The funk

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mainebowhunter
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Re: The funk

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Tue May 03, 2016 8:51 am

Kraftd wrote:
mibowhunter wrote:
Stanley wrote:A good friend of mine was in a deep funk for a few years. He was trying too hard. Once he relaxed he got out of the funk.


I feel like this is where I'm at... and it kinda sucks. I was a killing machine on good bucks up until 2008... Then I got married, had 2 kids, and the time spent hunting was cut by like 95%. So when I was able to make it out, I was forcing the issue way more than I should have been. Last year I finally relaxed and had a few great encounters with good deer again, I just couldn't close the deal. I hope that was the stepping stone to getting me back on track.


The lack of time thing is a real issue for a good many of us. For me, the funk is really related to everything outside of hunting. By the beginning of September every year I've just about had it with work and everyday stress because I bust my but to get to hunting season. The last few years I've done well with just making darn sure hunting is fun and giving me what I need, even if I'm grinding hard. It's lead to good success and not getting too caught up in it in a good way.

I see some of the journals and scouting threads, and sometimes get down on myself for not pumping out miles and scouting trips, but I know right now with two small children and a career I've worked hard for and want to get everything I can out of, I just can't make hunting another task at the moment. If I do that I'll lose probably my biggest outlet. In a weird way this approach has left me to be pretty relaxed and have a pretty free mind with hunting which has let me make leaps and bounds in learning over that time period. It has been a fun evolution. When I had time I simply relied on time to bring me what success I had, now I make darn sure to get the most out of everything, and it is a good feeling.


Its interesting because if you expect too much out of yourself when you cannot put the time in, that leads to the funk. Sometimes, it might mean, smaller bucks or no bucks are the deal for the time being. My best friend ...he really just accepts whatever comes along for the time that he has to put in. Or should I say WANTS to put in. And he does really well for the amount of time that he puts in. Another buddy, he would always get into a "funk" because he was always hoping to get lucky. "Look at that guy. How does he do it? When am I going to get lucky?" But the end result, he never does. He has never killed a 3.5 in Maine. But he finally came to the realization, he only is putting in a small amount of time and he is not going to give it anymore. He stopped expecting to succeed with bigger deer.

On the flip side, that same buddy, has struggled with his shooting and is really working hard to fix his issues. He has fixed on the targets. Still working on the animals.


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Re: The funk

Unread postby Buckshot20 » Tue May 03, 2016 8:52 am

The funk is real.

I was in a funk this past November. I used 10 days vacation to get to better hunting grounds and I whiffed on 4 straight. This was in 3 days. I started pressing real bad then I bought a bag of Levi( first chew in almost a year) and remembered hunting is suppose to be fun. 12 ringed the next deer I saw.

When I was playing baseball in high school and college if I went hitless in a game I would change the tape on the bat. If that didn't work I changed my routine. If I went on a tear I wouldn't wash my jock strap. Superstitious yes but whatever gives you confidence and helps you relax. Find confidence and remember this is suppose to be fun.

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JoeRE
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Re: The funk

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue May 03, 2016 9:20 am

Kraftd wrote:
mibowhunter wrote:
Stanley wrote:A good friend of mine was in a deep funk for a few years. He was trying too hard. Once he relaxed he got out of the funk.


I feel like this is where I'm at... and it kinda sucks. I was a killing machine on good bucks up until 2008... Then I got married, had 2 kids, and the time spent hunting was cut by like 95%. So when I was able to make it out, I was forcing the issue way more than I should have been. Last year I finally relaxed and had a few great encounters with good deer again, I just couldn't close the deal. I hope that was the stepping stone to getting me back on track.


The lack of time thing is a real issue for a good many of us. For me, the funk is really related to everything outside of hunting. By the beginning of September every year I've just about had it with work and everyday stress because I bust my but to get to hunting season. The last few years I've done well with just making darn sure hunting is fun and giving me what I need, even if I'm grinding hard. It's lead to good success and not getting too caught up in it in a good way.

