Whitetail Wizard

Every year a big racked-buck steps of heavy cover, crosses in front of a hunter, and the hunter may shoot and miss.

The sight of a big (or a small buck) can send some folks into a flustered state. They lock up, can’t seem to function, and the moment for shooting is forever lost.

Think this will never happen to you? Don’t be too certain about it. It occurs with me, but over the years I’ve learned how to best cope with it without it becoming a major problem.

Here are a number of tricks to remember ... and to practice.

*Never think about the antlers. Forget about the antler spread, number of points or the thick beams. Once it is noted that the animal is a buck, and you approve of taking the animal, forget about the rack. Don’t even bother looking at it again.

*Zero automatically on the heart lung area, check the distance to determine if it is within your comfort range for accurate arrow placement, and touch the release trigger. If you shoot with fingers, make a smooth release, and follow through by not dropping your bow hand.

*Hunt where there are plenty of deer. Checking out deer—both bucks and does—at close range helps hunters overcome the anxiety they feel when they are close enough to a deer to kill the animal with a bow.

*Part of the pre-shoot anxiety comes from not knowing when or how to draw on a deer. Once committed to the draw, make it smooth and easy, and hopefully when the deer of choice and other nearby deer are not looking. Draw down on every deer within bow range. Sooner or later the bow hunter will stop spooking deer. It is good practice to try drawing on deer.

*Wait for the deer to lower its head to feed. Use natural sounds to mask any possible noise you’ll make while drawing. Watch the heads of all nearby deer, and draw when none are looking in your direction.

*Make certain your bow is silent and makes no noise when the arrow is drawn back across the arrow rest. The bow should not squeak or make a sound.

The more a hunter practices drawing on deer, the easier drawing successfully will become. There comes a point when you know you have the draw and the proper timing to draw down pat. It will have a calming effect on the hunter.

*Hunting is a state of mind, and the mental aspects are what get people jumpy. It’s important to draw enough on deer to learn when and how to do it, and it’s obvious that keen accuracy is part of the solution. If the hunter isn’t exactly positive of where the arrow will go when released, it creates a thought of possible error. Each hunter must remove as many of those possible errors as possible.

*Study deer. Know what they will do and when they will do it. The more the hunter knows about whitetail deer habits, the more they will learn what it takes to remove the anxiety from their life as a nice buck approaches.

*Learn to harness your energy into a positive way. Take a deep breath, let it out, and calm yourself so your are not hyperventilating. Think calm and peaceful thoughts.

*Never think about failing, but instead, think positively. Know when to draw, aim and shoot, and don’t allow yourself to become distracted by other thoughts. Focus your entire being on the animal in front, determine precisely how the animal must be standing, and know when to draw and shoot.

*This is not rocket science. It just requires a calm and collected thought process, being confident in your ability to shoot accurately, knowing when to shoot, and keeping your nerves collected so you don’t get the shakes.

*Only time and being around deer, and practicing on drawing for a shot at a deer, can get this monkey off your back. Practice these thoughts, and get ready for the fall bow season.