Shooting at game

[buckeyebowhunter]

I've heard some guys say that they don't really get too worked up until after they've taken the shot at an animal and then they get the shakes. For me it's the exact opposite. Once I've determined in my mind that I want to take that animal I really get wound up. No matter if it's a doe, small buck,  big buck,  Turkey or whatever. Once I know it's go time I get to shaking. Sometimes to the point of not even remembering what happened at the moment of the shot. I'm happy to say that most of those times have resulted in a high miss and not a wounded animal. I've gotten away with my fair share of decent shots as well but thinking back on it most of the good shots I made on deer were when the situation unfolded quickly and i had little time to think and just made the shot in the small window of opportunity. So I guess I was wondering what you all do in order to calm down and stay focused at the moment of truth.

[Orion]

I get pretty pumped in advance of the shot.  I try to tell myself, "You either get the shot, or you don't.  If you get it, make it a good one.  If you don't, so be it." Helps to keep me from shooting too quickly, which usually results in a poor shot.  Doesn't always work, but it does more times than not. 

I, too, tend to shoot best when I don't have too much time to think about it.  If I see the critter a long way off and it takes a while for it to get to me, my adrenalin usually has time to spike and for me to get it under control before I have to make the shot.  It's those in between distances/times, that are hardest for me.   

[Wudstix]

Were I hunt I rarely get much time before a shot, so it auto pilot and then a rush.
 

[durp]

When I was younger I would get a little pumped before a shot but any more it's like Orion said if it happens great if not so be it...I just enjoy the show

[bowmaster12]

For me the "calm" comes with having completely confidence in my entire shot.  I'm still chasing that feeling with the trad gear.  It is an amazing place to be if you can get there.  Everything slows down, you can remember everything. The arrow goes where you want it to with zero doubt creeping in.

[hawkeye n pa]

It took many deer for me to get the rush/shakes in control, now the rush comes after the shot.  That's not saying the heart rate doesn't go up before the shot though!

 One of my worst was a nice ten point making scrapes and licking the branches of the tree I was in.  Took twenty minutes for him to give me a unobstructed shot.  Another was a really nice nine point with a six foot sapling stuck in his rack he unearthed while rubbing it I presume.  He was so skittish when the roots hit his rump  and the leaves shook in his face I never did get a shot.  He ran back and forth under me for an hour like a chicken with it's head cut off.  I couldn't even get to full draw, man was I worked up!!

[Roy from Pa]

LOL Jeff:)

[Wile E. Coyote]

I think its something alot of us struggle with. I know that several factors personally will throw my shot off on game.

1. I will tend to slightly elevate my chin because I'm too focused on what the deer is doing as opposed to focusing on a spot. The result is I shoot high. Therefore I always tell myself to tuck my chin and not peek.

2. I have too much concern about being picked off during the draw, as a result I tend to slow my sequence down as compared to target shooting, this ends up creating too much thought, not enough relying on muscle memory. Correction: I have to tell myself the shot will happen or it wont, I cant focus too much on what the game will do, my focus needs to be on the spot and performing my normal sequence.

Hope these help. If I can remember them at the moment of truth they do. That being said I dont always. Just sent one over the back twice this year, one for reason 1 and one for reason 2. 

[BAK]

Living my life as a cop I spent many hours in training, and one of the concepts stressed was breath control.  Slow deep breathing helps immensely.   

[Sam McMichael]

I used to get buck fever all the time when I was younger. But, this was back in the day when I was a rifle shooter. After I killed a fair number of deer, things fell into place, and making the kill was somewhat humdrum. When I took up the bow exclusively, a little of the buck fever returned due to the much closer shot distances. A little nervousness is good, because it makes us bear down and pay attention to our form.  I got into hunting exclusively with a bow, because the excitement was lost with the gun. I like the fact that the deer has a strong chance of coming out ahead. Meanwhile, so easy to say, so hard to do, greater discipline is the answer.

[Cool Springer]

My anxiety level tends to equate to that of the animal.  If the animal is on high alert, I tend to shoot poorly.  If the animal is relaxed, I can usually pull off a good shot.  This past season I killed two decent VA bucks just six days apart.  Both deer were feeding on acorns and had no idea the boogie man was watching.  I was able to make perfect shots on both of them.  One shot was 24 yards and the other was about 27 yards.  They were long shots for me, but because I was relaxed, I hit where I was looking.  The other shot I had was at a big doe.  She knew something was up, and she was on high alert. She was less than 15 yards, and my mind was racing.  I missed her by a foot!!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I'm the same way. When a deer comes in fast I seem to make the best shot. Or the exact opposite if they are there ccx a really long time, I can get my nerves back under control.

However I have a tendency to lose focus just as I release.  I have not figured out a way to get that under control yet. 

