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Confidence Killer (story of last season)

T

Trapshooter1

Well-Known Member
November 7th 8th
I had opportunities 2 times last year at 2 decent 10 point bucks. Needless to say I miss judged the distance on the first buck. The second deer I hit a branch. After that I was so low on confidence I started to question myself. Then it got into my head. Needless to say it was over.

How does a guy get over that??
 
A range finder, alot of practice, and a few does as a confidence booster ought to do the job. If this was easy everyone would be out of wall space and working two jobs to cover taxidermy bills.
You can ask anyone on here about the trials and tribulations of things that have gone wrong. We all have a story.
 
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Been through that myself... For me, it just took finally getting it done a few times. Then I went and missed a chip shot again last year haha.
 
For me it just took killing a couple to get over it. When I was 12 and started bow hunting I told myself that it was a mature buck or tag soup with my any sex tag(I had killed some big deer with a gun). I would smoke a doe or two every season early but could never close the deal on a big buck(missed,wounded, they caught me moving, or would wind me). Once I got the first one the next ones were alot less pressure but I did screw up on one last year, and ended up finally tagging out on Black Friday on a nice buck. I guess the moral of the story is to keep at it and keep practicing. It happens to all of us.
 
It definitely happens. This is a picture of the computer screen from my Tactacam a fraction of a second before my arrow zipped underneath him. I couldn't stop him and I didn't consciously hit the trigger. At least it was a clean miss, but it was in my head bad. I killed a few does later in the year but never filed my anysex tag. Plenty of practice through the summer and I'm ready to get after then again this year. You just have to find a way to put it in the past and move on.

 
Search out an area with a lot of does and get some until u feel like u got ur game back. I'd also practice in all sorts of positions with 3d deer. Happens to us all. Each yr- (I am lucky to have farms with lots deer & manage right) - I shoot some does to "practice" and "get my confidence up". This year I didn't have time for that but I'll still shoot some on places with abundance. Yes- I want the meat & enjoy the hunts but confidence & practice on does is big for me.
Last- one other thing I do.... Small bucks and does.... For 20 years when I pass them, several times a week ill practice draw on them from the stand. Put pin right on em like I would right before I let arrow go. Just something I do once in a while. Good luck!
 
What you need is a good buddy to give you a good hat slap. Whenever one of us would do something stupid like that, we would get a good hat slap from a buddy across the hat kind of like, don't do that again but then you laugh it off. I have gotten a few hat slaps in my day. It's just hunting man, sometimes you got to laugh at your stupidity.

I have made a lot of dumb mistakes over the years and can't help but laugh a little thinking of it. Definitely learned from each mistake though and that is all that matters. I am betting next time you will do better at judging distance and clearing the forest when trimming lanes :)
 
Missing last year cost me some $$$. Leupold 1000 range finder. Not cheap.
I did buy a new bow. (Agenda 6)There was nothing wrong with the other one (Legion) just wanted an update.

Early season last year (Oct 7) killed at doe at 45 yards so I was over confident. Then everything really went to shit.

Have practiced more this year. Feel pretty confident about this season.
 
Bowhunting is a mental game ask anyone here we all make mistakes each and every year. If it was to easy it wouldn't be fun. My first year hunting in 1986 I missed nine times found out what tag soup was about. Think positive and have fun that's what it's all about. Good luck
 
Thanks guys for all of the advice. (Bahahahahaahaha on the quit hunting comment) It's an addiction, It's in my blood, Till the day they put me in the ground, I'll always be bow hunting.
 
Yep.....Had an incident on Nov. 8th last year...caused a bad break up with my old mathews. Deer made it and blew up nicely.

Hope the same happens for you and you get another chance!
 
I'm in a current confidence slump as well right now. This is my 9th year of archery hunting. In that time I have only killed 7 deer with my bow, 5 bucks and 2 does. So I honestly don't have a ton of past successes to fall back on. Over the last 3 seasons is where my issue lies.

