Need Advice on the Endgame

[Patriot]

I really need some help. I THINK what I need help with is knowing when to draw, and perhaps selecting better trees for better cover, but if you think of other stuff by all means please just give advice.

So here’s the summary on me and why I need help. Been doing this 6 years. First 3 seasons I killed does and two small bucks but never saw deer, I killed basically every deer I encountered and never missed those first several deer.

Then 3 seasons ago it all kinda clicked from reading this site, consuming all podcast and YouTube content and then all of a sudden in a low deer density state I’m passing on does every other hunt and I’m getting onto really good bucks for my area anywhere from 3 to 7 encounters per season, all well within bow range, and many great encounters with really good bucks for my area. I’m too ashamed to tell you how many I missed completely and I’m LUCKY that I only wounded one but I know hes alive so that’s good.

So in my opinion I’m pretty good at everything except closing the deal. It’s not buck fever, I’m pretty chill but I def make bad decisions so maybe that is a form of fever?

For all of my mess ups about half are gear related things I think I have corrected, stand kick out bc I forgot to cam it down, freakin broad head flew off on a gorgeous buck bc after weeks of hunting I didn’t think to tighten the BH and I didn’t apply lock tite.

But non gear related mess ups, I’ve drawn too early and held as long as I could but it all broke down. A few weeks ago this nice buck was 18 feet from me but I didn’t draw as he walked in bc he was walking straight at me and I didn’t want him to peg me. But then he was so on top of me he got me anyway.

I’ve hit branches I’ve misjudged distance, I believed I went too far w the heavy arrow and single bevel movement and that lead to more variance to arrow flight path if I miss judged distance. I corrected that by going to auto lock broadheads with lighter arrow and no more brass inserts.

I dunno, I can get on top of them but I find a way to fk it up for many many encounters for THREE YEARS STRAIGHT!!!!

please help. I am so close to putting it all together but I can’t get over the hump.

This pic is zero zoom taken from my tactacam. I could have jumped out the tree and stabbed him lol. But I messed up on him too.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Sounds to me like you are putting too much pressure on yourself because every time something bad happens it reinforces the idea that it will happen again. My advice is to start shooting does again. Get a couple of wins under your belt and you'll be back to 100%.

If that doesn't work, get a stuffed buck doll and stick a bunch of pins in it and bury it under some other dude's ladder stand. That will break the curse.

 

[Freddybowhunter]

Agreed with above about too much pressure on yourself. I find I do the same thing after a mess up/missed opportunity. I compound the misery by having anxiety over messing up the next opportunity that might come my way. You need to fake it till you make it. Meaning have confidence in yourself. Your ability to shoot. Your ability to make the right call. It won’t always work out. But take the losses as learning experiences, which it seems like you’ve already done to some degree. We will never be perfect as much as want to be. Just know that all your progress and persistence will eventually bear fruit.

And yes, shoot does. Nothing builds confidence like shooting some does.

 

[dbow0603]

Unless you have private land with lots off deer on it I think you are misunderstanding what bowhunting is. Bowhunting is hard, regardless of what you see on YT and hunting shows. To be fair to the TV guys most won't show you the effort or the time they put in either. The other day I watched a show where to guy said he had logged over 40 hours that week of hunting, on private land!

I think your mindset has to change. Think of hunting not in terms of what you kill, or what equipment you need/have, but maybe more of what the overall experience was like. You are out exercising, breathing fresh air, ignoring your phone and all of the world's troubles including wife and kids lol.

I also think that MOST hunters forget to practice shooting during the season. They practice all year and then shut it down and are confused when it doesn't work out. I try to shoot as much as I can days before a hunt. You'd be surprised how your Left Rights change.

One of the best hunters I ever met shot an old bear whitetail II, had the crappiest arrows and camo, No range finder and killed more deer in one year then most do in ten years! Don't read into the hype. You don't need a 1k bow, or fancy (buzz word) stuff.

 

[Sbrammer]

I used to have the same issue with firearms. What was happening was after the bead was on vitals as I was squeezing the trigger I was pulling my head up to get a better view of the vitals, which was also pulling the firearm off the target. I've taught myself to look through the target and don't lift head until the projectile is down range and finished it's mission.

 

[goody94]

Sounds like hunting brother! Everyone of those traumatic mistakes are lessons that had to be learned in this game of inches. We learn everything through trauma or repetition and for me the trauma is more effective lol. For every nice buck I have there are 2 more that got away. Every year I get smarter and at the same time find another area to improve from a mistake I made.

Keep it simple, get some wins and your confidence will return. I was having my worst season ever and then everything changed in one minute. It’s a funny sport that way.

 

[goody94]

I would also say to remember the reason you got into it. Don’t let it own you. Find someone younger to teach or an older guy to learn from. It’s the relationships I’ve built and memories made hunting that are most valuable. Obviously I love being successful and getting big bucks, but it’s not the most important thing when all is said and done!

 

[TreeCreep]

I’m fortunate to text with OP and a few other buddies that I met locally through this site.
I’d say don’t do anything different. Be proud staying bow only through gun season. You got on some nice deer.
It doesn’t always mean an arrow is released or a buck piles up where you plan.
I do the same thing , the pressure is one of the side effects for me of reading too much on here, or in general.
Trust your scouting.
keep practicing and tightening up, envision how you would get a shot off if a deer does the opposite of what is ideal.
Nice job knocking a doe down btw.

I find myself questioning near everything at times.
when I find myself wishing it were easier , I pray for the resolve to build my own skills.
It’s why I’m currently about to lose it since taking up the stickbow.

I’ll shut up and take my own advice. See you at the trailhead.

