip and make a shot ! go to a game ranch . (lots of opportuneity ) work it out in your head its all there .
 good luck and good hunting brother . its all just a journey tward "being the man we know we are"it starts from within . 2cents and a great memory of a great time in my life .for what its worth.

[ozy clint]

i got in contact with jay kidwell. what a gentleman. i'm already seeing light at the end of the tunnel!
i can't wait to move home where there's lots of rabbits. as mentioned, it's kill or miss. i'll get there. thanks guys.

i was quite relaxed with the shot on the buff just my target panic took over when it mattered most.

[KSdan]

Best move by contacting J. Kidwell.  Its an actual physiological-brain thing that can happen to any athlete; Golf, track/field, shooting sports, basketball/freethrows, football kickers. . . all the same issue.

With this entirely new world of Sports Psychology- they got it figured out. I know pro/Olympian athletes who have used the very same techniques and resolved it.  

Actually training your brain to shoot DIFFERENT will resolve it.

Good shooting and hunting.

[kestimator]

If it's target panic, there are a bunch of good posts on this website regarding overcoming that.  If it's what we call "buck fever", it happens to most all hunters, or at least those that care and are excited by the hunt.  Those that don't get excited should probably go do something else.  You obvously care.  Don't give up!  Try to talk yourself into calming down a little and going through the steps of a good shot and taking care of business.  The business of making a good shot.  Don't think about missing, what taxidermist to call, what flavor of sausage to make.  Just take care of business.  Make the shot!  Rifle hunters screw up too when they (I've done it) let "buck fever" take over.  You are not alone.  Don't give up!