just developed a new PRE-SHOT ROUTINE...CHECK IT OUT!!

[regulat0r]

so I was in my back yard shooting today and I was trying to develop a pre shot routine that I could remember and follow before I take a real shot in the woods. I feel that most missed/poor shots are due to forgetting the basics in the heat of the moment. I developed a checklist that is easy to remember and I will follow in order before I shoot at a deer. check it out...I call it the 4 P's...

 

1-Pull (draw back the bow)

2-Point (find my anchor point and set it)

3-Pinky (reminds me to take my pinky off the grip and not squeeze tight)

4-Peep (look through the sight and line up my shot)

**relax and SHOOT**

 

I practiced the steps in order today before each shot at various angles/distances. Each shot...pull-point-pinky-peep-SHOOT.

 

I am going to practice this routine each day until Oct 1st and hopefully by then it will be natural so I can do in when it matters!

 

 

[deerpassion]

To each his own .... Whatever gets er done .... Used to practice like that first couple years , got to a point where I was concentrating on all that n things would fall by the wayside in the heat of the moment like looking ahead at multiple shot openings relative to his route and possible preranged yardages... Now I practice like , oh there's a deer, how far is he , and concentrating on a spot as I draw letting the bow come up naturally and boom... I do that enough during practice and its automatic in the field ... I would say for me the only thing that goes through my head as I draw on a live deer is how far is he , reciting 20 , 30 etc in my head ... Definitely helps dull the nerves and insure I get the right pin on em ... Be interested to hear what others have to say about what goes through there mind in the heat of the moment to keep it together... Cause we all know its useless to try n breath n keep ur heart from beaten outa ur neck lol... 24 more days !!!!!!

[A Sportsman]

I'm just getting over a case of target panic. Spent a month just drawing the bow, but not releasing. Sorta reworrking my routine. I understand the need to keep that routine at the forfront of your brain as you shoot. Even now as I've started actually shooting I can feel my panic creep In when I am not focusing. The things I think about is drawing over target,anchoring, coming down onto bullseye, and pausing just a second or two on the bull before releasing. When the panic gets the better of me I tend to release as the pin is coming across bull instead of holding on it.

[NFA-ADK]

Just make sure you keep good form and don't over do it, that usually causes bad form and habits.  If you can keep good form and do those steps it should help.  I have been shooting for about a month and a half or so and feel like I started late but I try to shoot most of the year except for Jan-March.  I was injured this year causing my delay in practice...  I try not to shoot 2 days in a row that helps me keep good form and strength.  When I start to tire I stop.

 

Good luck hope you are all set come opening day!

[Arrow Flinger]

I'm just getting over a case of target panic. Spent a month just drawing the bow, but not releasing. Sorta reworrking my routine. I understand the need to keep that routine at the forfront of your brain as you shoot. Even now as I've started actually shooting I can feel my panic creep In when I am not focusing. The things I think about is drawing over target,anchoring, coming down onto bullseye, and pausing just a second or two on the bull before releasing. When the panic gets the better of me I tend to release as the pin is coming across bull instead of holding on it.

Try shooting stricty at a 3D target. Sometimes those bullseyes can make your mind whack right out!!

[Renegade Hunter]

 

 

This is a buck my Uncle's buddy killed behind my house this year. I had a chance at him during bow season in wide open hardwoods. I remember the thoughts going through my head..... "Wow that's a big deer... Holy S%$t that's a buck!.... Holy hell... I'm about to shoot a dam Giant...." I was shaking all over and losing my mind. I picked a lane and began to draw back. As soon as I put tension on the string the arrow went flying. I looked down expecting my loop to be busted and found nothing. There he goes. Walking away.... I still don't know if it was nerves and I accidentally hit the release or if my glove got caught on it... Live and Learn I suppose. Maybe I should try your routine to calm the nerves a bit.

 

[NFA-ADK]

July -September should be minimum shooting practice IMO.  Shooting every other day will give enough time to get the motion down pat, along with good form the confidence building is what I count on.  I will only shoot at distances I can hit the heart, that can range from 30 yards to about 60 + when my form is perfect.  With the exception of a defective release I am replacing today, I never have an issue with releasing early.  Just like shooting the gun the more you do it the more shooting becomes second hand and the other aspects of hunting can be focused on.  

 

EX: Proper breathing when the time to shoot is picked and figuring distance and pin placement for a perfect shot, this takes my mind off the deer and on the best shot.  Once you determine that you will shoot concentrate on those steps, breathing and pin placement, don't worry about antlers or size, you will see that hopefully up close... 

 

I agree 100% with shooting at 3d vs paper.  I never get target panic on 3D yet paper causes me to shoot left just before getting onto the bull.

[deerpassion]

 

 

 

This is a buck my Uncle's buddy killed behind my house this year. I had a chance at him during bow season in wide open hardwoods. I remember the thoughts going through my head..... "Wow that's a big deer... Holy S%$t that's a buck!.... Holy hell... I'm about to shoot a dam Giant...." I was shaking all over and losing my mind. I picked a lane and began to draw back. As soon as I put tension on the string the arrow went flying. I looked down expecting my loop to be busted and found nothing. There he goes. Walking away.... I still don't know if it was nerves and I accidentally hit the release or if my glove got caught on it... Live and Learn I suppose. Maybe I should try your routine to calm the nerves a bit.

