Dylon Fisher wrote:
I don’t know that you can “stop” it…but you can learn to control the excitement to some degree.
To give a example, yesterday after about 4 hours of sitting totally still in my favorite stand a big doe walked out from the woods. When I say big I mean BIG. I couldn’t tell exactly how big, because it was a good 85 yards away. That is a pretty long shot on my lease.
Dylon does your weapon have optics….or open iron sights? With optics (and a rest) 85 yds. should be a “chip shot” for most modern firearms/cartridge combinations.
I
t was a perfect broadside shot. I tried to put the crosshairs behind her shoulder, but I was shaking from all the excitement.
Dylon…feeling “excitement” is perfectly normal…but experiencing an adrenaline rush to the point that you lose your fine motor skills…is something you will need to overcome. By “overcome”…I mean control it…until AFTER the shot is completed, then you can shake all you want.
Basically, nothing will do more for learning to calm down than experiencing some success. Most people actually get nervous because they are uncertain of their ability to accomplish the task at hand but want so BADLY to do so.
There are certain mental drills you can go through that will help relieve some of the anticipation of a deer showing up and you getting the shot.
Also, if you are dead certain your equipment is “on” and reasonably certain you are able to make the shot (as a marksman), then all that is left….is to control your breathing and talk yourself through the shot.
She heard me click my safety off, and she started to stare at me. I knew she was about to run so I let a shot fly.
Classic “panic shot”, shot opportunity is perceived to be lost (or about to be) and the shot is rushed.
Never “let a shot fly”, take only those shots that you feel confident in making, or don’t take the shot.
MISSING your target (or worse…wounding it) only solidifies any doubts you may have about your abilities and works against you in the end.
Practice and be confident you can make the shot on any reasonably positioned animal. When you KNOW you can hit your target….then there is only the excitement of the
opportunity to control.
After about 2 hours of looking for blood with my dad. We determined it was a miss.
My hat is off to both of you for your diligent search. Many folks will stop looking for blood sign after just a few minutes.
Good job!
Anybody got any tips to keep the excitement down.
Keep at it,
have confidence….your JOB is to MAKE the shot. Once you have a few deer on the ground….the excitement part (though still there) will take care of itself. Best of luck to you…and keep us updated.
Flint.