Overcoming mistakes

[dan]

Missing out on a shot opportunity. Being a consistent big buck killer boils down to two things, getting a buck in range and making a good lethal shot. Encounters with mature bucks don't come easy or often. If you want to be consistent at killing them you had better be closing the deal at a very high % when you get one in your wheelhouse. The big bucks I have lost, missed, wasn't ready, spooked or my setup just wasn't right are the bucks I reflect on the most often…

3 years ago I lost the buck of my life to a single lung hit/botched recovery and it still is gut wrenching when I dwell on it.

Solving those problems comes in many forms, practicing shooting, conquering buck fever, choosing 'thee' tree/spot, knowing when to move and not to move as the shot unfolds, being sure to adjust my sight picture as the buck changes angles, staying ready while on stand, constantly trying to spot/hear an approaching buck at earliest possible point of detection, etc...

This was one of my hardest challenges... When I was younger I got good at getting in the game, but blew opportunities. I was about 1 out of 4 in killing a big buck if one got within 40 yards. Now I am probably at about 4 out of 5 or higher. Most the time now, if a buck I want to kill gets within 40 yards, it don't make it back out alive.

To accomplish this, you need to dwell on what went wrong when you fail. And fix it.

[dan]

I think knowing when to draw your bow without alerting the buck can be the most difficult thing....it's never like the movies!

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I agree, and I also think its taught wrong a lot of the time... My younger day struggles with this was because people always said to draw when the buck was behind something or his head was out of view. Now, unless he is moving fast and I only have a small opening, I don't draw till there is a shot available. to many times they sense the movement or just stop and your stuck at full draw with no shot.

[Dewey]

My biggest mistake early on was rushing shots and not being patient enough for a high percentage kill shot. After a few marginal shots you learn to be selective out of fear of wounding another.

I have let big bucks walk many times only because I didn't have that perfect shot. I'm sure if I was more agressive with my shots I could have many more kills to my credit but it's just not worth it to me. The thing I am most proud of right now is every deer I released an arrow on for the last 13 years died within sight including my 5 largest bucks. As hunters we owe it to the animal to make a quick clean kill.

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[stash59]

As far as shooting goes nothing beats practice. If you can always hit the dot or the heart on a 3-d target while shooting in your back yard. But come unglued when the buck of choice is standing there. Doing some kind of competitive more pressured shooting can help. It helped me a ton even though I only did it 3-4 times a year. Sometimes just shooting with people around helps. We never want to look the fool. Especiially if we're " the expert" in the bunch.

I kew some guys that would run a ways to get their heart beat up to try and simulate this'

If encounters with big bucks are far between it's hard to rely on this kind of experience alone to get over the hump.

Because I haven't been shooting or even hunting as of late I know I will have to relearn or recondition myself for this.

[Dewey]

As far as shooting goes nothing beats practice. If you can always hit the dot or the heart on a 3-d target while shooting in your back yard. But come unglued when the buck of choice is standing there. Doing some kind of competitive more pressured shooting can help. It helped me a ton even though I only did it 3-4 times a year. Sometimes just shooting with people around helps. We never want to look the fool. Especiially if we're " the expert" in the bunch.

I kew some guys that would run a ways to get their heart beat up to try and simulate this'

If encounters with big bucks are far between it's hard to rely on this kind of experience alone to get over the hump.

Because I haven't been shooting or even hunting as of late I know I will have to relearn or recondition myself for this.

That's a great point. One of the 3D courses I shoot is pretty hilly in spots so I try to move fast and make shots with my heart rate way up while short on breath. Sure makes shooting accurately much harder.

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