My archery career.... of misses (venting/looking for encouragement)

[teej89]

I'm writing this more out of frustration with myself and just trying to get it all out of my head. It's my history of my bow hunting career and as a disclosure: it's going to be lengthy lol but I'm just trying to get this all off my mind and hoping for some words of encouragement.

Anywho... today really irked me because my season so far I've had 3 shots, 2 on yotes at 20yds and 1 at a doe at 20yds. The doe I missed because she spotted me and snorted taking off maybe a half second before I shot(I think i shot in reflex to her taking off cuz I did't expect her to boogey) but both yotes I just outright missed. Nerves got to me and I fugged up. The one I missed toady I was super confident when drawing then he wouldn't stop moving and when he finally did I just rushed the shot. That miss made me think of my past and I've shot at 13 big game animals w/ my bow and have only killed 4 of them. This ratio really bums me out. I started bowhunting in 2002 when I was thirteen years old however I didn't get real serious until maybe two years ago.

My first miss came my first year of bowhunting(13yrs old) when my dad watched a gobbler roost and we snuck up on it at 20yds(may be considered unethical but i was only 13) and i flew one over his back. No other arrows were flung that fall.

The following year(14yrs old) we went on an archery antelope hunt in NE and the first day I had a buck @ 20yds broadside and I shot and hit it in the back leg, LUCKILY hitting the artery and the goat bled out. Later on that fall I stuck a 4pt in the shoulder and w/ 35# draw wt I got no penetration.

Now my third year of bowhunting(15yrs old) I had a shot at a second 4 pt and I shoulder hit and we tracked it and found the arrow and once again found I only had maybe an inch of penetration. A couple weeks later I made a dumb shot on a doe that was basically directly under me, I was desperate for a shot, and ended up outright missing her.

Finally the next year (16yrs old) I had a 3pt at 25yds and double lunged him and he dropped within 60yds of the shot. FINALLY my first whitetail with a bow. Well Later that year I had a doe at 25 yards and it was early light and I misjudged her distance and flew one under her belly.

I didn't have any shots the following year(17yrs old) and 18-21 I didn't archery hunt because I was away at college and I only could get back for gun season.

At 21 years old I came home on a weekend to visit the fam and my dad asked me to go out for an evening hunt. 30 minutes into the hunt a 7pt came thru @ 25yds and I double lunged him and he dropped w/in sight.

The following fall (22yrs old)I was getting serious into bow hunting again and was shooting out to 50yds, my previous max distance being 30yds. Well that year came and I had a shot at a doe in the early season and I drew on her and was at full draw for what felt like a minute cuz she was staring me down from behind a tree and she tried to sneak away but i didn't acct for the extra distance and shot under her. Later that fall was my first Ohio hunt and I never got any shots off.

The next fall(23 yrs old) my dad and I were having a great archery season and had a good year seeing bucks but nothing I wanted to shoot because I've been killing some decent sized bucks with my rifle in rifle season so I was passing up a lot of the smaller ones in bow season. Later that fall was our second time in Ohio and the fifth day of the hunt I had a 130"(biggest deer i've ever seen with a bow) come in at 30yds. I had to grunt to stop him, he was looking right in my direction and to this day I still picture the pin a little high on his body(cuz it was a steep angle shooting down) and right behind the shoulder, it was a done deal. I let the arrow go and he dropped straight to the ground and ducked my arrow.

Last year(24 yrs old) I started to get BAD target panic before the season but the second sit of the year I was able to double lung a doe at 20yds. The rut came and went and I hunted the day after thanksgiving and it was 20MPH wind and EXTREMELY cold. I hunted a random spot on public land that I scouted via topo. WOuldn't you know it I had a doe come feeding in at 10am. I watched her feed towards me for 45minutes till she got in range. She was at 10yds, I drew back and my pin was on her arse and no matter what I did I couldn't get the pin to the vitals and I ended up flinching off the shot and missing her clean.

And then this year at (25 yrs old) you've seen my record 0/1 on does and 0/2 on yotes.

Anywho looking at my past just really bums me out. On the range i'm okay, I even fling some arrows at 60yds and am hitting a 6-8" dia circle. Just kinda feel like I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself and letting myself down. I feel like some of my pressure is I've been killing mature bucks with my gun so I always keep passing on the smaller bucks in archery waiting for that mature buck. Should I maybe take my standards down and get some kills in me for experience? Just like last weekend I had a BB at 20yds feeding/bedded for 30minutes, could have easily shot him but I didn't want to cuz he was a BB.

Really bums me out I've been such an awful shot at crunch time... The only thing I can think of is at least I can only go is up from here. I'm wondering if maybe this winter I should get a shooting coach, get my shooting down then maybe join some leagues so I have some "pressure" when shooting and not just all relaxed like when I'm at the range.

