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Target panic has me wanting to switch

I was having trouble getting my pins to settle year one (3.5 years ago) so switched to an ez v sight pretty early on. Some people think they are a gimmick but it works for me. I do still somewhat cheat and have the yardage tic marks facing me but it's worked well for 3 deer and unknown foam target hits.

One could make an argument that it was simply the amount of practice and repetition and small amount of experience that has been the larger factor, but the EZ-V does have a decent sized fan club, and most shot pins longer than I did before switching.
I always use the tick marks and in fact customized them to my own liking by adding some of my own and moving the 20 yard marks lower. Most of the dispute around the ezv centers around using it as a range finding tool but I don’t really care about that part. It’s a handy reference if the deers farther away, but I just like centering my shot between 2 marks instead of trying to put a pin directly on it.
 
So I’ve never harvested a deer with a bow :( yet every deer I’ve shot with a gun it was a no brainer just second nature grab point pull. No nerves no getting giddy no shaking just straight to the point and done. So I’ve been reading and reading and reading more about guys switching to trad for the reason of target panic. I feel that knowing I need the precise shot will calm my nerves greatly rather than looking for the first shot and the speed of shooting a recurve is from what I understand to be a fast tempo like drawing a gun. Any guys here switch off compound to trad for these reasons? I’m not big on social media. In fact this forum is about my only form of communication with people I don’t know lol so figured this would be my best shot at getting straight forward answers

Target panic is just as bad if not worse with a trad bow. If folks don't have any target panic with a barebow (edit: after having it with a compound), I suspect it is because they are doing very short range, snap shooting. But many consider snap shooting a form of target panic. The various clickers and other methods are designed, in part, to help with recurve target panic.

A compound bow with a back tension or resistance release and going through the process of getting over target panic (short range, no dot on target, maybe even no sight) is the most sure path, I think.

I've shot both compound and barebow recurve extensively, and was only recurve for probably a decade or more.
 
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It hard enough to get close to deer, I’ve got no qualms whatsoever with newer hunters getting into the rhythm with a crossbow, it still ain’t easy and you can be practicing and mixing in the compound any time. Odds are the recovery rates on those first few deer will be higher and the wound rates lower. Full disclosure this coming from a guy who just order a HC Mini, but for different reasons.
 
I hear what your saying and definitely don't want this to sound argumentative, just food for thought....What's fair to the animal is a quick humane kill. It's not the arrow launching apparatus that makes things fair, getting the arrow on target accurately is what's fair to the animal.
Amen.
 
Since you don't seem to have pin freeze and can get on target it seems like you are just falling apart at the last second due to some shot anxiety. Try this. Get on target and put your finger on the release and then just pause. Take a two count and focus your attention on the spot on the target only. Pick a tiny spot. Feel your fingertip on the trigger and just slowly tense your back very slowly and the shot will surprise you.

I have this weird thing when does come in. I get really shook up and the longer they are there the worse it gets. I will literally shake involuntarily after about 5 minutes. It's crazy. With a buck I want to shoot I have ice water in my veins until after the shot. Like I say, it is weird. I can pinwheel a buck, but I have missed does by a mile. What I found that helped me is when any deer comes in, regardless of what it is, I say to myself "I'm not going to shoot that deer", and that really helps me. I dawned on me that when a doe came in that I wanted to arrow I was getting nervous about the shot. That was what was messing me up. Now when one comes in and I want to arrow it I think to myself I'm not going to shoot it but all the while my body is preparing for the shot. This has helped me out.

I would highly recommend traditional archery but as its own reward, not as a cure for issues shooting a compound. To me they seem to be apples and oranges.
Even just that two count, maybe even a one count, might alone take care of much of the problem. Internalize a quick little process mantra, or a pause as you pick a hair. Also practice from elevation, maybe you’re just dropping your arm.
 
shooting trad isn’t a cure for target panic and a few will probably disagree but, I’m fairly confident in saying that shooting quickly is more likely to cause target panic then fix it. You need to be in control of your shot, regardless of what type of bow you are shooting. You can shoot a gun because you focus on the act of squeezing the trigger under control and it is a surprise when it goes off.

You need to listen to everything you can by Joel Turner. Here is a podcast that he did with Trad Geeks. https://tradgeeks.com/podcast/podcast41/
This is more Trad focused but Joel has a ton of information out there about shooting compounds also. Joel does an amazing job explaining the causes of target panic and how to fix it.
X2 on recommending Joel Turner

If you can afford it, get his online course or attend one of his seminars
 
On the issue of wounding. It is good you are evaluating everything to do your best to not wound deer but understand, if you hunt long enough it is going to happen. I have hunted long enough to have seen and personally experienced deer wounded by high powered rifles and not recovered. These were shots under 100 yards at calm deer hit well and they just vanished at the end of a blood trail that would put an 80's slasher film to shame. There was no explaining it.

