How do you practice for the "pressure shots"?

[Ryan Sanpei]

Three animals are headed directly for you ground level. Luckily, you spot them first and the wind is in your favor.  They are fifty yards away and closing the distance fast.  You kneel down behind the closest cover because you have no time to set up for an "ideal" ambush.  Keeping your eyes on their every move you simutaneously nock an arrow. Instantly the lead animal pops around the corner at 15 yards.  Not moving an inch, and looking only at the animals feet, you pray that she will just move on.  She stops and and stares for a good minute.  Feeling that there is no threat she calmly walks on, taking with her another animal and the "shooter" that's trailing behind. Both animals clear and the last one, still walking is now broadside and in range.  

You have done everthing possible to get a shot opportunity, but now can you pull off the shot?  You are not well covered.  If you draw to fast or move the bow too much, the animal may spook.  The jagged rock on your knees are killing you.  Your leg muscle is starting to get numb and/or cramp because of the weird position that you're pinned down in.  The brush infront is blocking some of your view.  Your heart is racing.  Etc., etc., etc.

Every spot and stalk senerio is different for me at the time of the shot. With a million things running though your mind, how do you pull off a great shot after making a textbook stalk?

So I ask you, "how do you practice for the pressure shots"?

[Patrick55]

Pop up targets and or moving targets.
I have shot pop up targets similar to what Buck Masters uses and must admit, after every round I am shaking like a leaf.     Don’t know why. I do pretty well with them but those rascals really get my tractor cranked and force the utmost in focus and concentration. As with the animal at dead still just a few feet away will do the same. (To me anyway) In your scenario, I have never been able to pull it off. There is a lot of pressure here in Alabama in the area I hunt.  After the first week of the season they are real spooky. They actually walk around looking in the trees. One flinch and they are gone like a rocket.  I still give it a try now and again when the opportunity presents itself. Moving targets may also be helpful. Most folks can set one up in the backyard without to much trouble. Set it where you do not have a lot of time to shoot before it runs behind cover. I am not saying practice at shooting moving game but use this type of practice to get in condition for the Pressure Shots.
My two cents

[BobCo 1965]

There is an actual amount of arousal needed for a person to perform at their peak. It is a bell curve of sorts. Not enough arousal and you will not perform at peak capacity, same with too much.

This one sounds like it is off the charts.     :D        :D    

All I can say is that hopefully you have practiced and engrained your form enough so that the the actual shot is not of issue at all and it just becomes a reaction instead of an action.

[bowmofo]

I drink lots of coffee on my way to the range, it simulates buck fever    

[cahaba]

I just keep thinking "pick a spot" Pick a spot" and if the shot happens great and if it don't oh well. Im 52 and dont need to get to arroused. I have felt like I was going to have a heart attack turkey hunting so I just try to stay calm...yeah right!

[eric-thor]

i personally get a little pissed/stearnly focused as i go through my shot routeen and tell my self just pick a spot and make the dam shot. when i try to practice i imagin the sinario of the shot as though it were real and do the same.

[NBK]

Funny thing is I get nervous shooting targets, (read: TP), but when I'm shooting an animal I'm stone cold.  No kidding.  I can't explain it, and I don't want to try to.

[joe skipp]

I just tell myself..."its an animal and I'm going to kill it." Regardless if it has antlers or not, I keep my eyes focused on the vitals once I determine I'm going to get a shot off.    

[ren sarns]

I agre with what NBK said above... amazing I get overthinking when shooting targets,  not a target panic but just a double check everything and think about the shot.  When I have that animal in fron tof me,  midn kind of blanks and it goes instinctive,  focus on the vitals and the shot just happens.  It finally clicked last year to me when I shot my 2nd deer... never thought about the shot sequences before hunting,  and after reviewing the shot... I couldn't remember "aiming".... deer dropped within 10 feet.

[Gregg S]

I think that Joe S. hit the nail on the head. Once I decide that I am going to take a shot, I look only at the spot that I want to hit. It becomes, for me anyway, just like shooting at a deer target. I limit myself to 20 yard shots even though I practice on deer targets out to 35 yards. This practice gives me the confidence I need so that I'm not worrying about missing the shot and at 20 yds. it feels like a slam dunk. After the shot I go into meltdown.

