How do you instill confidence in yourself?

[TeeBugg]

After a pretty crappy first few weeks of getting busted and missing...i found myself pondering in the stand today. Basically how do i pick myself up after all that? Ive never had a season start off so rough before and im hoping its not a trend. Getting pressure from home as my gf's family had all filled tags. She suggested i should let them help me....as if i i needed a guide or someone to hold my hand. So how would you put yourself back on the saddle? Im confident in my equipment but just tough to clear my brain of all the crap so far lol

[nybuckboy]

TeeBugg - Every hunt is different and there are no 2 the same. The rest of your family may have just been lucky. Luck has a lot to do with it sometimes anyway. If they had been in your shoes the same thing may have happened.

Sometimes the deer is right there but a branch or tree is in the way of the vitals. You wait and then the deer turns 90% and is gone or they are just out of reach or the deer is right under you. Or another deer comes on the scene and then the deer you thought you were gonna kill changes direction and you never get the shot.

I've been bow hunting about 12 years and have messed up at least a half-dozen times since and anyone who has bow hunted for a few years has done the same thing one way or another a few times themselves.

This isn't point and click like it is with a scoped rifle. This takes patience, a lot of hours in the stand (generally)and sometimes everything just needs to align for it all to take place. They don't call the "the elusive whitetail deer" for nothing.

Why not tell your self you are gonna go spend some time in the woods and if it all comes together then it will and was meant to be. Enjoy!

[MACHINIST]

Listen to her,Some years are different than others and a tactic works better than others.Once you get in a rut it can really take some time to get out of it.WHen I get in a bit of a rut I grab the shotgun or 22 and go whack some squirels just to have some fun and see some different territory.I also listen to others that hunt near me as they may or may not know how to help.All it takes is one good tip or day and your season will turn around.I had one year that everyone but me were seeing deer,that yearI only saw 9 deer(I hunt my butt off and most years I have hunted 30-40 days out of the season),no matter what I did or didn't do that year sucked.To this day it is another guys best year hunting the same farm I do.Once muzzleloader season came in I went with a friend to some state land and nailed 2 doe on 2 different days and it made the rest of the year worth it.Keep your head held high,it will get better!!

[TeeBugg]

Its more or less she thinks if i hunt with her family im guaranteed a deer. Told her it doesnt happen like that. They have 100's of acres and trail cams and foodplots. Told her they have those deer patterned real good. Either way my head is held high. Just getting a touch frustrating is all. But i keep telling myself if hunting was easy everyone would do it. Tomorow morning im going to just enjoy being in the woods and get back to why i started hunting. Love the outdoors and every minute i spend in it is awesome.

[pewlodar]

Relax. It just hunting. No reason to out think yourself.

[132 eight pointer]

I shoot my bow to remind myself I can hit where I am aiming then I just keep trying and don't give up.Don't let the negative thoughts win in your head.Tell yourself I know I can do this.When a deer presents itself think about each step before you do it.Such as attach the release,slowly draw the bow when the deer steps behind a tree,use the 20 yd. pin and so on.This is what I do and I usually miss a deer every year before I connect.I know what you are saying and the best way to have confidence is to get back out there and let what happened yesterday be in the past.I shot over a doe last weekend because I misjudged the yardage,today I had my rangefinder with me.Hope this helps.

[shawnhu]

There's more important things in life than hunting. For example, you can role play with her. Have her be the doe and you can be the buck. Tell her you're in a rut and need to mount her.

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[Lawdwaz]

After a pretty crappy first few weeks of getting busted and missing...i found myself pondering in the stand today. Basically how do i pick myself up after all that? Ive never had a season start off so rough before and im hoping its not a trend. Getting pressure from home as my gf's family had all filled tags. She suggested i should let them help me....as if i i needed a guide or someone to hold my hand. So how would you put yourself back on the saddle? Im confident in my equipment but just tough to clear my brain of all the crap so far lol

 

Hell, you only have FOUR more weeks before gun opens.  Don't sweat it.......................