I see some of the journals and scouting threads, and sometimes get down on myself for not pumping out miles and scouting trips, but I know right now with two small children and a career I've worked hard for and want to get everything I can out of, I just can't make hunting another task at the moment. If I do that I'll lose probably my biggest outlet. In a weird way this approach has left me to be pretty relaxed and have a pretty free mind with hunting which has let me make leaps and bounds in learning over that time period. It has been a fun evolution. When I had time I simply relied on time to bring me what success I had, now I make darn sure to get the most out of everything, and it is a good feeling.


You are fortunate to retain a mind set like that. Over the last couple years I have begun to worry about running myself into the ground. My journal I did last year may have been a bit deceiving as I didn't talk about that much, and it didn't give the context of how much I actually had scaled back from prior years already. I am pushing myself to throttle back that instinct to abandon everything at a moment's notice for the chase, trying to re-set my goals by trying to focus on giving something back, getting into traditional archery, and packing my kids around in the woods more but its a work in progress. Its been hard to direct the passion that led me to spend thousands of hours alone in the outdoors in the past 20 years to a more beneficial direction for my family, kids.

So those of you who are in a hunting funk because you choose to spend more time with your family - good for you.
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Southern Man
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Re: The funk

Unread postby Southern Man » Tue May 03, 2016 9:47 am

JoeRE wrote:Yea beyond a certain point it becomes mostly a mental game. You may be doing all the right things but on top of that you have to stay alert and confident, not get negative or put so much pressure on yourself that you crack. Lots of triggers...a bad shot, something keeping your mind elsewhere, other obligations keeping you from preparing, I have learned my expectations are self-fulfilling....the times I have struggled the most line up with the times I feel the least confident. There is no simple fix to that, have to start small on stuff you know you can do, focus on the small wins, enjoy them, and build yourself back up.



I agree. But first you have to realise you have a problem.

Last year I missed a buck at LBL with my bow and chalked it up to wrong estimation of yardage, shot right over his back. I laughed about it. Right after I missed him another buck came out but gave me no shot. It was a good afternoon, I thought to myself I was doing it right, I was in there. 2 weeks later I missed a 50 yard shot with a rifle on a private farm. The buck was moving straight away from me. I couldn't believe I missed, didn't know what went wrong. That is a tough shot but I am extremely confident with a rifle. A couple days later I target shot my rifle, it was dead on. Hmmm. 2 weeks after that I was back at LBL with a rifle and missed a buck at maybe 20 - 25 yards. It was then I knew I had a problem.
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Re: The funk

Unread postby Kraftd » Tue May 03, 2016 9:54 am

Sounds like you're doing a pretty fine job combining the two Joe. Many would not even admit it's something they have to think about. All of the intel, intuition, and knowledge you have gained previously should make it as easy as it can be when you're truly passionate about something but don't have the time you want.

My one regret in everything is that when I did have the time I didn't spend it better with respect to deer hunting. That being said I dove in pretty deep to flyfishing for trout for close to a decade, so got something out of it at least :D
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Re: The funk

Unread postby fishlips » Tue May 03, 2016 1:44 pm

Kraftd wrote:
mibowhunter wrote:
Stanley wrote:A good friend of mine was in a deep funk for a few years. He was trying too hard. Once he relaxed he got out of the funk.


I feel like this is where I'm at... and it kinda sucks. I was a killing machine on good bucks up until 2008... Then I got married, had 2 kids, and the time spent hunting was cut by like 95%. So when I was able to make it out, I was forcing the issue way more than I should have been. Last year I finally relaxed and had a few great encounters with good deer again, I just couldn't close the deal. I hope that was the stepping stone to getting me back on track.


The lack of time thing is a real issue for a good many of us. For me, the funk is really related to everything outside of hunting. By the beginning of September every year I've just about had it with work and everyday stress because I bust my but to get to hunting season. The last few years I've done well with just making darn sure hunting is fun and giving me what I need, even if I'm grinding hard. It's lead to good success and not getting too caught up in it in a good way.

