Help me take my time!!!
 

I have a problem with rushing shots. I tell myself over and over to take my time and when the moment of truth comes, I totally forget to. This has caused me to miss a shot on a buck this year. I have been telling myself over and over to take my time. Tonight I had some turkeys come in and rushed the shot again. I'm not a bad shot, I practice from a treestand, and I've shot in the high 280s at 3d courses. I just can't seem to take my time!!! Please help me with any methods that you know of.

Thanks-Sam

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

Pust a Sticker on your upper Limb that says DONT RUSH THE SHOT.. and look at it when your getting ready to draw your bow..

I did that before..

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

I always try to act like im target shooting. When the time comes I just say to myself "Just like practice". But if you havent shot a deer or animal yet with the bow your probally getting a lil excited. Just breath and its just like practice.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

I take a few nice big breaths when i see him coming, Tell my self to pick a spot bend at the waist. I may say this to myself many times before the shot actually takes place. Seems to work for me!

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

thenuge,

I've been there too. I can shoot a 3D fairly good, but on a live animal, I've forgotten everything at times. When that deer comes through, just keep telling yourself to aim, aim, aim. Also, it kind of helped me by (this may sound silly), but drawing and holding on a squirrel. A squirrel is fidgety and can move at anytime like a deer. Once I realized I had more time to aim, I calmed down more on a deer. So far this year, 3 shots with a bow, 3 dead deer.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

I have shot 8 deer and two of them have been with a bow. I guess I'll just try to make myself remember to think about the shot. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon, because its getting frustrating.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

I understand what you mean, I am the same way and it does get frustrating.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

I have a switch in my brain that I flip once the bow is drawn and anchored. I go from juttery and excited to post oak. What I'm thinking is that aim small miss small thought. Forget about the animal and look at where the arrow is going to exit. You can fill your pants after you shoot and loose sight of the animal.

All it really takes is one good screw-up that makes for a long track or a lost deer and you will learn to flip your switch. That is the hard way but probably pretty close to the truth.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

When I missed that buck earlier this year I thought if I just told myself to take my time before the shot that it would help. Now after shooting at the turkeys I realize that I'm going to have to have some sort of procedure that I can walk myself through as I'm about to shoot the animal, not before. Thanks for you guys help it really helped me think about the situation.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

I aways try to focus on a small spot on the deer. And try not to take my eye`s off of it! I try not to look at the whole deer it self. Also if you can? Try to practice on 3-D targets. And pretend every shot is the real thing! This kind of practice can be a big help When the real thing comes along.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

I feel for you nuge........I had some bad target panic at the beginning of this season. Like you, I do well at the 3D range, but put meat in front of me and I waws falling to pieces. The last deer I shot I looked at the horizon before I drew. It calmed me down a little and helped my form in that I drew horizontally, then bent at the waist - something you're supposed to do from a treestand. Looking at the horizon had a dual positive effect for me.

Good luck.

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

Say this 3 times before you draw:
"Pins and needles...needles and pins it's a happy man that grins":D

RE: Help me take my time!!!
 

this may sound silly, but start telling yourself there's no way you're taking the shot. its the same method i use to jump into icy cold swimming holes up here - "There's no possible way i'm getting in that water." i say that to myself even as i'm jumping and my body doesn't freak out. so maybe saying " there's no possible way i'm taking this shot." with your brain and body 'tricked' you'll do things just like in practice. works for me, but i'm a sucker for reverse psychology.