ive hunted all my life with my dad ... i just recently got into bowhunting and absolutely fell in love ... but every time that m

[bowhunter123]

ive hunted all my life with my dad ... i just recently got into bowhunting and absolutely fell in love ... but every time that moment of truth comes to shoot at a deer with my bow ... i miss because im so over excited with buck fever ... how should i handle this issue ???

[Jim in Mo]

Imagine yourself target practising. Do not look at the entire deer. Pick out a spot on his/her body where you want the arrow to go and don't take you eye off it. Visualize your draw, your release and your arrow striking the spot you've picked out.

[T]

Try to calm down and focus on something else then the rack or whatever it is that excites you. Stay focused and confident. - Good luck in your future.

[buckhunter]

HA HA HA. Goodluck getting over that. I have over 100 big game bow kills and still go brain dead when I come fulldraw. The best thing to do is practice, practice and practice some more so shooting will become second nature. I rarely remember the shot after a kill but rarely miss. Practicing on the range is good but range target don't move. I stay sharp year around shooting groundhogs, squirrels and so forth. Early on in my shooting I would count my set points on my face prior to the release. 1 , knuckle behind the ear, 2, string on the nose, 3 point arrow at deer,4, put pin on target, 5 release arrow. It's all automatic now.

If you are using a peep sight (I don't) still try to shoot with both eyes open. You need both eyes open to determine distance. Good luck with your bowhunting.

[mdhager115]

I had the same problem. Just picture the deer as a target, not a deer, take your time.

[mdhager115]

And dont stare at the rack if its a buck!

[Del in KS]

All of the above is good advice. I still get excited but haven't missed in 2 years now. Think about the shot not the deer, pick a spot. Shoot a bow that you can hold at full draw a long time. Draw early when you see a deer coming. Shoot when he hits and opening. It took me many chances to remember to mouth grunt to stop him where I want him for the shot. Just a little "EERP" is all I say. It has never failed to work. Then I plant an arrow with a Rage 2 blade behind the shoulder and most of them fall in sight. Eight deer in last 3 seasons. Only 1 miss arrow hit a twig.

[Walt Smith]

When you stop getting excited thats when you hang up your bow. Oh, don't look at the rack, try to draw when they're not looking, and concentrate on a single spot, not the whole deer. After you hit one and you pay attention to where it ran, sit there for at least 10 minutes because if you were shaking before hand you really can't function afterward.

[Golfing Sportsman]

The key isn't to eliminate nerves it's to learn how to control them. Join an archery league or shoot in 3d competitions, the nerves, stress excitement of winning or losing your match will teach you how to deal with those same feelings in the woods. Like walt smith said if you don't get excited you should give it up, you just need to learn how to deal with the excitement.

[CPT BRAD]

Find targets that are life size pictures of big bucks. Shoot at those from hunting conditions. Stand, blind, whatever remember Aim small miss small, Aim big miss big! you also need to shoot at angles if you tree stand hunt then shoot from normal height. Also when you are in the stand CLEARLY mark your distances in at least 180 degree circle. Rocks, broke branches, even stick stuck in the ground will be recognizable to you but not the deer. Use your sites, that's what they're for. Remember to make you practice as real as possible by life size targes and tree stands, practice practice practice, and when your in the stand eliminate all the variables.

[pumakitchen]

I don't know if you are shooting from a treestand or not. But if you are make sure you practice from a tree stand. I would also try and shoot a doe for you first animal(if its legal where you hunt) it might help you get rid of those first bow kill jitters. One problems I had when I first started was judging distances. Deer look alot bigger and closer when they are alive. Make sure you know your distances.

[bonnier-admin_2]

It’s like walking a tight rope, tell that little voice in the back of your head to shut up, remember to breath and look away occasionally to get your composure back.

[willkillsdeer]

trace your pin up the backside of the deers front leg pick a spot behind the shoulder and shoot even when target shooting consitaccy=accuurciey DON'T LOOK AT THE HORNS!!!!!!!

[Sharkfin]

All of the above is good advice. One thing that used to get me was trying to see the shot hit the deer. I did the same thing with my rifle and I started doing it after years of hunting and taking many deer. For some reason I started lifting my head to see the deer react and I was missing. When I started bow hunting I was doing the same thing. I had to stop thinking about what happened after the shot and just concentrate on making the shot. I don't know if you start shaking when you are at full draw but something that I've heard helps with that is holding at full draw on an animal with no intention of shooting. When I'm hunting and I see a doe I don't intend to shoot I sometimes draw my bow and hold ready to shoot then just let the deer walk. I've taken two bucks this way. I saw a doe, drew, held on her knowing I was not going to release then a buck walked out right behind her. This helps your head deal with what your body is trying to do. I'd like to know what you recall when you miss. Are you shaking, do you miss high or low or do you shoot in front or behind the deer? One other thing to remember is to keep your bow hand relaxed at the grip. Holding the grip tight puts torqe on the bow and can cause arrows to do funny things.

[summit229]

Sharkfin, I'm sure your intention is to help the young hunter, and I don't mean to be critical here, but I think you should have mentioned that you should never draw a bow (or aim a rifle) at anything you are not WILLING to kill. The key word here being WILLING, not NOT INTENDING. I have had game animals in my sights before and not taken the shot, but you must always be willing to take the consequences if Murphy decides to make his presence known. A couple questions he may want to ask himself before drawing might be, Do I have a doe permit in my pocket? Am I willing to cut short my hunting trip if I tag out on a doe? Lots of animals AND PEOPLE have been shot by other people who did not INTEND to shoot them. Just make sure you are WILLING before you draw or aim.