mental block

[muddy]

I don't get it, I have a mental block when shooting at a deer that I've had for many many years. I find it almost impossible to aim right on the "crease" of the shoulder/rib cage because I shoulder bladed a buck many years ago and now always seem to hold back about 2-3 inches. For once I"m trying to be proactive in solving this problem and to do so I've quit shooting at dots and spots for practice. I draw a broadside deer form, back to brisket and neck to but, and try to realign my mental well being and only aim at the crease. For whatever reason it seems to be helping. Maybe this year instead of getting far back lung/stomach/liver shots I'll get one of those forward lung butter gushers I've always dreamed of.

[Carol]

Good Luck Muddy!

[huntinnurse]

Keep at it Muddy til it becomes second nature. AND do not second guess yourself in the moment of truth!!!!!! You'll do just fine!!!!!

[Sam Ubl]

You know, I'm there with you. While I wouldn't admit that I shoot back, I do admit that although i practice shooting at half-dollar size circles at all ranges, when I have a deer lined up, I too have the mental block and cannot practice what I preach in aiming at a crease or something so small as the small dark patch that happens to be in the kill zone.

I think about it nearly every time I squeeze the release at an animal... "Why do I keep aiming at the vitals, but not picking a particular spot?"

While the arrow hits home, I wish I was more particular and could break through the mental block. Good call and a very true and honest problem that I'm sure more than you and I deal with.

[headgear]

I have to admit I have a similar problem, I always aim just a little behind the front shoulder. Its just some kind of mental thing about shooting near a leg with bones, even though I know there is a sweet spot just about the front leg that is screaming shoot me!

I know one time I hit one a little far back and ended up losing that deer, I had plenty of room to move my pin 3-4 inches over and that might have made all the difference in the world.

[DevinJD2007]

I as well seem to am a little farther back for fear or hitting the shoulder blade I did this on a buck a few years ago and lost him now have a fear of doing it again so i have been aiming a bit farther back... I may need to start reevaluating myself like you are muddy.

[muddy]

To "fix it in the field" I have been trying to get a quartering shot if possible. That way I can aim back from the crease and it still cleans their clock. This has really worked other than damaging the cape!

[wmihunter]

i tend to aim a few inches back of the crease. if you hit the shoulder you will not get that deer unless you have a hig performance bow, small broadhead and small deer otherwise that bone is stopping your broadhead and you have no deer. if you liver or gut shoot it by accident yo can still get your deer-just have to give em time b4 you track em and track em slowly

[virginiashadow]

I switched over to shooting a recurve this year and I have had to learn the proper shooting form from scratch. It was a pretty liberating experience as the whole process exposed a lot of mental strengths and weaknesses of mine when it came to bowhunting/shooting. One thing I learned this year while shooting the recurve is if there is a problem with anything, shoot from 5 yards or less. And do it over and over again until your issues are solved. Draw your bow, aim, and fire. Do not think, just react. Do it ten times. Then step back to 15 yards and shoot a few shots. Move back in to 5-7 yards, aim, and then just fire with good form. Do not think. Then move back to 20 yards. By the time you hit the 20 yard mark you will not even be thinking, you will be just reacting.

I have taken shots like you have described and wished I brought them back because I aimed for the vitals as a whole and not a small spot at the crease. This year I blew it on a beautiful buck by aiming too far back. I gut shot him. Ughhhh. Two days later I had another buck come by and I told myself I will aim for the crease when he started closing the distance. Once he stopped at 7 yards I aimed and shot him right in the crease. Within 20 yards of him bolting I saw blood squirting out of him. I had hit the offside shoulder and he was down within 40 yards.

Another way to trick your brain is to trust the anatomy pictures of a deer. Understand that front shoulder blade does not follow the outline of the shoulder muscle and to put that dang arrow right in the crease without any reservation!

[Dor]

Mudddy you're falling apart this year. Quit over thinking and just kill.

[Dewey]

I always seem to crowd the shoulder and that is the reason I no longer use mechanical blades and went back to my trusty Muzzy's.
"Bad To The Bone"......that's all I need to say!

[GRUD]

I have to mentally pick a small spot or I end up shooting at the "vitals". I have been trying to take heart shots and I really have to pick a spot because by default I just shoot at the rib cage. The ridge bone in the shoulder is pretty far foreward. If you hit the flat part of the shoulder blade a fixed blade head should penetrate it broadside.

[Indianahunter]

I have to mentally pick a small spot or I end up shooting at the "vitals". I have been trying to take heart shots and I really have to pick a spot because by default I just shoot at the rib cage. The ridge bone in the shoulder is pretty far foreward. If you hit the flat part of the shoulder blade a fixed blade head should penetrate it broadside.

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