And what else sucks is I live in an apt and can't shoot every day, like i could at my hometown. I have a little 5yd range but my target is just bout shot up and can't trust it to stop my arrows anymore lol I'm going to start making the 30 minute drive to the range every other day tho, as inconvenient as it is, I just need to figure something out...

Fortunately I've had an excellent history in gun and muzzleloader season(knock on wood haven't missed a deer yet) keeping venison in the freezer however I love bowhunting and shooting my bow and there's no way I could ever give up bow hunting.

Sorry for the long vent, hope it wasn't too lame/depressing of a post.

-T.J.

 

[at1010]

Man, I think you just gotta get your mind right! seems like you are over thining getting some panic issues.

Everyone misses deer, has bad shots, etc. I wouldnt suggest lowering your standards on bucks. I would just really try and focus on picking a spot when shooting at a deer.

Have you shot 3d ranges? Shoot at animal targets? where do you aim?

Seems like your thinking a lot about your shots, the one about aiming high due to the angle, then the buck ducked it. I am no pro but when I am confident with my bow, I dont have to think, I draw, place that pin, and let it rip. I think all you need is a pick me up.

Shoot some foam animals, I think that might help! HEAD UP!

Albert

 

[Carpn]

I dunno if your looking for advice ..but if you are ...calm down and take a extra second . When you get critters around you practice drawing and aiming . Little deer , squirrel whatever . It will help.

 

[teej89]

Yeah I've shot 3d but never in leagues mostly by myself or with my dad so no pressure at all. I think I need to focus on picking a spot and not shooting the entire vital area. I am all worked up cuz I feel like I've been bowhunting for 10+ years but in reality I should only consider myself seriously bow hunting for 4 years.

And carpn just kinda blowing off steam and whatever you guys wanna say, advice, share stories or whatever. I'm a sponge to whatever you guys wish to say.

 

[hickslawns]

I have had the same issues in the past. I dong think it is horribly uncommon. Nobody wants to sound a deer, but the best practice is shooting deer. Practice coming to full draw on every deer that comes in. Don't put your finger on the trigger but come to full draw. If at all possible, shoot from an elevated position. Practice bending at the waist. Practicing in live situations is the best you can do. If it means shooting a button buck for the freezer to build your confidence then fill the freezer.

 

[at1010]

Yeah I've shot 3d but never in leagues mostly by myself or with my dad so no pressure at all. I think I need to focus on picking a spot and not shooting the entire vital area. I am all worked up cuz I feel like I've been bowhunting for 10+ years but in reality I should only consider myself seriously bow hunting for 4 years.

And carpn just kinda blowing off steam and whatever you guys wanna say, advice, share stories or whatever. I'm a sponge to whatever you guys wish to say.

I think thats a commom mistake. Tend to just shoot like a gun, put it behind shoulder, and pull. You hear guys says "smoked him" all the time and really they liver shot a deer or worse.

I would suggest watching some videos and watch guys make good shots on deer, visualization can help a lot man! I recently watched Dr. Grant Woods say he always aims at the small white area right above the elbow at the bottom of the deers brisket. If the deer ducks the shot, he puts in int he lungs, if the deer doesnt jump string, he sinks it through the heart.

youll get it together buddy! I have had similar luck in the past! haha

 

[rsmith]

Just remember, if it was easy everyone would/could do it. Keep your head up man. You are thinking way to much about getting target panic I think, you just need to visualize that you are shooting a bag, pretend that the sweet spot right behind the front leg is a bullseye and than focus in even more, pick a spot that may be a little lighter than the rest, or it had dirt on it, or something to help you aim small miss small. Also you may just need to practice your form for shooting from the stand, you need to bend at the waist to get your low lower and not drop your arm. Also you may need to just pick a spot, aim, and let one fly and don't move your arm until you hear that arrow smack him/her. I don't think it is the pressure from there being a deer that is causing you to miss, it is the pressure and fear of missing that you put in yourself that's causing you to miss. Hope you do overcome this target panic, but also I read you aim for the vitals as a whole? You need to aim small miss small my friend, visualize the heart and where it is at, pic that spot and point at it with your pin, than just squeeze it off and hold the pin their till you hear the hit than drop the bow and look, of just look with your eyes and hold the bow their.

 

[Kaiser878]

One thing that has really helped me with target panic was a judo point and shooting at birds in the yard. I was always rock solid on targets....but when it came time to shoot at deer I always had target panic..... so to remedy it I would grab a couple judo points and shoot at birds in the yard. Its different shooting at living animals that u know are gonna move eventually vs shooting at a target that u know isn't going to move.