2012 I shot a doe at 40 yards out of a high tree stand. I shot left pretty badly and hit her front shoulder. Fortunately I had a steep enough angle on the shot, it hit vitals and she went down about 30 yards away. Same season I had a great opportunity on a nice buck. Was hunting from the ground, stopped him broadside at 30 yards. I again shot left and hit him in the shoulder. No downward angle, he lived.

2013 I only had one opportunity at a shooter buck and shot under him. It was a longer shot (45 yards I believe) but I am (was) more than confident at that distance. I'm pretty sure I hit my coat sleeve on that one though. Either way it still doesn't help the confidence.

Finally, last year I hunted pretty hard through November and late in the month I finally decided to tag out on a doe. Again hunting from the ground, she was about 20 yards away and I shot left, really bad. Hit in front of her shoulder but broke her neck or something, she went down on the spot and I put another arrow in her. Not sure exactly why I'm shooting left on these deer but I am. Thinking I may be forgetting to follow through in the heat of the moment and pulling my bow. Either way, its one of those things that I just need to get through.
 
One thing that has really helped my confidence is leaving my 3D target set up in the yard and my bow hanging in the garage. At random times during the day when I get home I will grab it and shoot a few arrows. Usually no more than 8-10 shots per day. I only use one arrow and never shoot groups. After every shot I walk down pull the arrow and walk back. I always quit on a good shot. I've been doing this a couple seasons now and when the moment of truth comes along its been like second nature. After the shot I don't remember drawing the bow back, centering the bubble or settling the pin.
 
I practice and feal confident out to 60 yards, but I have never taken a shot past 35 yards. ( And that was a clean miss, a doe had me pegged, on the release , she swapped ends before my arrow even made it to her). I enjoy getting close, that is why I bow hunt. I've killed plenty of deer, a moose, and black bear. My longest kill was 26 yards. Modern compounds are easy to shoot at longer ranges with less practice, but you seldom get ideal conditions while hunting. I set stands up for slam dunk shots an even those can go south very easily. be patient and get your confidence back with a few chip shots, then extend your range as confidence grows.
 
Sligh1 said:
Small bucks and does.... For 20 years when I pass them, several times a week ill practice draw on them from the stand. Put pin right on em like I would right before I let arrow go. Just something I do once in a while. Good luck!
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I once heard of a guy that would use a blunt tipped arrow if a small buck/doe came in that he didn't want to kill, and would go ahead and shoot it like he was trying to kill it. Arrow would bounce off and the deer would run off.

To the OP, practice and get back at it. A few deer in the truck should help. A few years ago I missed a pretty decent 12 point at about 25 - 30 yards. I had ranged the spot several times from my stand that season, as well as for 5 years before that (you would think I would have memorized it), but didn't do it that morning to refresh my memory. As he walked in to the shooting lane, my mind went back and forth between 30 and 35 yards. I picked 35 and am pretty sure I grazed his back. I'm thinking there were other issues with the shot as well since I was that high. Glad it wasn't a bad hit, but was a little bummed that I missed. The rest of the day I kicked myself for missing and not ranging it when I got to the stand. The next day I was hunting on the ground and had a deer come by at 15 yards, and I shot/killed it.
 
I've read this a few times and don't know what to offer or say that hasn't been covered. I've been there. Just this year (Sept), I lost two bulls (one 350"-360") in a matter of 5 days. The first one hurt my confidence, but I got back at it. Bull #2 (a raghorn) really got in my brain. My confidence hit an all time low. I remembered why I hunt, why I archery hunt, specifically, and then started shooting again. I practice regularly out to 70 yards and have no problem taking that 70 yard shot if the conditions are lined up where they should be for my comfort level (ground hunting, never in a tree stand). Get back at it and keep your head in the game. Like the late, great Yogi Berra said, "90% of the game is half mental." Good luck!
 
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