It is a variable we have no control over, and we just have to do our best to make good shots but sometimes it won't work out.
Like I said I don’t know the exact number but should I have to guess I’d say around 10. I’ve been hunting for 15 years but I’d only say I’ve actually been hunting for the last 3 all the other years I was just the guy I no the woods waiting to get lucky. The only deer I ever wounded aside from that archery doe this year was a gut shot fork horn YEARS ago with a shotgun. Found him chewed up by yotes 4 days later and I was so disgusted and discouraged with myself that I took the last 2 weeks off and spent it at the range practicing quick shooting. I’ve missed plenty of deer over the years don’t worry none about that lol I just shot a doe Monday morning for gun opener and missed a nice buck that afternoon
 
I just wanna say thanks to all you guys for the help the ideas the criticism and any other knowledge that you all shared I’m gonna hunt with a gun for the remainder of shotgun and switch back to the bow through muzzle loader seeing as I have meat in the freezer now. I can’t believe the amount of response this post got. I’m so glad to have stumbled across this site 2 years ago you guys are all great and I feel honored to be a part of this big family!
 
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So I’ve never harvested a deer with a bow :( yet every deer I’ve shot with a gun it was a no brainer just second nature grab point pull. No nerves no getting giddy no shaking just straight to the point and done. So I’ve been reading and reading and reading more about guys switching to trad for the reason of target panic. I feel that knowing I need the precise shot will calm my nerves greatly rather than looking for the first shot and the speed of shooting a recurve is from what I understand to be a fast tempo like drawing a gun. Any guys here switch off compound to trad for these reasons? I’m not big on social media. In fact this forum is about my only form of communication with people I don’t know lol so figured this would be my best shot at getting straight forward answers
Tim I shot traditional for 25 yrs and compounds for nearly the same # of yrs. I had target panic a few times with both. I found that for me when I got it, it was mainly from shooting (practicing) too much. Without going into too much detail I quit just shooting for a period of time. When I came back to it I got much better. I would equate it with a golfer who starts shanking the ball. It seems that you need to stop playing for a while to correct it. Golfers would understand better what I am talking about. Maybe over simplifying. I will say target panic is not limited to compound or Trad shooters. Just switching weapons may not be the cure in my opinion.
 
I’ve been bowhunting for right at 30 years, but I have just recently started shooting Trad. From my short experience, I would think if anything trad gear will only amplify target panic if that is what you truly have. Your shot sequence has to be the same every time for consistent arrow flight. In the heat of the moment with a deer at 15 yards it is very easy to short draw, or experience draw creep if you are over bowed, shooting at a steep angle, etc.…
 
Tim I shot traditional for 25 yrs and compounds for nearly the same # of yrs. I had target panic a few times with both. I found that for me when I got it, it was mainly from shooting (practicing) too much. Without going into too much detail I quit just shooting for a period of time. When I came back to it I got much better. I would equate it with a golfer who starts shanking the ball. It seems that you need to stop playing for a while to correct it. Golfers would understand better what I am talking about. Maybe over simplifying. I will say target panic is not limited to compound or Trad shooters. Just switching weapons may not be the cure in my opinion.
I’m a golfer so I understand your comparison %100 and I also practice shooting very often. Usually about
2-3x a week at least a dozen arrows. I’m not so sure”target panic” was the right term because I’m cool as a cucumber until the moment of release. Obviously I get a little giddy we all do it’s just that I fall apart a second before release. I don’t really know how to explain it but I know I can feel it
 
I’m a golfer so I understand your comparison %100 and I also practice shooting very often. Usually about
2-3x a week at least a dozen arrows. I’m not so sure”target panic” was the right term because I’m cool as a cucumber until the moment of release. Obviously I get a little giddy we all do it’s just that I fall apart a second before release. I don’t really know how to explain it but I know I can feel it
Some good posts here regarding what you called target panic. I like the post about saying your not going to shoot the deer and another try small game hunting-great ideas.
One idea from me would be just sit off season and watch deer up close and personal without a weapon. May help you relax whe n you do hunt.
All the nimrods on this site get a little shook when hunting or they wouldn’t be here. You learn over time to handle panic or buck fever at a manageable level.
I puked out of my stand once I got so shook….and not from a bad breakfast!
 