Or Let me know when you want a #2 for Pickelball.

 

[Patriot]

Sounds to me like you are putting too much pressure on yourself because every time something bad happens it reinforces the idea that it will happen again. My advice is to start shooting does again. Get a couple of wins under your belt and you'll be back to 100%.

If that doesn't work, get a stuffed buck doll and stick a bunch of pins in it and bury it under some other dude's ladder stand. That will break the curse.

I agree. This year I went back to shooting does. I just had to admit I’m not an experienced killer, so get better at killing deer period. And then I can be better at killing bucks

 

[Patriot]

I’m fortunate to text with OP and a few other buddies that I met locally through this site.
I’d say don’t do anything different. Be proud staying bow only through gun season. You got on some nice deer.
It doesn’t always mean an arrow is released or a buck piles up where you plan.
I do the same thing , the pressure is one of the side effects for me of reading too much on here, or in general.
Trust your scouting.
keep practicing and tightening up, envision how you would get a shot off if a deer does the opposite of what is ideal.
Nice job knocking a doe down btw.

I find myself questioning near everything at times.
when I find myself wishing it were easier , I pray for the resolve to build my own skills.
It’s why I’m currently about to lose it since taking up the stickbow.

I’ll shut up and take my own advice. See you at the trailhead.

Or Let me know when you want a #2 for Pickelball.

Hahah. Soon as my my hip heals I want in on pickle ball. I need to just enjoy hunting more. That seems like the gist. And kill does. I def took that advice this year from you and Art and Brandon.

 

[woodsdog2]

Absolutely not! Continue to berate and beat yourself up like the rest of us do!!! Jk! I agree with the other posters, start shootimg stuff again.

 

[jphillips97]

I just want to know what you are doing to see the number of deer you say you see..... I am lucky if I see deer every 3rd or 4th sit.

 

[woodsdog2]

I posted a lengthy post in another thread about a similar question a couple of months ago. Basically, I spoke of shot timing as an important thing to practice that we don’t hear much about.We talk and practice a lot about shooting groups but we don’t talk much about timing the shot on game. A great excercise to help with this is a dart system at a local shop. Also, shooting a lot of does.

 

[GCTerpfan]

Several times a year I go through my entire shot process on a doe that I don’t intend to shoot. It gives me a chance to practice getting into position, drawing, going through my shot process, including picking a spot, getting back tension, etc., then I let down. It also helps you stay in control mentally because you have to stop the process and let down.

 

[Oakridge]

I went through a similar process. I switched to trad equipment early on in my hunting career and shot any deer that gave me a chance and was having a blast. A few years after that I started focusing on bucks mainly and after missing my target buck.. twice.. in a matter of a week and a half I had to go back to having fun.
I read on this site that the best way to get better at killing deer is to kill deer. Doe, buck it doesn’t matter! Go stack some deer up and learn your process.

 

[Dope on a Rope]

Having one of those years myself. So much learning, but after passing a bunch early, I stopped getting opportunities. More time in the field than ever before, but repeated gaffs. Burned myself out, but allowed a couple passes and forced myself to keep putting the time in and it made me appreciate the fresh air. A few of those days I basically just hiked with a bow in my hand… not interested but started learning like the early days. Different issues than yours but same hunting struggles. Honestly it’s probably what I needed because I didn’t have that kill drive early this season, then got in my head about not seeing anything, then about bumping them/over hunting spots/all kinds of rookie stuff. Good reset year and honestly enjoying it(even if I’ve been ready for the season to end a month ago)

 

[HuskerInIowa]

I agree with most of what has been said. It’s hunting, stuff happens, we learn from it, we grow.

The only thing I’d add, and I am sincerely trying to help and in no way intending to be mean, is that it seems you may be a little more gear focused than shoot your bow and stay calm focused. I say that as a support thread buys too much gear guy myself. If you don’t have buck fever and are completely missing or wounding deer several times that’s a separate issue from a broadhead coming off.

Personally I think you had a little bit of a realization when you wrote that out; it’s not buck fever but you make bad decisions when deer come in so….Breathe and have fun brother. You got this.

 

[Patriot]

I just want to know what you are doing to see the number of deer you say you see..... I am lucky if I see deer every 3rd or 4th sit.

I got obsessed with scouting for 3 years and did it all the time. And thru scouting I basically learned to hunt swamp edges exclusively and find the trails coming out thru scouting, and then there are always trails just outside the swamp that circle the swamp and I hunt just outside that ring. And if I’m not hunting a swamp I’m hunting thick woods right on the edge of the hardwoods where it meets the woods where it’s basically a swamp lol. Like those parts of the woods where there is about a foot of water between the clumps of trees? It’s not quite a swamp but it is water about a foot or more deep. I dunno man, I’ve just always found the most sign in these areas. And through scouting I came up with what I call my “circuit” and I go thru my circuit based on time of year and wind direction and I rarely ever hunt the same place twice.

So, scout, hunt swamps, and first sit best sit.

 

[Patriot]

I posted a lengthy post in another thread about a similar question a couple of months ago. Basically, I spoke of shot timing as an important thing to practice that we don’t hear much about.We talk and practice a lot about shooting groups but we don’t talk much about timing the shot on game. A great excercise to help with this is a dart system at a local shop. Also, shooting a lot of does.

What’s a dart system? Do you have the name of the thread you started?

 

[Patriot]

Several times a year I go through my entire shot process on a doe that I don’t intend to shoot. It gives me a chance to practice getting into position, drawing, going through my shot process, including picking a spot, getting back tension, etc., then I let down. It also helps you stay in control mentally because you have to stop the process and let down.

Whoa. I can’t believe I’ve never thought of that.