 

 

The GOOD stuff doesn't even start for a week, IMO.

 

[crappyice]

Bring along some small game tips and whack some squirrels with the bow...If you get the feeling of drawing on a live target and have success without the pressure f killing a deer it may just reinstall the confidence necessary to seal the deal. And if it doesn't happen, SO WHAT! It is only hunting (supposed to be pleasurable right?) like others have said.

[Waldershrek]

There's more important things in life than hunting. For example, you can role play with her. Have her be the doe and you can be the buck. Tell her you're in a rut and need to mount her.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

 

[newbee]

Every one would tag out if they had 100's of acres food plots and pattern the deer on their property via trail cams-

I've gone years eating tag soup hunting public land - it's just the way it is- but a bad day hunting beats any day working or loafing

[fasteddie]

Every one would tag out if they had 100's of acres food plots and pattern the deer on their property via trail cams-

I've gone years eating tag soup hunting public land - it's just the way it is- but a bad day hunting beats any day working or loafing

 

I'll buy that !

[ny hunter]

Hey this is supposed to be fun don't sweat it relax and enjoy.Its not supposed to cause more stress.I  f you don't tag out BIG DEAL.....Who cares just be happy to be out there.the wife only made a suggestion don't beat your self up .

[TeeBugg]

Hey this is supposed to be fun don't sweat it relax and enjoy.Its not supposed to cause more stress.I f you don't tag out BIG DEAL.....Who cares just be happy to be out there.the wife only made a suggestion don't beat your self up .

It wasnt a suggestion unfortunately. Shes literally angry at me lol. Oh well im gonna enjoy my time in the woods. People dont like it too bad!

[shawnhu]

It wasnt a suggestion unfortunately. Shes literally angry at me lol. Oh well im gonna enjoy my time in the woods. People dont like it too bad!

I guess that role playing suggestion isn't going to work, is it?

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

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[TeeBugg]

Haha! Probably not. I gave props to her family and mentioned that hunting is alot of luck. Ill get one it just wasnt today or yesterday.

[irish_redneck]

Why not take advantage of their acres , plots and time spent patterning. Go whack a doe, get her off your case. Then carry on.

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[Kot2B]

Tag out in the first two weeks and not get to enjoy the rest of the season, no thanks. Enjoy the time out there and tell them you're in no hurry. We wait all year for the season, sounds like they are itching to get back out with you since they cut theirs so short.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Just keep hunting and pushing on. Whats happen happen in real life people miss. I missed the biggest buck I ever took a shot at lol go figure right, but hey it never made me doubt myself. Keep hunting, shoot a big one and you will be right back on top !!

Edited October 20, 2013 by HuntOrBeHunted

[jjb4900]

take some time off and relax, especially if you've been missing deer and getting busted in the same spots...........let them air out for a week or so. If your gf's family is offering to let you hunt on their land, why not?

[PostedBoys Gallego]

Just out of curiosity, how long have you been hunting in your life. Not sure if you just started or been at it for years but its never the same every year. Like others said, just enjoy and have fun. Don't let there be pressure. I found myself guilty of this and took this weekend off to relax. We wait all year for this, dont let pressure of wanting to get something right away cause others have spoil your enjoyment of hunting. Hunting is seperate from killing. It will happen when it happens, and if not, oh well as least you'll have a great time regardless. Not everybody gets a deer with bow every single year, but don't let that ruin it for you.

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[irish_redneck]

Sounds pretty much like I did on year two or three.

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[irish_redneck]

It can be really really frustrating. But incredibly rewarding when everything comes together. Feeds some built in caveman urge to get close to your prey.

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[Renegade Hunter]

That's the beauty of hunting. I have only had one deer come into range so far this year. It makes it that much more rewarding when everything plays out. Gets your blood pumping. Makes all the miserable days disappear.

[phade]

a season can go from bad to great in ten seconds. one encounter.