How did you know when you were "ready"?

[SkottyBoy]

Dear Fellow Tradgangers:

  I know you guys and gals do not know me from Adam, so a little background, if you will.  My name is Scott Treadaway and I currently make my home in the northeast corner of the somewhat great state of Arkansas. I have been hunting deer for the last 16 years of my life, starting at 23, so yep I am knocking of 40. I began my hunting in the Great State of South Carolina with a rifle.  August 15, my overall wrapped around my ankles praying for a breeze in the 100 degree heat to blow through my stand.  At the age of 27 I made my way back home to the “land of opportunity” which by then became the “natural state”.  My buddies here informed me that if I wanted to hunt whitetail for the months I had been hunting in the past (South Carolina has a 4 month rifle season) if would learn to shoot a bow since Arkansas has the longest archery season in the nation.

My archery experience began and for the many years to follow I began harvesting the elusive whitetail with a bow and arrow.  This experience became somewhat dull to me 2 years ago and began experimenting with traditional equipment.  When it came time to go to the woods the wheelie was in my hand though.  This spring I sold the mechanical stuff and dedicated my shooting solely to traditional. I now have been through many of the high end bows (widow, shrew, toelke, etc.) and have stuck with one that fits me like a glove through most of them and that is a Holm Made River Runner recurve.  I shoot 4-5 times a week starting out at 15 yards, going to 20, then settling in and  shooting most of my arrows around 17 yards.  

I am fairly consistent at 20, and bury most (occasional flyer) in the kill under 20.  As October 1 gets closer I am becoming nervous. Is this nervousness normal?  Did any of you other converts seem a little worried about your fist season in the woods without the sights?

Traditional is so much fun for me. And I know even the most experienced and seasoned take the misses with the kills. What I need to know is how did you know when you were ready?

[huntin_sparty]

Scott
I am a new Trad only guy this season too and sold 2 out of 3 of my compounds this spring also!  I am excited but not nervous and just going to limit my shot distance to 20 yards or less this season which I feel pretty good about.  Be interested in som more experienced folks thoughts.
good luck and enjoy
Andrew

[Ragnarok Forge]

Your ready.  Get in the woods pick a spot and keep your shots at 15 yards.  The only way to get better is to hunt hard and learn.

[dragonheart]

Allow it to happen.  Pick a spot.  That anxiety and excitement are postive.  Use that to visualize yourself executing a perfect shot on a game animal.  Always pick a spot.  When shooting at game forget about mechanics.  Just burn the spot.  The tuft of hair, discolor, pick a small spot on the animal and never take your eyes off of it.

[Hill Hunter]

Jump in and go for it, and enjoy yourself, your gonna miss sometimes, just as compound shooters do, don't beat yourself up or quit just keep at it. One lesson I have learned as all probably have is, if you shift your concentration after draw you will shoot to the spot it shifted to. for example if you shift from looking at your spot to check out where the deers eyes are looking you will hit somewhere between your spot and the eyes.
Have fun and learn your lessons, it is worth it.

[reddogge]

When I was in a tree and pulled the bow back on the first deer I ever shot at, a little 5 pt., loosed the arrow and watched in horror as the little deer committed suicide and jumped into the path of the arrow and killed itself.  That was in 1969.

Not to be smart but you'll know when you are ready when you take a shot at your first deer. And yes, I'm 66 and still get nervous.  I hope I never stop.

[bornagainbowhunter]

Originally posted by SkottyBoy:
Dear Fellow Tradgangers:

   I I currently make my home in the northeast corner of the somewhat great state of Arkansas.  

Somewhat?? come on now...  You sound like you are ready.  What bothers me is when folks just start shooting a bow trad or compound a few days before season and think they will be proficient enough to hunt, or when you see their groups of 20"-30" at 10 yards and think they can hunt.  

If you are a little nervous and have been practicing, it shows you care about the critters and don't want to just wound one.  I don't get teary eyed or feel sad when I kill an animal, but I do want to make a clean efficient kill.  Sounds like that is what you are after.  

Shoot me a PM and we can try to get together this fall if you want.

