How do you practice getting into "kill mode"

[hawgslayer]

 

Once I decide whether or not to take the animal, the only thinking that I do is on the "spot" that I what to hit. The rush is there but I try to over come the feeling by picking a "SPOT WITHIN THE SPOT".....  

[bawana bowman]

I believe the only way is by not thinking about what you are shooting at. Pick your target spot and shoot it, no matter if its a bale of hay, target dot, chipmunk, rabbit, deer, or cape buffalo, their all just targets.
Personally I have a need to kill something, and I attribute the need to the fact that I keep a lot of things bottled up inside emotionally. Hunting is my release mechanism and once I decide to take an animal there are no second thoughts. I pretty much do it subconsciously.
This is not to say I shoot any animal that gets within range, I'm not a sadistic serial killer, I get just as much enjoyment out of watching the game and learning their habits as I do shooting.
In fact one of the best hunts I've been on I didn't even draw my bow. Had a doe get close enough to the stump I was sitting on that I reached out and smacked her right thigh. That was actually more of a thrill than if I had taken her.
When I do shoot I never really remember releasing,  only holding my bow arm still and watching the nock disappear in  the target.
If and When I do get anxious or the shakes it always occurs after the shot. Kind of like a sexual climax without the big build-up. (for lack of another way of putting it) But this is just the way things are with me. I live for the hunt and the thrill of the Kill. Just my personal feelings toward how I feel and cope with the what you call the "Kill Mode".

[Recurve50 LBS]

I like stump shooting or small game hunting to help keep me sharp. Some guys say they shoot better when they shoot with another friend that can out shoot them. Little competition keeps the edge sharp. And one guy I know says that all he has to do to get into his "kill" mode is to simply look at a picture of his ex wife. Hey what ever works for ya dude!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I have met very few guys that moved into killer mode easily, that truly loved the sport. Note I said "easily", let me explain:

I think new bowhunters should shoot deer. Period. Not wait for trophies, not try and estimate P&Y scores from the tree. Shoot deer. Get some success under your belt.

When I was in my teens and twenties, I would get rattled when any deer came within shooting range. Slipping my brain into the predator gear was damned near impossible. Gradually it changed. I suppose my brain started to realize "we have done this before" and things started to come together. Today, if I decide to shoot, my attitude changes, things slow down, my focus comes together, and I do ok.

Now....I have met several guys along the way, guys getting started in hunting later in life, he seem to have NO jitters. I believe that they have no concept of hunting's history, drama, etc. rattling around in thier head. Nothing gets in the way with "see deer, shoot deer".

I think working through the jitters, buck fever, whatever, is one of the rewards of being a true sportsman.

P.S....I have  a whole different theory for guys raised on a farm, where killing an animal is as mundane as cutting the grass...I have never seen a true farm boy nervous about killing a deer.

 

[GingivitisKahn]

> How do you practice getting into "kill mode"

I just answer my work phone.

:-D

[GMMAT]

When that time comes you shouldn't have to think about anything. It should all be mechanical. That's where all the practice comes into play.  

I like this one.  I've said ....when I go into the whitetail woods...I feel like the ultimate predator (how's that for confidence?....lol).  When a deer shows up that I want to take.....I call that mode DOING MY JOB.  The emotions (as someone mentioned earlier) come after the task at hand has been completed (But if I said I didn't get super excited, sometimes, I'd be lying through my teeth!).

PGA Legend Tom Watson once said that there is no substitute for being "in the arena".  IMO, there is no substitute for the taking of game, unless it's taking more/other game.

Someone also mentioned the "killer instinct".  I agree with that, also.  Can it be learned?  Probably.  But those who already have it are a step ahead of others.  Only hunting whitetails and turkeys with archery tackle, so far (and admittedly taking NEITHER with traditional gear), I'm mot sure how I rate, yet.  I'll let you know after this coming fall season is over (after I commit to traditional archery for a full season, here).

A VERY interesting thread, though.

[Otto]

I don't believe in the "stop thinking" method because I don't believe there is a way to "stop thinking".  The brain is too complex a mechanism to just tell it to "stop thinking" because, that's what the brain does....it thinks, it calculates, it processes the data received by our eyes our ears our noses.  The brain does not shut off.  Until we're dead.  The key is to enable the brain to be thinking about the "right things".

My hunting goes from seeing an animal, to planning my shot IF I get an opportunity.  There comes that time in a hunt when things go from "I hope I get a shot" to "Hey...I'm GONNA get a shot".  For me, THAT's when the kill switch is activated.  THAT's the point where I'm planning on exactly where I'm going to take a shot, where I'm gonna grunt to get a deer to stop exactly where I want him/her to.  THAT'S the point where I start to focus on the hair I want to hit.  THAT's the point where I'm also thinking about when to draw and finally execute the shot.

So "stop thinking" isn't a reality for me.  When I know I'm GOING to get a shot, THAT's the defining moment, when the kill switch get's thrown and the REAL thinking begins.

Now...at the time the kill switch gets thrown, one CANNOT be thinking about how to shoot a bow.  How to draw, how to anchor, how to release.  A hunter CANNOT be thinking about those things.  All of those things have to be automatic.  Shot form/execution has to have been so ingrained into the muscle/brain memory that we don't even think about it.  By accomplishing that, the brain is freed up to think about all those things I referenced above.  If THAT's what everyone is refering to by saying "stop thinking", okay I'll buy that.  But again, that shouldn't be a concious decision.  We need to have practiced to the point where that happens on a subconcious level.

