I have taken two deer with poor shots. I shoot well at targets but fail pick a spot on the deer. I seem to aim at the deer in general and I have lucked out. How can I break this habit?
TIONESTA BOB
panic/fever
sounds like you get buck fever slightly. just slow down like said before. don't focus on the complete deer. think of it as a block target by focusing only on the vitals section once you get to that point.
speed
sounds like you get buck fever slightly. just slow down like said before. don't focus on the complete deer. think of it as a block target by focusing only on the vitals section once you get to that point.
speed
Do you...
...practice on an anatomy target, or just dots? It might be beneficial to either get a broadhead target with mock vitals, or an even better option would be to get an animal target (i.e. Delta River Bottom Buck or similar), and practice picking a spot. Another thing that might help is to practice shooting in different positions, as well as from different areas. If you have the space, change lanes so that you're not always shooting down your same lane, etc. One thing that helped my ranging accuracy was that I was originally shooting in front of a high wooden fence. I was really great at ranging when visibly there was a back stop. However, put me in another position in the woods, or even at another spot on the range where I was unfamilar, and my eyes played tricks on me regarding distance. One thing I did was to change the direction of my shooting lane. Instead of shooting back toward my fence, I set up the target down the fence (it's only down one side of the back yard) and shot parallel. So, there was nothing behind it, which is a much more realistic scenario. Small things like that tend to play tricks on the mind, making us think the target (alive or foam) is further/closer than it is in reality. At least this was the case with me, and this helped me out. I hope some of this helps. Of course, if you're shooting left/right of the spot you're picking, your form or anchor is being compromised somehow in the field.
On a whitetail, it's best to aim just behind the shoulder and an inch or two below the centerline. Just visualize the body cut in half, and that's your centerline. A deer can't jump up before first crouching, so if anything it's best to be a little low. Hopefully, you're also keeping your shot distance fairly short, notably within 30 yards or so until you're comfortable. For many hunters, shooting beyond this distance is considered too high risk anyway. Personally, I like to keep mine within 20 yards when I can, because I know that it's not a shooting competition, and that even though I practice at great distances, the chances of my making a flawless shot at those distances means that I must have full cooperation from the animal I'm hunting. And they just never seem to want to play along...
...practice on an anatomy target, or just dots? It might be beneficial to either get a broadhead target with mock vitals, or an even better option would be to get an animal target (i.e. Delta River Bottom Buck or similar), and practice picking a spot. Another thing that might help is to practice shooting in different positions, as well as from different areas. If you have the space, change lanes so that you're not always shooting down your same lane, etc. One thing that helped my ranging accuracy was that I was originally shooting in front of a high wooden fence. I was really great at ranging when visibly there was a back stop. However, put me in another position in the woods, or even at another spot on the range where I was unfamilar, and my eyes played tricks on me regarding distance. One thing I did was to change the direction of my shooting lane. Instead of shooting back toward my fence, I set up the target down the fence (it's only down one side of the back yard) and shot parallel. So, there was nothing behind it, which is a much more realistic scenario. Small things like that tend to play tricks on the mind, making us think the target (alive or foam) is further/closer than it is in reality. At least this was the case with me, and this helped me out. I hope some of this helps. Of course, if you're shooting left/right of the spot you're picking, your form or anchor is being compromised somehow in the field.
On a whitetail, it's best to aim just behind the shoulder and an inch or two below the centerline. Just visualize the body cut in half, and that's your centerline. A deer can't jump up before first crouching, so if anything it's best to be a little low. Hopefully, you're also keeping your shot distance fairly short, notably within 30 yards or so until you're comfortable. For many hunters, shooting beyond this distance is considered too high risk anyway. Personally, I like to keep mine within 20 yards when I can, because I know that it's not a shooting competition, and that even though I practice at great distances, the chances of my making a flawless shot at those distances means that I must have full cooperation from the animal I'm hunting. And they just never seem to want to play along...
I have always used the front legs as a reference point to line up my shots. If it's a 1/4 away shot I use the far side leg/shld as an exit pt. It seems once I start consentrating on getting my pins settling on the front leg / vitals area everything just comes together.
If you could imagine a spot like the one you shoot at on the deer, maybe that would help. Otherwise you could just stick to fawns.
don't feel bad i've taken a bunch of deer (86 with bow) and can remember readying the shot ,the aim but not the shot,the next thing i see is a deer going & look ing for a bloody arrow .
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