I see some of the journals and scouting threads, and sometimes get down on myself for not pumping out miles and scouting trips, but I know right now with two small children and a career I've worked hard for and want to get everything I can out of, I just can't make hunting another task at the moment. If I do that I'll lose probably my biggest outlet. In a weird way this approach has left me to be pretty relaxed and have a pretty free mind with hunting which has let me make leaps and bounds in learning over that time period. It has been a fun evolution. When I had time I simply relied on time to bring me what success I had, now I make darn sure to get the most out of everything, and it is a good feeling.


This rings true for me. I look back at my college years as time where I wish I had spent more time hunting and fishing instead of planting my but in front of the tv every weekend to watch football. Not to mention I was living in eau claire and could have explored a lot of great whitetail country.

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Re: The funk

Unread postby blizzardhunter » Tue May 03, 2016 2:38 pm

Stanley wrote:A good friend of mine was in a deep funk for a few years. He was trying too hard. Once he relaxed he got out of the funk.

This was true for me. After I killed my first deer with a bow it became automatic with me. I knew I'd make the shot at every opportunity and did for a while. About 3 years ago I had a 5 yard shot at a good buck. Aimed low cause of the steep angled but not enough. Hit him but glanced of the side from the steep angled. Next year was after a 13pt hard. Finally had a 30 yard broadside shot one evening and hit him forward. Both bucks survived but I lost all confidence. This last season first hunt I killed my full velvet 10pt. As soon as I knew it was a shooter I concentrated on the shot. I talked myself all the way through it focusing on fundamentals. At the shot I thought I missed but hit him perfect at 43 yards. Staying calm and talking myself through the shot made the difference.

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mainebowhunter
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Re: The funk

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Wed May 04, 2016 12:20 am

Another thing that can put someone in a funk...hunting for someone else rather than yourself. Trying to impress other people. Hunting so everyone on hunting beast will think your are something or everyone at the local butcher will think your great or your hunting buddies will think your top notch. Sometimes, that makes people try to hard and sometimes, it drives people passed the funk into poaching.

Its so much easier to hunt when you realize, it does not matter what people think of me because of what I shoot or did not shoot. Its just deer hunting. Its not my family, its not business...its just deer hunting.
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Re: The funk

Unread postby freezeAR » Mon May 09, 2016 11:38 pm

One of the most helpless feelings in the world is being in a funk with your bow. I had a severe case 5 or 6 years ago. No matter how much I shot I could not get over it. I felt helpless. It drove me to learn everything I could about shooting form, bow tuning and bow setup. I always hated relying on a pro shop to set my tackle up. I learned a ton and do all my set up now. I also have on my bow case a quick check refrence to insure my bow is remaining tuned. I am sure the beast member's can relate but I am hard on my equipment and needed a way to check between shooting. I used a paint marker and when I had my bow shooting darts and broadheads and field points hitting same hole I layed my bow on my case and marked peep sight both cams, d-loop and my fall away cord. Gives me the insurance that it won't be my bow if a shot goes elswhere.

As far as mentally I always practive very intensly. I have a specific shot sequence I follow every shot. When I have an encounter while hunting I can rarely remember aiming and letting an arrow go. It is automatic when the moment of truth arrives. Good visualization prior to encounter is also very helpful. I see it in a lot of Dan's post's. He has already arrowed the deer before he sets his stand.
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Re: The funk

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue May 10, 2016 8:54 am

freezeAR wrote:[glow=red]Good visualization prior to encounter is also very helpful. I see it in a lot of Dan's post's. He has already arrowed the deer before he sets his stand.[/glow]


That is a big deal. If there was one thing, outside of time actually hunting and scouting, that I could say helped me be the most effective hunter possible I would say it is visualizing possible encounters beforehand. Slam dunk chances, hard chances, every realistic angle I can think off. I do this while picking spots and while sitting there waiting. I am pretty sure on a couple of occasions I killed a deer only as a result of visualization - I had only a split second but I had run through a similar scenario in my mind already so didn't need to take time to think. Many other times I have wished I had though a particular situation through beforehand but didn't so I failed to capitalize on a tiny opportunity.