[YosemiteSam]

For me, I take deep breaths and pretend for a few seconds that I don't care a bit about the fact that I finally have a shot.  After all, I've sometimes waited years, months, all season or even just an hour for this one chance to finally take a shot on this animal.  So if I pretend for a minute that it's no big deal, I usually calm down a lot.

Time helps me, though.  Initially, it's exciting.  On my little bear last year, I didn't see her until she was already within 20 yards.  It couldn't have been more than 10 seconds before she was at 15 yards and pausing long enough for a shot.  She had already turned her head to continue on and had taken a step by the time the arrow hit.  I got edgy when she turned her head so I accidentally released before getting to full draw.   Thankfully, the shot couldn't have landed better.  I wish I had known she was so close before she appeared.  Oh well.  That's hunting.

I've taken more turkeys and shots at turkeys than anything else.  Whenever the birds take more time to come in, when I can see or hear them coming in, I am MUCH more calm than when they appear suddenly and with a narrow window for a shot.  Having that extra time to take a few deep breaths, collect my wits & be mindful of my shot cycle helps me a lot.

[Possum Head]

I'm the same way. When a deer comes in fast I seem to make the best shot. Or the exact opposite if they are there ccx a really long time, I can get my nerves back under control.

However I have a tendency to lose focus just as I release.  I have not figured out a way to get that under control yet.

Me too!

[the rifleman]

Some of us just have icewater running through our veins.  But i sure don't.  Yep most times i get wound tighter than an eight day clock.  Ive had shots on deer where i couldn't tell you whether i was standing or sitting when i shot.
I have had a few shots where my focus on the spot was very intense and that seemed to funnel my energy a bit better.  I recall one shot where i was so focused i actually saw the broadhead enter the deer and blood start before the deer ran.  The buckfever shots far outnumber the calm shots for me.
Lately i keep a little clicker button in my bowhand glove that triggers my shot.  Its served to slow my shot down and keep me from releasing before im zoned in---- sometimes.
I also find that by putting myself in stressful shooting situations, like indoor 5 spot in a room w shoulder to shoulder compound shooters gives me experience in managing my reaction to stress.  Wish i had the answer...

[ScouterMike]

I have had about 40 years to think about this and found when the deer is coming in I just have to pretend like I do this everyday, no big deal, nice and calm, just execute the shot. When that works all is good. If I lose that focus, well I best just let that deer walk. Of course the excited heart beat follows, hope I never lose that feeling.

[Bowguy67]

When I was a kid I was sort of that way. Even now I’ll get worked up but once the game get in range and I hit full draw I actually relax. It’s all over. Nothing the deer could do now , except of course jump the string, to change things. The familiarity of what to do next is comforting. Regarding a jump the string type shot. So often w a stykbow they don’t even twitch if you missed but always shooting at a calm unalert deer is key. If it’s all hyped up wait til it calms or don’t shoot.
Whenever I teach I talk about things that could help. As a kid we’d play tic tac toe against each other. Make a 2 foot board. Tape or draw the lines in. This serves 2 purposes. You’re not shooting at a “spot”. You gotta concentrate on where you’d like to hit. Whoever wins the game say buys lunch or they’re team, country, whatever is best.
The actual competition even though somewhat minimal allows shooting under pressure. There’s lots of other ideas but no one talks about shooting under pressure. It’s something every time we shoot at game we need to deal w. Why do so many not consider that?
My buddy was a airborne ranger. He told me bout being in swamps holding guns over his head days. Being sleep and food deprived than doing a timed run, at the end needing to lie prone in cold water and shoot. Think that’s stress? Yea not like someone shooting at you but an attempt at building ability to perform while under stress.
There are so many ways to build up more and more stress while practicing. Imo it’s an important thing to learn. It all ties together. Why do would you get up early, sit in the cold after walking up a mountain in the dark?. Wait for days and now there is still this unknown if you can make the shot if presented? We say practice everything. Wear gloves, hat, practice from a tree stand at all kinds of angles, a stool if a blind guy. All great advice. The most important part is forgotten and never talked about. The ability to shoot under pressure.  Prepare yourself. Good luck

[M60gunner]

Same as some others. When I was young even jumping rabbits got me super excited. Sounds corny but after Nam I lost that excitement. I didn’t even notice it until I was watching a big doe under a tree stand I was in. All I thought about was why it was taken so long for it to get into a perfect position.

[GCook]

It's about experience.  Experience changes when the adrenaline dump happens.  I tell new folks that once they make the decision to take an animal just focus on that spot.  That one tuft of hair or whatever it is you wanna hit.  That focus takes energy.  Controls the dump.

[shankspony]

It can happen either way for me, more often after the shot, but occasionally before. I find its about whether you click into the Zone or not. If you click into that concentration mode then it all gos like clockwork and you nail your shot and get the excitement as you relax after. But i find if there is a long drawn out period where you know you are going to get a shot before hand, that mental focus fades as you start over thinking things and Ill find Ill start running things through my mind too much.
Athletes are taught to click into focus and I think its a skill worth learning.