I also would assume that since u are more than likely rushing your shots, that your anchor probably isnt consistent....

Another thing wizzing judo points will help

 

[woodyw333]

Another thing you can do (believe it or not has worked well for a few friends) is buy a deer target and find a place to hang a stand in the woods, take your dad or a friend out there with you. You climb in the stand and face the tree, have your friend place the target then walk to the base of your tree and tell you to find it and shoot. Not only does it help you range but it also puts you in mind of shooting at a deer in the woods. That is about the best advise I can give you. Perfect practice makes perfect. Good Luck hope your season gets better!!

 

[Diablo54]

Your doing way to much thinking. It should be natural. When that deer comes in you should be instinctively able to be on her and let it fly without thinking about anything.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Your doing way to much thinking. It should be natural. When that deer comes in you should be instinctively able to be on her and let it fly without thinking about anything.

Agreed.

I went through some terrible battles with buck fever growing up. It caused me to miss the first 3 deer I shot at with a gun, and the first I shot at with a bow. Then I got my first kill and I was hooked. There were a few years there after the first kill that I still battled it, but it wasn't as bad. Then in 2005 I started shooting a back tension release and shooting A LOT more. I had my bow tuned by a former world champ and took 2 hours of instruction from him and a former state champ. I went from being an alright shot to taking 3rd place in a league filled with guys who had been shooting way longer than I had. I also did with a bow I bought from Wally World while shooting with 13 Mathews, a Hoyt and a Jennings. It gave me a huge boost of confidence and that translated to my hunting.

In 2006 our deer herd was peaking and I was in my full on Drury Brothers fan boy stage. I was drinking the "slaughter the does" Kool-Aid and started to fill tags like nobody's business. The absolute best way to cure buck fever, kill more deer. I shot 7 deer with a bow from 2006 to my 2008 encounter with my second wall hanger. That hunt happened so fast, I never had time to get nervous. It was the very first time I can recall being on auto-pilot with a deer. Since then every deer I've killed with a bow, I have been on auto-pilot. When I shot my buck in 2012, it was almost an out of body experience. By that point in time, I had shot thousands upon thousands of arrows from my bow and I had 15 or so archery deer under my belt in the 5-6 seasons leading up to that. All that experience taught me that my mind could get in the way if I let it. Through lots of practice both on the range and on live deer, I taught myself how to go on auto-pilot.

One last piece of advice is that you should develop a preshot routine that you can use in the woods. Every time I draw my bow, I say the same thing to myself: "Pin. Bubble. Burn." Pin means pick the right pin and bring it to the target. Bubble means to check my sight bubble to eliminate bow cant. And burn means burn the pin through the target until the arrow has done its job. When I missed that doe on opening day, I was thinking about everything but those three words. "Pin. Bubble. Well there is the blind window. Sit up straighter. Dang, still can't clear it. Maybe. Just put the pin mid-chest; you'll be fine..." And a swing and a miss! Keep you our of your mind and all will be good!

 

[MoonLab]

Hang in there. There's many more year to come. Always think positive. That's what I love about hunting. I made alot of mistake like that in past. I had nobody to show me or teach me about hunting. I learned the best I could on my own. I'm glad I found out about this site from my BIL dustin so I could learn more about hunting. I used to have a apartment and didn't have anywhere to shoot. I used to drive Honda Accord and I would drive all the way up to hueston wood to shoot at the archery range to practice as much as I could. Always remember don't fear the deer, the deer should fear you.

 

[teej89]

Thanks for the input guys! I seriously think it's just in my head when I'm shooting at deer and when I'm trying to shoot small bullseyes on targets. From 60yds I can hit a 6" circle but from 20yds it's difficult to hit a 2" circle. I'm DEFINITELY in my head. And walking outta the woods scouting on sunday a squirrel popped out on the trail. I estimated it at 20yds and tucked the arrow in right behind the shoulder. But then I went home to my block target and was going like 2/5 on a 3" dia circle from 20yds.

I won't be back out for deer w/ a bow till oct 24 so I'm going to use this time to develop a good shot sequence and clear my head a little. That and Milo is taking me under his wing this week and gonna help me out a little, however I think he's only helping me cuz last time I brought a sixer of Jackie-O's lol

Jesse - You said you went to a back tension? I've wondered that... Cuz my target panic last year began when I got a new release and my trigger was so light and I was "afraid" to put my finger on the trigger, causing me to punch the trigger. I got a new release with a heavier spring and I can comfortably get my finger on the trigger but I'm still having issues using back tension to release the bow. I get so far with squeezing my shoulder blades and I just unintentionally squeeze the trigger with my finger. My brain has my shots so timed it's not even funny. This winter I'll be starting back at ground zero re-figuring out my shooting and reprogramming my brain.