 

i've had that happen a few time in practice, sometimes its just a matter of the calipers closing all the way and not actually hitting the trigger prematurely which may happen if you are releasing tension on the trigger to close the release on the dloop but you have a little bit of backwards tension on the release while doing so...     I've made it a habit to hook the release and move the calipers forward slightly away from the loop so they are 100 % closed....    I can totally see you having a panic attack with that dear coming in and hooked up the release not realizing the slight tension at the time... who knows its a possibility, the crazy things they make us do lol 

 

[Jeremy K]

Every time i think i may get a shot with the bow while hunting , my heart starts pounding so hard , no matter what size deer it is , anybody have a way to practice under those circumstances ?

[jjb4900]

Every time i think i may get a shot with the bow while hunting , my heart starts pounding so hard , no matter what size deer it is , anybody have a way to practice under those circumstances ?

That's what's supposed to happen.............I don't think there's anyway to reproduce it during target practice, even if you get your heart rate up by running or some type of excercise before the shot, you can never reproduce the mental portion of "buck fever". Took me the longest time to be able to control it, I used to just fall apart.

[Jeremy K]

That's what's supposed to happen.............I don't think there's anyway to reproduce it during target practice, even if you get your heart rate up by running or some type of excercise before the shot, you can never reproduce the mental portion of "buck fever". Took me the longest time to be able to control it, I used to just fall apart.

 

I figure when i stop getting that feeling it will be time to think about not hunting anymore.

 

[Geno C]

 

 

 

This is a buck my Uncle's buddy killed behind my house this year. I had a chance at him during bow season in wide open hardwoods. I remember the thoughts going through my head..... "Wow that's a big deer... Holy S%$t that's a buck!.... Holy hell... I'm about to shoot a dam Giant...." I was shaking all over and losing my mind. I picked a lane and began to draw back. As soon as I put tension on the string the arrow went flying. I looked down expecting my loop to be busted and found nothing. There he goes. Walking away.... I still don't know if it was nerves and I accidentally hit the release or if my glove got caught on it... Live and Learn I suppose. Maybe I should try your routine to calm the nerves a bit.

 

a lot of guys see the deer as being down, dead on the wall before they even release the arrow... nerves get the best of you. its happened to the best of us

[jjb4900]

a lot of guys see the deer as being down, dead on the wall before they even release the arrow... nerves get the best of you. its happened to the best of us

I think lack of confidence can cause more problems, at least for me it did, instead of visualizing how I was gonna make a killing shot I would think of all the ways I could mess it up......

[deerpassion]

a lot of guys see the deer as being down, dead on the wall before they even release the arrow... nerves get the best of you. its happened to the best of us

That's a great point, chuck Adams says when he's gettin ready for the shot he says to himself "it's probly not gonna work out" so he doesn't get cocky n fudge it up! I've taken those words of wisdom seriously !

[jjb4900]

and yes, developing a mental checklist will definitely help you out....

[Renegade Hunter]

The thing is, I am very confident with my bow. It isn't uncommon for me to smack my arrows together at 20 yards. 30 I am even pretty close. Have been shooting the bow all summer at the 3D bow shoots..... But when the deer start coming in, that heart just pounds away. I love the rush of bow hunting.

[jjb4900]

The thing is, I am very confident with my bow. It isn't uncommon for me to smack my arrows together at 20 yards. 30 I am even pretty close. Have been shooting the bow all summer at the 3D bow shoots..... But when the deer start coming in, that heart just pounds away. I love the rush of bow hunting.

I was always confident shooting targets....when a deer cam in, that's when my confidence went out the window.

[Nomad]

For me things often happen so fast, its draw, place pin,whack. I seldom have to think about anchor point, back tension and so on. I kinda like it that way .

Good luck.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Good for you regulat0r. Hope it works out for you.

[Geno C]

I think lack of confidence can cause more problems, at least for me it did, instead of visualizing how I was gonna make a killing shot I would think of all the ways I could mess it up......

 

 

i agree that lack of confidence can kill you for sure... BUT you would be surprised how bad over confidence will get you. the old saying, dont count your chickens just yet. some guys myself included are already thinking of what they are texting their buddies before they even release the arrow which may ring some volume for me as to why i put myself on nice deer but cant seem to close the deal. so weird lol

 

 

no expectations this year, the deer is not dead until i have my hands on it.

[A Sportsman]

Geno, you are ABSOLUTELY right about that.  I too have fallen victim a few times, both gun and bow.  The moment you think you start thinking about the deer being dead, before even shooting, its the kiss of death.

 

One of the things I started telling myself whenever I have an ecounter with a deer that I intend to shoot is "that deer isn;t even close to dead yet".  I try to repeat the phrase to myself as everything is unfolding.  Instead of my brain thinking about the mount, it helps me actively look for that "odd branch", or try to have an answer for the various ways the situation can play out, when to draw, etc.

 

 

Buck fever is a funny thing with me.  Sometimes it can really get me, with the shaking, other times I'm pretty collected.  When it comes to the actual shot, I've don;t think I ever fouled it up directly due to buck fever.  A myriad of other reasons, yes.

[growalot]

 

Every time i think i may get a shot with the bow while hunting , my heart starts pounding so hard , no matter what size deer it is , anybody have a way to practice under those circumstances ?

 

To get my heart and breathing rate up...when practicing from a stand I take 3 arrows...will shoot at different ranges until I feel ABSOLUTELY dead on then move the target.....with three arrows and all that climbing and descending ...my heart and breathing get a work out....then again....I have to have knee surgery now...LOL....I does force you to concentrate though....