It's legit, most high performing athletes use one form or another of visualization to sharpen their skills. I have read about studies where people improved various skills just by visualizing the task, not actually even doing it. Its not some hippy dippy thing, just training your brain to do the right thing at the moment of truth.
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Re: The funk

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Tue May 10, 2016 1:36 pm

JoeRE wrote:
freezeAR wrote:[glow=red]Good visualization prior to encounter is also very helpful. I see it in a lot of Dan's post's. He has already arrowed the deer before he sets his stand.[/glow]


That is a big deal. If there was one thing, outside of time actually hunting and scouting, that I could say helped me be the most effective hunter possible I would say it is visualizing possible encounters beforehand. Slam dunk chances, hard chances, every realistic angle I can think off. I do this while picking spots and while sitting there waiting. I am pretty sure on a couple of occasions I killed a deer only as a result of visualization - I had only a split second but I had run through a similar scenario in my mind already so didn't need to take time to think. Many other times I have wished I had though a particular situation through beforehand but didn't so I failed to capitalize on a tiny opportunity.

It's legit, most high performing athletes use one form or another of visualization to sharpen their skills. I have read about studies where people improved various skills just by visualizing the task, not actually even doing it. Its not some hippy dippy thing, just training your brain to do the right thing at the moment of truth.


I think most of use do the same thing while scouting. I talk my way through the sign that I am finding...half the time I am talking out loud to myself. Visualizing how you think a deer is going use this area and where to setup accordingly. I run through all the scenarios while prepping a set..."what happens if...Can I draw? What if he moves to fast through my first window...where is my second lane going to be?" It occupies my thoughts many times while I am nowhere near the woods. Driving in my rig, always pondering and thinking, visualizing how I am going hunt a specific spot.
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isitseasonyet?
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Re: The funk

Unread postby isitseasonyet? » Tue May 10, 2016 2:52 pm

Last year I was trying so hard because I put in a lot of time and thought, and when I finally got my opportunity I blew it. But I learned from it. And I'm going into this season with a better attitude, more Intel and another years experience. I figure it's supposed to be fun, besides there's a lot worse things a young man can do with his time, on the bright side I'm not addicted to drugs. "If a hunter heads into the woods with good moral values, he is then 20 feet closer to God." - Fred Bear.

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Re: The funk

Unread postby isitseasonyet? » Tue May 10, 2016 2:57 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:
JoeRE wrote:
freezeAR wrote:[glow=red]Good visualization prior to encounter is also very helpful. I see it in a lot of Dan's post's. He has already arrowed the deer before he sets his stand.[/glow]


That is a big deal. If there was one thing, outside of time actually hunting and scouting, that I could say helped me be the most effective hunter possible I would say it is visualizing possible encounters beforehand. Slam dunk chances, hard chances, every realistic angle I can think off. I do this while picking spots and while sitting there waiting. I am pretty sure on a couple of occasions I killed a deer only as a result of visualization - I had only a split second but I had run through a similar scenario in my mind already so didn't need to take time to think. Many other times I have wished I had though a particular situation through beforehand but didn't so I failed to capitalize on a tiny opportunity.

It's legit, most high performing athletes use one form or another of visualization to sharpen their skills. I have read about studies where people improved various skills just by visualizing the task, not actually even doing it. Its not some hippy dippy thing, just training your brain to do the right thing at the moment of truth.


I think most of use do the same thing while scouting. I talk my way through the sign that I am finding...half the time I am talking out loud to myself. Visualizing how you think a deer is going use this area and where to setup accordingly. I run through all the scenarios while prepping a set..."what happens if...Can I draw? What if he moves to fast through my first window...where is my second lane going to be?" It occupies my thoughts many times while I am nowhere near the woods. Driving in my rig, always pondering and thinking, visualizing how I am going hunt a specific spot.
This is something I'm going to take to heart, so many people I look up to on this forum have commented that visualization is huge, Im learning where to go now I'm gonna start visualizing each situation at that spot too.

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