TexasOaks

This is an article I read:

Concentrated on morebeginner bowhunters.

Being a good hunter isnt enough. To score time and again, you must know when and where to shoot and maintain composure at "crunch time." Crunch time is when the success of the entire hunt is riding on a few moments. You have to make quick, precise decisions.

Furthermore, your mind has to sufficiently control your body to perform the task at hand- slowly drawing a bow and shooting accurately. This may sound easy while reading reading, but any bowhunter who;s been within spittin' distance of game knows how emotionally overwhelming crunch time can be.

First, when bowhunting, being close to your quarry is paramount. While it increases odds for a humane harvest, it also complicates the situation; you must draw undetected so as not to spook the game. Considering most big game animals have outstanding movement perception, (Deer eyes possess 1.000 times more motion receptor rods than the eyes of humans)

Second, due to the manner in which an arrow kills, the body position of the target animal is also crucial.

Third, anxiousness and lack of confidence usually cause mental errors at crunch time.

Here are some suggestions that may help you make good decisions in these situations:

Anticipate Behavior -Like a card shark, a bowhunter must make decisive, confident decisions, and, at the same time, anticipate and predict the opponent's next move. Those who are familiar with wildlife behavior are more successful bowhunters. Of course, field experience is the best teacher, but you can study photos, watch nature shows, hunting videos, etc. The idea is to anticipate thewhitetail's next move. Ask yourself, "When could I draw my bow without being detected?"

Window of Opportunity -Foam targets don't move so we are methodical in practice. When an animal presents even the slightest opportunity, however, we often rush and take a haphazard shot. The closer you are, the more likely an animal will spook from movement and sound. You have to determine an appropriate time and distance to shoot. Of course, if you can draw and shoot when the animal is totally unaware, this is ideal. Wait for them to feed, turn, and look away, or their eyes to become obstructed.

Control Emotion -early on, try to shoot at does, by doing this you will gain valuable experience and confidence. Shooting confidence plays a large role in success. Try and coach yourselfin your head.... Wait, Wait, Wait, Okay nice and slow, pick a spot, aim, aim, aim. Have a mental coaching plan in mind beforehand. And when you see THE BIG ONE, concentrate on the animal's eyes untildrawing and then switch to an aiming spot behind the shoulder.

Remember,no one always makesthe right choices when it comes to the moment of truth. However, youmusthonestly evaluate your errors and turn them in to positive lessons. As for success, let it fuel the confidence fire but dont let it burn out of control either. At crunch time, arrogance and overconfidence can defeat you as quickly as doubt.

chucker34

Wonderful article. I've learned and experiened a lot of these first hand in my first two bowhunting seasons. Window of opportunity has burned me more than a few times. I try to identify a "shooter" buck or doe immediately upon seeing it and take the first ethical shot I've got at the deer because it could be your last. Ethical meaning within my range of comfort and a high percentage kill shot angle.

Anticipating behavior is the other big one Antler Eater clued me in to when I was on his contest teamtwo years ago.Again, great article.

markj

I still geta rushafter 25 deer seasons.

What do I do? But I am getting better.