How Do You Let Lost Opportunities Affect You?

[whitetaildna]

This season, I have dedicated more time than ever to scouting, hunting smart, applying new tactics, etc. to my hunting efforts. I've had two opportunities at mature bucks and have somehow screwed them both up. The first time I hit a limb, it deflected and hit the buck in the back leg (he lived and has shown back up on cam) and just a couple of days ago, I had a really quick encounter with a target buck, and hit him in the shoulder, and haven't been able to find him. This last one is really getting to me, as I hope that he makes it alive, but none the less it has taken it's toll on me.

I think my biggest downfall as a bowhunter is that I'm too hard on myself and this last occurrence I've really beat myself up. With that said, what do you guys do after a failure or when you lose a buck? What do you think the best way to get over it is?

[Ol'DanBoone]

Its hard for me to lose any deer. I REALLY love animals, but for some reason i enjoy killing them. Soooo, i take it really hard when i bungle it up.
But, and i know this sounds bad, its just a deer. They are a renewable resource. A wounded animal or one not recovered isnt the end of the herd. Dont get me wrong, we should still give all we can to being the most humane hunters we can, and put all we have into recovery.
As to the opprotunities, there will always be more.

[ Post made via Android ]

[magicman54494]

It will hurt. It bothered me a lot more in years past. I think since I've had my share of success it doesn't bother me as much now. I'm not sure if anyone can say anything that will make it feel better.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Lockdown]

Shoot your bow until you're 100% confident again. Other than that... Time. It just takes time to get over it.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Ol'DanBoone]

Let me put it to you this way since you described yourself as "too hard on yourself", as that describes me as well. Ok, the mind CANNOT tell the difference between a real experience, and a vividly imagined one. So the long you dwell on all the things you did or do wrong, thats the more times you will do them, to your subconscious self.
However, the more you thing about all the things you do right, and have done right, the more times your subconscious self thinks that is the way it happened. All this year, ive forced myself to visualize everything happening and working out right. In my mind i see deer, i get opprotunities, i alwaus visualize my arrow goin exactly where i want it, the deer goes right down and so on. I even imagine it right down to controlling my adrenalune so i can make the shot. And guess what, Both bucks i shot i never got bent out of frame till after the shot.
Try it some time. Erase the bad and replace it with new, good experiences, successes etc. I could go into great detail about all this, but i learned about it from gary leffew when i used to rude bull a little bit. He who won 1 or 2 prca world championships in bullriding in the late 60s or early seventies.
I believe in it, its helped me control myself, and gain a REALLY positive outlook.

[ Post made via Android ]

[BowHusker]

Let me put it to you this way since you described yourself as "too hard on yourself", as that describes me as well. Ok, the mind CANNOT tell the difference between a real experience, and a vividly imagined one. So the long you dwell on all the things you did or do wrong, thats the more times you will do them, to your subconscious self.
However, the more you thing about all the things you do right, and have done right, the more times your subconscious self thinks that is the way it happened. All this year, ive forced myself to visualize everything happening and working out right. In my mind i see deer, i get opprotunities, i alwaus visualize my arrow goin exactly where i want it, the deer goes right down and so on. I even imagine it right down to controlling my adrenalune so i can make the shot. And guess what, Both bucks i shot i never got bent out of frame till after the shot.
Try it some time. Erase the bad and replace it with new, good experiences, successes etc. I could go into great detail about all this, but i learned about it from gary leffew when i used to rude bull a little bit. He who won 1 or 2 prca world championships in bullriding in the late 60s or early seventies.
I believe in it, its helped me control myself, and gain a REALLY positive outlook.

[ Post made via Android ]

I agree with alot of this post...the mind is a very powerful thing!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Edcyclopedia]

Need Therapy!

I'll never get another deer as long as I live...

I'm so stupid...

I should commit suicide....

I'm selling everything...

[PK_]

Learn and move on. There really is no other course to take.

It's going to sting if it is a big one(trust me). But you can't cry over spilled milk. Just remember that each failure is a step towards success. Blowing some opportunities is an integral part of becoming a better hunter. They say experience is the best teacher and we learn more from our failures than our successes. So just stay positive and realize that those blown opportunities are actually molding you into a better hunter, even though it may feel otherwise.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Dewey]

100% agree PK

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[mainebowhunter]

Learn and move on. There really is no other course to take.

It's going to sting if it is a big one(trust me). But you can't cry over spilled milk. Just remember that each failure is a step towards success. Blowing some opportunities is an integral part of becoming a better hunter. They say experience is the best teacher and we learn more from our failures than our successes. So just stay positive and realize that those blown opportunities are actually molding you into a better hunter, even though it may feel otherwise.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Well said. Take time off season to assess areas your weak in and try to improve. Shooting is the one thing you have control of when it comes to deer hunting.

And it just flat out takes experience to get better at this game. You can gather all the knowledge you want but it will not replace experience.

[ Post made via Android ]

[whitetaildna]

Learn and move on. There really is no other course to take.

It's going to sting if it is a big one(trust me). But you can't cry over spilled milk. Just remember that each failure is a step towards success. Blowing some opportunities is an integral part of becoming a better hunter. They say experience is the best teacher and we learn more from our failures than our successes. So just stay positive and realize that those blown opportunities are actually molding you into a better hunter, even though it may feel otherwise.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Very well put. Something that I think is lost in the moment, but is very important. Thanks

[JoeRE]

Pk and DB covered the main points. Focus the negative thoughts and come away a better hunter. If you don't learn anything from it, the experience was a complete waste and you probably are going to have a repeat performance in the near future.

Visualization has played a big role for me in not choking in the heat of the moment.

Also I firmly believe a hunter has to work your way up, if you have very little experience shooting deer with a bow, shoot a bunch of does and little bucks the first few years or you are setting yourself up for failure waiting of a big one or bust right out of the gate.

[ERICBROOKS]

Replay it over and over in your mind and learn something from it that you can use in the future.
If killing big deer with a bow was easy, it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying when you accomplish your goal.

And when I screw up on a buck, the next doe I see has a very, very small chance of survival!!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[creepingdeth]

WHAT joeRE SAYS .... if you are anything like I am, we are our worst emeny, bar none. mistakes suck, but suck more if I dont learn something. I've struggled all bowseason but it has been a blast. A vast improvement over last year! Get back on that bike...

[Edcyclopedia]

Sometimes I cry

[ Post made via Android ]