Target Panic - Any solutions???

[5.9cummins]

Well i did it again tonight. Another shot and no deer - hopefully i find him tomorrow.

As far as i can figure i got a bad case of target panic. I have no issues at any reasonable yardage in the back yard or picking an object of unknown yardage and hitting it.

Put a deer in front of me and I fall apart.

The next time i draw down on a deer i will be forcing my self to go supper slow no mater what. I got to get this under control.

Anyone got any other solutions?

[fasteddie]

Just tell yourself " it's only a target and relax " . Concentrate on a spot on the deer and shoot .

[First-light]

I find myself having the same problems. The more time I have the worse off I get. Good advice eddie.

[SteveNY]

Buck fever? I have it bad... Missed a few deer cause of it. I found that controlling your breathing helps, take deep breaths and try to relax. Talk to yourself in your head and calm down. Celebrate after you make a quality shot.

[Chrishunter]

The best input I could give is that the next time you are practicing with your bow, try shooting from all different positions if possible. Shoot while sitting, standing, kneeling, or even pivoting your body. That could help with accuracy. Make sure when you are taking a shot at a deer that you are not trying to see where the arrow hits, just focus on aiming and your followthrough. I have missed many deer with the bow, and I think its because I was trying to see where the arrow hits before I even completed my shot. (if that makes any sense) As far as the adrenalin rush when a deer walks out, that probably will never go away...Chris

[5.9cummins]

I find myself having the same problems. The more time I have the worse off I get. Good advice eddie.

That's just it my shot tonight i didn't have time. From the time i first caught a glimpse of the deer to the time i pulled the release it was tops 30 seconds. Probably was half that in reality. I spotted him, moved, drew, grunted shot. I wasn't thinking i was going off of pure instinct. Normally I think that benefits me.

[5.9cummins]

Buck fever? I have it bad... Missed a few deer cause of it. I found that controlling your breathing helps, take deep breaths and try to relax. Talk to yourself in your head and calm down. Celebrate after you make a quality shot.

Its not just bucks its does as well. Normally once i decide to shoot all i am trying to do is pick my spot. I caught a glimpse of rack and new it wasn't a little guy so my mind went on auto pilot from that point. I just don't think i am picking my spot.

[5.9cummins]

The best input I could give is that the next time you are practicing with your bow, try shooting from all different positions if possible. Shoot while sitting, standing, kneeling, or even pivoting your body. That could help with accuracy. Make sure when you are taking a shot at a deer that you are not trying to see where the arrow hits, just focus on aiming and your followthrough. I have missed many deer with the bow, and I think its because I was trying to see where the arrow hits before I even completed my shot. (if that makes any sense) As far as the adrenalin rush when a deer walks out, that probably will never go away...Chris

I do on a normal basis - standing, Kneeling, elevated platform, out of my tree saddle, awkward angles and even use my kids swing set as a "shoot threw" to try and simulate limbs and have obstacles to clear.

[wooly]

Soon as you kill one it will go away on its own. I'm suffering through my 3'rd year of it. You're not alone!

[Jeremy_K]

I've been plagued with this for years. One thing I've done the last couple years is to spend some time just watching deer. I've been letting tons of deer go during the past 2 archery seasons. You'd be amazed at just how much time you usually have to make decisions and plan out shots. I was in a natural ground blind the last 2 weekends and had deer within 15 yards of me munching on apples for 10-20 minutes. I sat there and thought of how many shot opportunities I would have. Play the wind right and sit still and you will have more time then you would think when they're in the red zone. If you have a range finder you can pre-range some trees and landmarks around you so if the deer is standing there you already know the range. I think most of buck fever is making hurried shots.

[MuzzyLoader]

For my Target Panic I purchased a new sight. I went from .029" pins to .019 - make a HUGE difference for me!

[wdswtr]

For my Target Panic I purchased a new sight. I went from .029" pins to .019 - make a HUGE difference for me!

Now I am thinking the opposite. I have 19's and want to go to 29's again. The damn fiber optics break way to easy and I find it hard to focus in on the 19's and a spot on the deer. I have the same issue this year for some reason and you guys are not alone. I cant explain whats going on but I have launched 3 arrows 2 missed and a high hit buck that I tracked walked grids and even brought the dogs out with no luck. Never found the arrow either. I can tell you what I have done in the past that cured me of this the last time I had these problems, which Im going to revert back too. I think whats going on is panic shooting, taking the first available kill shot. Once I got away from doing that and settling down a bit I found that the first opportunity isnt always the best one. If you dont have time to pick a spot raise the bow, draw, anchor, make sure your form is right and settle the pin on the spot its a panic shot. To remind me off all this,especially bend at the waist when in a high stand, is I put a round orange sticker on the upper limb above my site. Sounds funny but as soon as I seen it, it reminded me to settle down and focus. Guess I have to put one on the bow this year, thought I was over this a few years ago lol. Now just got to remember where I put the stickers.

Edited October 31, 2011 by wdswtr

[erussell]

I find that not looking at the deer and looking at there feet helps alot once I have decided it a shooter. I draw on the leg and move up to where I want to hit. As long as I guess the yrdg right and follow through on the shot my kills increase. I taught this to my Dad who regularly use to fall apart while shooting doe even. And he started picking off a few more deer, though he has sudden cases of replapse sometimes. I rattled in a buck for him one time and it came barreling in. He couldnt even pull back his 60 lbs bow he lost it so bad.

[sits in trees]

it's all in the mind soldier, SLAP! SLAP!!! now get out there and complete yer mission!