 

[bowhunter1023]

If you don't trust your release, you need a different one IMO. Back tension was some of the best $ I ever spent on archery gear. I killed one deer with it and will never hunt with one, but they are great training aids.

Come down to Strouds this weekend and you can try some different releases.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Take this for what it's worth, and I'm sure some will think it's worthless:

Shooting targets is great for developing good form. Shooting 3D is the best practice you can get for picking a spot to hold on a critter. Both are great tools, but when you add the excitement of a real life, moving animal, it can all go out the window instantly. I say this from personal experience. One year, I shot a 30 lb coyote at 38 yards and double lunged it. A few days later, I completely missed a 250lb, 160" whitetail at 19 yards...by 2 feet! It was a painful lesson I should have learned earlier after having missed other "easy" shots. To me, the key to hitting where I want to on a real live animal is to slow myself down enough to actually enjoy seeing that big, beautiful, glowing fiber optic pin resting perfectly on the deer's ribs. If you force yourself to enjoy that scene, you will kill more game, period! It forces you to actually AIM, and you will follow through with the shot. It is hard to get yourself in a position to lay that pin on the side of a deer, enjoy it while it last vs. rushing to get the arrow on it's way. To me, it made all the difference. I wish I had figured it out sooner, hopefully you can shorten your learning curve.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Fantastic advice Brock.

 

[Hortontoter]

I'm thinking live game is a big part of your problem. Excitement is part of the reason we hunt, but controlling this excitement at crunch time is paramount. If you can hit a 3" circle at 20-30 yards you should be able to hit the 7 X 10" vitals of a whitetail at that range. I don't think the release or your "target" shooting skills are your problem. Like Brock said, take your time, soak it in and watch the arrow hit its mark.

 

[teej89]

Take this for what it's worth, and I'm sure some will think it's worthless:

Shooting targets is great for developing good form. Shooting 3D is the best practice you can get for picking a spot to hold on a critter. Both are great tools, but when you add the excitement of a real life, moving animal, it can all go out the window instantly. I say this from personal experience. One year, I shot a 30 lb coyote at 38 yards and double lunged it. A few days later, I completely missed a 250lb, 160" whitetail at 19 yards...by 2 feet! It was a painful lesson I should have learned earlier after having missed other "easy" shots. To me, the key to hitting where I want to on a real live animal is to slow myself down enough to actually enjoy seeing that big, beautiful, glowing fiber optic pin resting perfectly on the deer's ribs. If you force yourself to enjoy that scene, you will kill more game, period! It forces you to actually AIM, and you will follow through with the shot. It is hard to get yourself in a position to lay that pin on the side of a deer, enjoy it while it last vs. rushing to get the arrow on it's way. To me, it made all the difference. I wish I had figured it out sooner, hopefully you can shorten your learning curve.

Dang thanks brock! I really can put that into perspective cuz that BB I had around me last weekend I was drawing back and practicing settling the pin just behind the shoulder and letting it float there. It was fun doing that, i can see how that'd calm you down just "soaking in" that moment.

And I wanted to come down to Strouds but thought I was being forced into going to the OU homecoming till this weekend when the GF said she didn't care if I went with her or not.(she may be testing me, but it's deer season lol) I figured it was too late to join in on strouds... and already arranged plans to hunt in zanesville :-/

but I'm seriously considering a back tension release but not for hunting, just to get myself into the whole releasing w/ back tension and not my trigger finger.

 

[Schu72]

The next fall(23 yrs old) my dad and I were having a great archery season and had a good year seeing bucks but nothing I wanted to shoot because I've been killing some decent sized bucks with my rifle in rifle season so I was passing up a lot of the smaller ones in bow season. Later that fall was our second time in Ohio and the fifth day of the hunt I had a 130"(biggest deer i've ever seen with a bow) come in at 30yds. I had to grunt to stop him, he was looking right in my direction and to this day I still picture the pin a little high on his body(cuz it was a steep angle shooting down) and right behind the shoulder, it was a done deal. I let the arrow go and he dropped straight to the ground and ducked my arrow.

When shooting from an elevated position you should not be aiming high. If anything you should be aiming low. Make sure you bend at the waist and aren't just dropping your front arm.

 

[teej89]

When shooting from an elevated position you should not be aiming high. If anything you should be aiming low. Make sure you bend at the waist and aren't just dropping your front arm.

really? I always thought aim a little high because ignoring the possibility of the deer jumping the string I always thought aim a little high b/c the arrow will enter high and exit low, especially at steep angles.