I use a one-arrow method for most of my practice in-season (and honestly, out too). It’s not my original idea, but it works for me. Shoot one hunting arrow early in the day or before work, live with the shot results until you get home or whatever, shoot one more hunting arrow, live with the results until tomorrow. I only really experienced some form of target panic while shooting spots, not on 3D or really any shape other than a circle. This method helps me a lot, especially shooting spots. It also simulates the one-shot opportunities of hunting and dealing with the results.
A fun way to help might just be switching your target medium. Throw some playing cards on a backstop and try to make the best poker hand, shoot suits or numerical order…whatever. Loads of fun. Helps you be accurate within 3” of whatever you’re aiming at.
 
I’m a golfer so I understand your comparison %100 and I also practice shooting very often. Usually about
2-3x a week at least a dozen arrows. I’m not so sure”target panic” was the right term because I’m cool as a cucumber until the moment of release. Obviously I get a little giddy we all do it’s just that I fall apart a second before release. I don’t really know how to explain it but I know I can feel it
Sounds like you are experiencing recoil bracing. Essentially its your subconscious bracing for the explosion of energy as the bow is about go off.

With that being the case I would again strongly suggest Joel Turner. He covers that specific issue more than anyone
 
There is a lot of good info in these posts, but I do not think that buck fever and target panic are the same thing. Yet, it is entirely possible that an archer could have both and that one could contribute to the other. Being a stone cold killer with a rifle does not translate to the same with a bow for many reasons. What makes target panic different, IMO, is inability to execute a shot sequence correctly.

Every archer has a shot sequence, but it is not the same for all shooters and may differ for compound shooters and trad archers (I have done both). I bet few bowhunters could execute a shot sequence exactly like the best Olympic gold metalist, but you do not have to. Nor do you have to change everything up and do what your best friend does, or even the best on-line expert. However, I do think that the basic fundamentals of a shot sequence must be learned and must be repeatable. Here is my take on them: 1) draw to a consistent anchor, 2) aim, 3) have a decent release. Shooting a gun or a crossbow, effectively takes care of #1, but you still have to do 2 and 3 well to kill deer even with these weapons. Failing to aim or flinching with a scoped rifle still results in a bad shot.

What makes target panic so difficult for some to overcome is that it is both mental and physical. Your normal/best shot sequence is harder to master when under pressure (the buck is broadside at 20 yards), and that part is often mental. However, humans are creatures of habit, and if you learn bad habits, like short drawing or not aiming, they can become ingrained. In fact, they become physical, biological. Everything we do is dependent upon nerve pathways, and with target panic the normal shot sequence pathway, where everything goes right, gets neurologically by-passed, so instead of doing 1, 2, 3 your nerve pathways change to 1,3 for instance. One miss one time is not necessarily target panic. However, target panic is really ingrained, repeated (bad) habits often associated with elevated pressure (internal or external) that result in neuropathways that short circuit your ideal shot sequence.

When I was trying to shoot trad instinctively, I could draw my bow to a comfortable anchor with no problem, unless I was really trying to shoot (internal pressure) and then I would regularly short draw. Just the common advice of "burn a hole in that target where you want to hit it" created enough pressure to throw me off my shot sequence. Other people can hit anchor solidly but forget to aim. Others can't get a good release and flinch or yank the string back upon release.

A good "coach" can help diagnose such problems, but only if you are doing it when they are watching. So if you are rock solid on targets and only struggle on deer, a coach on your target range may not be much help. However, I doubt that anyone can properly diagnose your problem from your posts. Target panic generally is associated with elevated pressure, but having a coach watch you shoot may be enough to create such pressure.

The most important thing that I can really say, however, is that target panic, if you really have it, is not just mental. Many well meaning friends will give you advice as if you can just fix it with X or Y, but it is not that easy because you have ingrained neuropathways that are not achieving the desired results. Think of it as a computer, if a hacker puts a "bug" in your operating system and it fails to boot properly, turning it off and then back on, or rearranging your set-up, or even replacing your monitor is not going to help. You must reprogram the operating system. It is the same with target panic, in order to overcome faulty, ingrained neuropathways, you have to ingrain better neuropathways so well that you don't slip back into bad habits when under pressure. This is where changes to your shot sequence can help, like shooting the cards (affecting aiming) or a clicker (for anchor).

I agree that there is some great information here and elsewhere on the internet, but if you really have target panic, it may be a slow path to overcome it. And, anyone who recommends a quick fix may have no freaking idea of how to solve your problems. I believe that you can self-coach yourself out of it, but garbage in, garbage out. Make sure that you are putting the right stuff in from a skilled and qualified "coach," and not just grasping for whatever "some guy" who appoints himself an expert says. This said, however, I do think that you can learn some things that will help your manage the pressure (mental side) and good techniques for dealing with the repeatable shot sequence and neuro pathways.