God Bless,

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

If you never get nervous/excited then it's time to give it up.  

I committed to trad gear the first year I took it up.  The trick wasn't being ready to hunt with trad gear, it was nowing my effective range and not shooting at anything farther.  At that point my effective range was only about 15 yds.  No deer the first two years.  Kept practicing and got better and finally got my first deer with trad gear.  Shot distance was 8 ft. and I was hunting on the ground.  

The point is you know you can hunt with trad gear you just have to control the urge to take a shot that's a little out of your range.  If you play the wind and hunt hard you can get an animal close enough.

[Apex Predator]

Like has already been mentioned, keep those shots inside 15yds to start. After some kills, your confidence will soar!

[lpcjon2]

Remember your first time with a girl, you asked her out ,you were nervous not sure if you could do it,you practice your lines in front of the mirror,watch as happy days and learned from the Fonz,.Then you relaxed and nature took its course.
 
  The day you sold your wheels was the day you were ready! your ready don't waste time psyching yourself out when you could be practicing.

  Now go out in the woods and take you seat amongst our forefathers and become a hunter.      

 Oh and let us know how you did.

[Bowwild]

Redogge,
We have something in common. I shot the very first LIVE deer I ever saw in 1969. It was my first time bowhunting. I was 120 miles from home because we had no deer at home. I was using a Ben Pearson Cougar at 45#s. The buck was....yep, you guessed it...a 5-pointer!  I was 16 years old.

Scottyboy,
I'm a bit nervous too.  I've been hunting with compounds since 1975. I've been shooting 8 different recurves most of this year. I've settled on one and it is no where near the best looking one but I shoot it well. I'm super-confident at 20 yards and under and that's all I intend to shoot.

I'm nervous because I'll be shooting 14 pounds less than my compound (but a heavier arrow so that will help with penetration). I'm also nervous because I've left the sight system with its pin-point accuracy (I shoot 50-80 yards to practice my form with the compound regularly). Now I'll have to trust my eye and the arrow point as my aiming system. If my mind wanders, so will the arrow.

Good luck to you.

[mcgroundstalker]

Scott... You Are Ready! Keep your shots close at relaxed deer. It's only human to second guess yourself at this stage in the game. Hey! Sometimes I feel guilty when I'm hunting with a rifle... Only Sometimes!

... mike ...

[Mike Vines]

How far are you from Corning, Arkansas?  That is where half of my roots are from.

What you are experiencing is the need to get out and kill something.  You sound like the training is doing great, you just need to get out and put it to use.

[seabass]

when i got my longbow i skipped a season and just practiced.i shoot instinctive off the shelf.when i was consistant at 20 yards i felt i was ready.you just know.you just have to listen to your heart and only take shots you are sure you can make.you still might miss one of those shots,but thats just hunting.when i practiced,i would load up my back quiver with arrows.then i would walk around the yard taking shots from every angle and at differnt distances.this form of practice helped me more than anything.don't think about distance,just walk to a spot and shoot.hope this helps,steve

[Shawn Leonard]

I won't tell ya to limit your shots to 15 yards or even 30. You have hunted before and you will know, trust me. You will get that feeling, that hey I am gonna kill this deer whether it be 5ft. or 30 yards. Shawn

[No-sage]

If you start hunting small game, you'll quickly learn how ready you are for deer hunting.

[Bonebuster]

Your concern is admirable.

In your heart you KNOW you are ready.

Ragnorak Forge said it very well "hunt hard and learn"

 

[BigStriper]

Nervous,who don't get Nervous,if you don't it's time to Quit,This Fall will be my 3rd year Hunting with a Longbow and I shot a 9 point Buck the first year,so far I have taken 4 shot's and got 3 Deer,if you can hit the Kill zone at 20 yards I would say your ready,just limit your shot's to about 15 yards,,Good Luck,

Kurt

[hitman]

You are more than ready. Get in there and fling some arrows. You'll never kill a deer without shooting at it. That's been my theory by whole life and it works.

[hitman]

Oh yea, about the nervousness. There's a fine line between nervousness an excitement. Consider it the latter.