Bow_Hunter_74338

i was shooting at a doe last year and a got real nervess and made a bad shot and it was only my second deer.and i do not want that to happen again so plz let me know how to stay relax and com

greg-dude

1) Get into some type of simple routine for every shot. Like a 3 step routine---anchor-form check-sight in-release.

2) Get a 3d target and incorporate some realistic shots into your target practice routine. Imagine you are in the woods. Imagine the feeling of the hunt. Imagine the sight of the deer moving towards you. Then get into your routine and take the shot at the 3d target. The better your imagination, the better the practice.

3) Hunt and shoot more at live animals. Squirrels, rabbits, wood chucks, or whatever you have in your area. Remember your routine as you take the shots.

Good luck.

nubo

Greg is on the right track when it comes to routine when drawing and setting up on your target or animal ,pay most of your attention on your set-up .When it comes down to the animal take deep breath's to help you relax ,this work's for me . I get alittle jittery when i first see the animal and that's when i take my deep breath's and it relax's me for the shot .As a new hunter which I'm taking it that you are, so this is natural for you to feel this way.

nubo

Legacy357

i did the same thing this year. it was the first deer i have really seen while on stand and i was def going to shoot. made a bad shot but got the deer. i was shaking like crazy and normally i am pretty good. well later in the season, i shot my 9 point and it was like second nature, like i had already had my warm up on the doe. i perfectly took off my gloves, turned around, drew, stopped him in my lane and let the arrow go. perfect hit this time. after the shot on him, i really started to shake(post shot shakes) but it didnt matter cause he would soon be on the ground

Deerslayer_37

normally during gun hunting im pretty automatic, and i go into auto pilot mode as i take the shot. most of the time i dont remember working the bolt. bowhunting was alot different for me. When i hit my first buck, i almost fell out of my stand trying to climb down i was shaking so bad. i always try and breath. dont drink caffinated products before the hunt, they give the jitters even worse. Dont concentrate on the antlers if its a buck. Just keep your eye behind the front shoulder and breath.

slayer

DoubleLung55

After u make sure its a shooter , dont look at anything but the spot behind the shoulder , not the rack , not the whole thing , not the other deer , jsut the makr ur aiming at for the shot.... And NEVER look at its eyes , they seems to bust you sooooo much faster if u stare at them...alot of times if i se its on its way to a lane , i jsut look around at other stuff until i know its close , and pretend it isnt there , then draw , aim at the MARK , and let fly!!!

Matt / PA

This will sound silly but for years I had a sticker on my upper limb (I think PSE was distributing them) that said "Stay Calm, Pick a Spot" .
It was right on the face of my upper limb staring at me anytime I had my bow in my hands.........you couldn't help but read the words.
Blanking out and shooting at the whole animal is a real problem when you are nervous, and a reminder to relax and AIM is a help.

The nerves will settle down with experience........I remember some of my first encounters wondering if I was having a heart attack.[:-]

For a while, force yourself to concentrate on the mechanics of the shot.......as soon as you know you are going to get a shot don't come unglued, start to immediately think about how and where you will place that arrow.
Stop the animal if necessary with a soft mouth bleat and bear down.

Also. Do not blank out AFTER the shot! Keep it under control long enough to understand where the animal was hit (if possible) and watch it carefully as it runs out of sight. How it ran, body language and carefully mark in your head an easy landmark where you last saw the animal.......something you can find from the ground.
What happens AFTER the shot and your nerves is every bit as important as what happens BEFORE the shot to help in a successful recovery.

thenuge15

I like getting nervous..thats half the fun.

nubo

Bow_Hunter! sorry I forgot to welcome you to the forum ,it's a great place to hang out when your not in the field .There are a lot off great people in here and all are willing to help you out ,you find this out the more you visit. Anyway's welcome aboard and have fun this season.

nubo

Bob H in NH

One thing I noticed about myself, is that if I draw when they are in great shooting position, I am very nervous and rush. If I draw when I have to wait, I do MUCH better. Probably due to forcing myself to aim, I keep the pin on where I want to hit and concentrate on the exact spot to hit em. when I have to wait for them to turn a bit, step out, etc, while at full draw, it seems to drop me back into my normal shooting style and it goes much better. If the second I come to full draw everything is perfect I rush which is bad.

However, if I ever get where I am not hearing my heart pound in my ears, not shaking, not nervous, then I will stop.

--Bob