Man....now my head hurts.....

[SteveMcD]

It is true that nothing compares to the actual shot experience itself when hunting. But, "Stop Thinking" to me.. is interpretted as 2 things: relaxation and concentration. You are living "in the moment" there is no frame of mind dwelling in the past, and no thinking ahead, there is only this shot. And you are going to make it. Without question.

[Pat B]

I remember in one of the Wensel's videos where Gene and Barry are sitting in the trophy room or maybe that were at the target line, discussing archery and hunting. One of the guys said that when he is shooting around others he doesn't shoot as well as when he is alone. The other basically said that was bunk and either you shoot well or not.
   I am like the first one. When I am at a 3D shoot I shoot fine but my concentration is on too many other things to shoot well. When by myself, either at my home targets or while hunting I can truly concentrate and my shooting show it. I guess you will have to take my word for it. d;^)
   I don't keep score at 3D shoots. I buy a card to support the event but I shoot for kill shots. I have seen many 10 ring or 12 ring shots over the years that in real life would only wound an animal if I went for the score. The target rings on 3D animals, in my opinion, are not set up for archery, necessarily. Maybe a leftover from firearm targets. I take my one shot and place it in the kill zone, no matter the direction the animal is facing and many times it isn't near the 12 ring.
   While doing this I am competing with myself. When I have kept score, I tended to worry more about the score than the actual shot placement. For me, this only confuses me and adversely effects my shooting ability.

[Stone Knife]

I'm a meat hunter so I just decide that when I see a deer I'm going to kill it. This makes it a lot simpler, I have my openings and ranges picked out way ahead of time so there is no thought required there, all I need to do is wait for my shot opportunity. Rack size is not an issue nor is body size.

[GMMAT]

Now...at the time the kill switch gets thrown, one CANNOT be thinking about how to shoot a bow. How to draw, how to anchor, how to release. A hunter CANNOT be thinking about those things. All of those things have to be automatic. Shot form/execution has to have been so ingrained into the muscle/brain memory that we don't even think about it. By accomplishing that, the brain is freed up to think about all those things I referenced above. If THAT's what everyone is refering to by saying "stop thinking", okay I'll buy that. But again, that shouldn't be a concious decision. We need to have practiced to the point where that happens on a subconcious level.
 

Otto:

I think we're really closer to being "alike" than different (in what we're saying).  We shoot our bows often to instill an "instinctive" shot process.  That's the sole purpose of practice.  I see killing (i.e. being in that moment) as no different.  The more I'm in that moment.....the better prepared I am...and the less I "consciously" have to think about it.

A grander scale, with more sophisticated possible outcomes, YES, but not any different, to me, than ingraining a shot sequence routine.  It's being in a moment.....and producing/relying on your practice to produce the desired result.

I'd think it rare for the person shooting (even shooting AT) fewer animals/year to be more proficient at this than someone who puts themself in this position often.

Except where one excels in the "killer instinct" arena.  

[MCNSC]

For me my best shots on game I dont remember the shot. All I remember is getting the bow into position and waiting for the right shot to present its self. I usually remember when the shot is there picking a spot and starting the draw but that is it. the arrow is there. If I am concious of the draw the anchor and the shot and such I may very well miss. Wish I could get into that "zone" every time but honestly dont know what triggers it or not.
Mike

[Eric Krewson]

Interesting topic. When my freezer is empty I get in kill mode much easier. Full freezer, I get in "pass mode" often.

It has always amazed me when I click into kill mode. The spot I want to hit is the only thing I see, nothing else exists and I am completely without emotion. I am partially conscious of my draw, never remember my release and am very aware of my hit and the reaction of the deer to my shot.

After all this transpires in kill mode, my nerves of steel dissolve and I change to a buck fever, shaking, out of breath, bowl of jello.

[Dartwick]

One more though agreeing with some other points here.

Idealy you wont have think about the mechanics of your shot - you should practice so much that its habit. Habit is the best defense against adrenaline.

On the other hand you do want to think and be aware with respect to the situation - whats happening around you , is the wind steady, are there other animals moving, are there other people around the deer might scent, are you exposed etc. Composure is vital for this and only comes with killing.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Originally posted by 44charlie:
[QB]  

"    also be in control of the hunt. don't think you have to hurry up and shoot. shoot when you're ready not him forcing you. you'll have to pass up some shots doing this but you won't regret it."
 
Absoultely! You have to shoot when you decide. Often we wait for the opportune moment then when presented we feel forced to quickly complete the shot or fear our window of opportunity will close.
It's a matter of controlling the game not being controlled by the game. If the window closes before you can complete the shot so be it, but don't feel rushed, make the time slow down and you chose the pace.

[Pat B]

...and take the first appropriate shot!  Waiting for a better shot has never worked for me. Too many variables.

[George D. Stout]

Usually, watching an episode of Friends gets me in the kill mode 8^).

[Bear Heart]

I am always calm in the moment and then my heart goes crazy afterwords.  Same as when something scary happens when driving.

[deadpool]

I watch the first and last Rambo movies, thats how I get into kill mode!   :D

[deadpool]

I watch the first and last Rambo movies, thats how I get into kill mode!   :D