[hunterjohn]

5.9cummins i like to pick a dark hair that way you are focused on the "pocket" and you actually follow through with your shot. i have the same thing happen to me a few years ago.

[Deerthug]

Oh good. I thought it was just me having the same problem. Level ground I'm dead on with my target. But once I get into the treestand I either shoot over or just under. I tell myself to calm down and pick your spot, bend at the waist but still no deer. Im going on three years too.

[Doewhacker]

I have a question for you 5.9, how many have you killed with the bow? Some times it just takes repeated exposer to figure it all out, and once you do it gets easier with every deer. Took me about 4-5 with the bow before I started figuring it out, now I have got a dozen under my belt its alot easier than it used to be.

[fasteddie]

This isn't the same as 5.9 cummins situation but here goes .

When gun hunting with the shotgun , I had caught myself flinching when shooting along with a high adrenaline rush . One cold morning I was sitting in a stand freezing my butt off . It was less than 20 degrees out with the wind chill index . I got down to walk and get some circulation going . 3 doe stepped into the laneway . I thought they were quite a way off but raised the Winchester , aimed and fired at the largest doe . They ran off and I thought I had missed . She ran 75 yards and dropped . I thought , hey , I didn't flinch . What did I do . I rationalized what had happened and came up with this .

The deer were almost 100 yards and I wasn't sure I would even hit one . The pressure of missing was gone . I was relaxed .

Ever since then when I would take a shot , I would check my breathing and tell myself to relax . I even get an adrenaline rush when a fawn is near and my heard pounds . Relaxing helps reduce the heart pounding .If I ever lose that adrenaline rush , it will be time to hang up the bow and gun !

[biggamefish]

Cummins I sit in my tree and constantly repeat "pick a spot and only one, focuse steady arm and hold your position". I also sit in my stand and play through all the senerios ex. If a deer comes in from that brush and stops there I am going to pull back behind that tree anchor etc. I run these through my head because it gives me a jump on the deer, I feel. Kind of like practicing for a public speech or for a concert. I have missed deer and everytime I do it I think back and I shoot at the deer and not at a spot. You have to pick one spot and focus only there not anything else.

Shoot and shoot more so when the deer are there the shooting is not thought about but just the shot placment and focus of not moving when releasing the arrow.

[biggamefish]

The heart pounding and going nuts never leaves either you just have to controll it. That rush is what makes hunting so much fun

[growalot]

I've only had one true case of buck fever and It made me nearly pass out...lost muscle control breathing saw stars...crazy stuff...so I now glance once at the rack and then go into shot mode if I want it....repeating every step to my self...draw...bend at waist ..don't grip bow...by that time I'm focused behind shoulder and the last thing...this is your only shot....release

I haven't had the problem since...yes my heart rate goes up...but that's not a problem

Of course after that one incident...and by the way it was a huge 11pt buck with 11 15/16 brow tines.....a guy a mile and a 1/2 away got him a week later....I went to the Dr. and went on high blood pressure meds.....those my be my edge now...Lol Lol

[5.9cummins]

Well at least i just found out i can hit them at 5 yards

[SteveNY]

Cummins I sit in my tree and constantly repeat "pick a spot and only one, focuse steady arm and hold your position". I also sit in my stand and play through all the senerios ex. If a deer comes in from that brush and stops there I am going to pull back behind that tree anchor etc. I run these through my head because it gives me a jump on the deer, I feel. Kind of like practicing for a public speech or for a concert. I have missed deer and everytime I do it I think back and I shoot at the deer and not at a spot. You have to pick one spot and focus only there not anything else.

Shoot and shoot more so when the deer are there the shooting is not thought about but just the shot placment and focus of not moving when releasing the arrow.

I agree with this... While on stand I like to play out all types of scenarios. Try to visualize deer coming in from different directions at different speeds and play out what will happen in your head. If you have a good imagination, when the time comes to actually fire that arrow or bullet, you should be a little calmer.

[wdswtr]

My problem isnt buck fever, I dont get all knee knocked and shakey and loose all common sense lol. I just blow the shot lately. After 20 years of bowhunting and taking the majority of all my deer with a bow I just dont get where I lost it again. Like I said the orange reminder sticker is going back on the bow. Simple and efffective for me. Well atleast in the past.

[Doc]

This is an interesting use of the term "Target Panic. I have never heard it referred to as relating to buck fever, but I suppose the same kinds of physical/mental things are at work with both. Back in the 80's, I developed true "Target panic" while I was tournament shooting, and even today it sometimes briefly rears it's ugly head. My target panic involved severe uncontrollable exaggerated flinching while squeezing the realease trigger. It is truly a maddening situation. Other target panic that I have heard of involves what they call "freezing". That is where the shooter absolutely cannot get the target pin to move onto the bulls-eye. I guess there are other mental maladies that are similar and all travel under the name of target panic.

Buck fever however is something that I only experienced once, and it didn't even involve a shot. I had a huge buck that played me for about a half hour. I watched this beast wandering and pacing around at about 30 yards with just enough brush covering him that there was no shot. He got me so worked up that I sincerely doubt that I could have shot if he had actually come to my side of that brush. I have never experienced anything like that before. Usually I don't get that kind of prolonged closeness to a buck of that quality. 1/2 hour and antlers sticking out all over finally took their toll on my nerves......lol.

By the way, he never did come through to my side of the brush. He finally just left and it was quitting time, so I left too. But that shaking and light-headedness that is usually associated with "buck fever" is a feeling that I will never forget.