Personally, I do not consider myself an expert and won't offer a lot of specific advice, but I did rely on stuff from Jay Kidwell when I was struggling with target panic. (see https://archivalarchery.org/Documents/TargetPanic/TargPan.html) It really helped me, however, to understand why I was having such a hard time fixing my problems. But, I do think it would be helpful for you to separate buck fever from target panic. You may only suffer from buck fever, and that may be much easier to fix. Good luck. - Hugh
 
Get a nose button and make that the only thing you concentrate on, the only thing and the rest will line up and fall in place.
 
There is a lot of good info in these posts, but I do not think that buck fever and target panic are the same thing. Yet, it is entirely possible that an archer could have both and that one could contribute to the other. Being a stone cold killer with a rifle does not translate to the same with a bow for many reasons. What makes target panic different, IMO, is inability to execute a shot sequence correctly.

Every archer has a shot sequence, but it is not the same for all shooters and may differ for compound shooters and trad archers (I have done both). I bet few bowhunters could execute a shot sequence exactly like the best Olympic gold metalist, but you do not have to. Nor do you have to change everything up and do what your best friend does, or even the best on-line expert. However, I do think that the basic fundamentals of a shot sequence must be learned and must be repeatable. Here is my take on them: 1) draw to a consistent anchor, 2) aim, 3) have a decent release. Shooting a gun or a crossbow, effectively takes care of #1, but you still have to do 2 and 3 well to kill deer even with these weapons. Failing to aim or flinching with a scoped rifle still results in a bad shot.

What makes target panic so difficult for some to overcome is that it is both mental and physical. Your normal/best shot sequence is harder to master when under pressure (the buck is broadside at 20 yards), and that part is often mental. However, humans are creatures of habit, and if you learn bad habits, like short drawing or not aiming, they can become ingrained. In fact, they become physical, biological. Everything we do is dependent upon nerve pathways, and with target panic the normal shot sequence pathway, where everything goes right, gets neurologically by-passed, so instead of doing 1, 2, 3 your nerve pathways change to 1,3 for instance. One miss one time is not necessarily target panic. However, target panic is really ingrained, repeated (bad) habits often associated with elevated pressure (internal or external) that result in neuropathways that short circuit your ideal shot sequence.

When I was trying to shoot trad instinctively, I could draw my bow to a comfortable anchor with no problem, unless I was really trying to shoot (internal pressure) and then I would regularly short draw. Just the common advice of "burn a hole in that target where you want to hit it" created enough pressure to throw me off my shot sequence. Other people can hit anchor solidly but forget to aim. Others can't get a good release and flinch or yank the string back upon release.

A good "coach" can help diagnose such problems, but only if you are doing it when they are watching. So if you are rock solid on targets and only struggle on deer, a coach on your target range may not be much help. However, I doubt that anyone can properly diagnose your problem from your posts. Target panic generally is associated with elevated pressure, but having a coach watch you shoot may be enough to create such pressure.

The most important thing that I can really say, however, is that target panic, if you really have it, is not just mental. Many well meaning friends will give you advice as if you can just fix it with X or Y, but it is not that easy because you have ingrained neuropathways that are not achieving the desired results. Think of it as a computer, if a hacker puts a "bug" in your operating system and it fails to boot properly, turning it off and then back on, or rearranging your set-up, or even replacing your monitor is not going to help. You must reprogram the operating system. It is the same with target panic, in order to overcome faulty, ingrained neuropathways, you have to ingrain better neuropathways so well that you don't slip back into bad habits when under pressure. This is where changes to your shot sequence can help, like shooting the cards (affecting aiming) or a clicker (for anchor).

I agree that there is some great information here and elsewhere on the internet, but if you really have target panic, it may be a slow path to overcome it. And, anyone who recommends a quick fix may have no freaking idea of how to solve your problems. I believe that you can self-coach yourself out of it, but garbage in, garbage out. Make sure that you are putting the right stuff in from a skilled and qualified "coach," and not just grasping for whatever "some guy" who appoints himself an expert says. This said, however, I do think that you can learn some things that will help your manage the pressure (mental side) and good techniques for dealing with the repeatable shot sequence and neuro pathways.

Personally, I do not consider myself an expert and won't offer a lot of specific advice, but I did rely on stuff from Jay Kidwell when I was struggling with target panic. (see https://archivalarchery.org/Documents/TargetPanic/TargPan.html) It really helped me, however, to understand why I was having such a hard time fixing my problems. But, I do think it would be helpful for you to separate buck fever from target panic. You may only suffer from buck fever, and that may be much easier to fix. Good luck. - Hugh
Could you clarify for me what you define as buck fever if it is not mental or psychological pressure that prevents the shooter from properly executing their shot? Trying to understand what or where you see the difference.
 
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