[snag]

I have my wife jump up next to me and start banging a pot with a wooden spoon!   Just kidding.  But we do have a dog that doesn't like me shooting. He doesn't like anything voilent...we call him the "Doggy-LLama". Sometimes he'll sit next to me and bark when I shoot. At first it just ticked me off. Then I realized it is a good training aid!

[Mitch-In-NJ]

First thought... breathe.

That slows me down just enough to think of the shot.  Bow hand, anchor, back tension, arrow flight, etc... the same things that rush thru my mind when shooting at a target.

I suppose it takes the mind off the fact that I am about to kill an animal becuase I do get excited.  After the shot I fall apart.  It's the post-adrenaline shakes.

So, to answer your question, I go thru a mantra when practicing and use that same mantra while hunting.

[trapperzeke]

My 3 yr. old has become my training aid.  I didn't used to shoot with him in the yard because I was too worried about what he was doing when I wasn't looking, or that if I could see him, it wasn't safe to be shooting.  Now, when I feel pretty good about my shooting when I'm alone, he becomes my distraction behind me...and he cheers when I hit the target     I figure if I can hit a good target when I'm getting hit with a water pistol from behind, or hearing an odd banging noise on my truck, I should be able to handle those extra doe eyes around me, right?

[Terry Green]

All shots should have the SAME priority....

THE MOST IMPORTANT shot in archery is....

Your NEXT one.

If you take every single shot with all the confidence in the world.....you wont have to worry about 'pressure shots'.

[Ryan Sanpei]

You can have the best bow in the world tuned to perfection, but if you can't handle the pressure....

You can pose and shoot with perfect form at practice, but if you cant handle the pressure...

Pressure is mental and will make you weak.  A weak mind will defeat physical strength time after time.  A weak mind can tear you to shreds.

As mentioned above, confidence and focus can defeat pressure. Confidence is key for success in the field.  

Confidence comes from a strong mind.  Weights and exercise are used to build physical strength, what do you guys do to build mental strength?

I think sometimes the "mental game" is overlooked, but that's just my opinion.

[RecurveJim]

I practice shots of simulated high pressure shots or buck fever this way,for tree stand I practice off the roof of my house,I climb the ladder as fast and safely as I can and then shoot my target as fast as I can,while my heart is still pounding from the climb,from the ground I do what it takes to elevate my heartbeat,then shoot while its still pounding all the while telling myself the golden mantra,pick a spot.And never ever look at the horns if its a rack buck.

[reddogge]

Your preshot routine should go into cruise control so that should not be a worry about mechanics.  Just get control of your emotions and remember to breath and pick a spot and never look away from the spot.

That said I missed a nice 8 pt buck at 13 yards last year from the ground and I wasn't nervous at all.  I had several minutes to settle myself down as he was feeding facing me.  I believe the arrow hit a branch in the ground blind.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[FurFlyin]

I use to get all torn up before I shot.  25 years of hunting and harvesting deer has settled my nerves.  I also learned my secret.  DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE THINK, JUST DO.  The scenario you described is the perfect situation for me.  I love hunting on the ground.  If I'm on the ground and the deer is at 15 yards, the deer is dead.  That is, if I don't miss, which I have, but at least for me I have to have that much confidence in myself to keep doubt from creeping in.  I leave doubt at home when I go hunting.  I don't get shook before I shoot, but afterwards I fall apart.  That's one reason I like hunting from the ground.  When my legs get weak, I don't have to worry about falling very far.

[arrow flynn]

pressure shot forme was getting a kill shot on ahog that has already injured i dog im about 20 ft up hill the one dog is down mike has no bullets  250 lb hog that he wounded with a grazing shot on the side of its head is loaded w adrenaline 2 dogs leftand mike in pipe creek w the hog i put 5 arrows in that hog within 1 1/2 min the dogs were all over the hog walker bear dogs hog fell over mike packed his dog out it lived we went back to the house and had some lord calvert overice

[Berube]

Very good comment Terry