How to stay focused ?

[SaMbO2]

Ive been hunting lately and just missed a young buck this morning TWICE. I just cant seem to stay focused on picking a spot and with a bad miss every time, when it comes to 3D deer i hit all day long right were i need it at all ranges for deer hunting but when it comes time to seal the deal i cant come thru with a good shot. Any advice on staying focused would be great.

Thanks for your time

 God bless.

[Cory Mattson]

stop shooting 3d - hay bales only most days - roving w a judo as often as possible - every day during season. no disrespect to target shooting and I suppose there is a reasonable argument that all practice has value - but by your statement 3d is not helping enough. Also if ou hunt from treestands only during fall then shoot only from treestands Aug to Jan. Misses on deer seem to be mostly a matter of - full draw - proper allignment - firm anchor - so focus on those 3 things and you should ne filling tags soon.
Good Hunting.
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[Bowwild]

Are you missing high? Have you recently been shooting sighted compounds?  high shots are a common problem when shooting without sights when the target is game.   If your answer is yes to the two questions your eye is likely seeing the point of the arrow as a sight reference and at distances inside 30 yards you will shoot high.

Visualize the sight picture you want before you draw. Then concentrate on anchor and follow through. Your eye will do the aiming subconsciously.

[SaMbO2]

I do not shoot compounds nor have i shot one recently, im not missing just high the two shots today were both under, i do not sight with my bow of any kind i never look at the tip of my arrow when shooting if you really want to know i only shoot instinctive i shoot candle wicks in pitch black dark so if that tells you anything. I shoot squirrels all the time and i can pick a spot with them and i hit and ive shot a woodchuck this year with my bow and i nailed my spot but when it comes to deer its all over with.

God bless.

[lpcjon2]

All I do is keep saying " It's just a big squirrel,it's just a big squirrel" Then I take two deep breaths and when I let the last one out I release.Hope it helps.

[stevewills]

im the oppisite i suck at picking a spot on a target but i can pick a hair on a deer...only look at the spot you want your arrows to go through.once i see its what i want to shoot i dont look at anything other than my spot..ive shot 2 bucks and didnt even know they were bucks pick a spot and watch it till its in range,dont drop your bow till the arrow hits your spot...and most important have fun and dont sweet it

[Bowwild]

sambo2,
Ok then. Your issue is simply a mental block. You've convinced yourself you will miss deer. Tell a lineman not to jump off sides and he will because he's thinking about it.

You must think positive. Once you've decided to shoot the deer you just have to remind yourself this is easy compared to what you can do.  If you let your mind wander to missing, it will dutifully respond. Think kill instead.

By the way, I know this sounds too simple but once a person has well-tuned equipment and knows how to shoot, their biggest challenge is to think positive. Visualize the outcome you want not the one you fear.

[Rank Bull]

Are you getting to your anchor? I found that if a deer was really close, I use to just want to let that arrow loose!

It's like I was afraid the last few inches of draw were going to get me busted. So now I make a concious effort to get to anchor.

I decided it's better to be busted than injure or miss.

[Bowwild]

sambo2,
Ok then. Your issue is simply a mental block. You've convinced yourself you will miss deer. Tell a lineman not to jump off sides and he will because he's thinking about it.

You must think positive. Once you've decided to shoot the deer you just have to remind yourself this is easy compared to what you can do.  If you let your mind wander to missing, it will dutifully respond. Think kill instead.

By the way, I know this sounds too simple but once a person has well-tuned equipment and knows how to shoot, their biggest challenge is to think positive. Visualize the outcome you want not the one you fear.

[Gatekeeper]

Are you shooting from a treestand?

Do you normally shoot your targets from a treestand?

If you are hunting from a treestand, are you bending at the waist?

If your hunting from a treestand, are you taking a practice shot (or two) before you exit your stand?

[SaMbO2]

I do hunt some from a tree stand but my misses arent happening from tree stand, i got a doe early in the season a friend was there with me and thinking of missing in front of him kept me cool and i picked my spot and the doe and it is now in my freezer and that was from a tree stand and i didnt practice at all from shooting from a tree stand.

Instinctive shooting is just what the name of it is, i dont have a problem making any kind of shot because i get up there and let my instincts take over and pick a spot as big as a flys nose hole. But when it comes to a deer i fall apart.

God bless.

[Bowwild]

Doesn't sound like you problem is insurmountable and something many of us have gone through. About 45 years ago during the first 10 years I bow hunted I would get very bent out of shape when a shot at deer was presented. To combat this I started to "save" a small task to complete before I shot to take my mind off the pressure a bit. For example, I might wait to turn my body for the shot until the last moment. Or I might not set my string hand on the string until time to shoot. The best solution is confidence which comes with experience. Shooting Does like you are doing is a good thing.

[Bowwild]

As we teach in NASP, focus on the process rather than the result.

[Smallwood]

generally, if you shoot at an animal and miss just over their back while shooting instinctively,
it's because you didn't keep focused on a small spot you wanted to hit, and instead you were looking at the entire chest area instead of a small dime size spot on the chest.
I have been there,done that before myself.     :eek:  
I find stump shooting is the best training method for me to tune-in to picking small spots and keeping my focus.
One other thing, hold your form when the bow goes off and don't 'peek' to see where you hit until after the arrow is in the target/deer!  

[chopx2]

Originally posted by Smallwood:
One other thing, hold your form when the bow goes off and don't 'peek' to see where you hit until after the arrow is in the target/deer!    

yep, peeking gets me in trouble all the time with a low shot every time as I start to let my arm drop to see the shot.

[maineac]

Deer are big and exciting.  Heart racing, adrenaline flowing to the brain.  Sometimes that helps focus and sometimes it impedes it.  If you were not getting excited it would not be fun.  You have meat in your freezer.  Enjoy the rush and hopefully you will find the focus returning as you pick your spot and blur out the rest of the deer.It sounds like, as Bowwild commented, you are adding to your problem by thinking about your misses.  Think instead about all the perfect shots you made on 3d deer and focus in.  You know you can make the shot, enjoy the hunt.