Rushing the shot"

[Toby]

I read through JGH's thread on Composure,great thread and good advice. I have on occasion gotten rattled as well, but more often I have had to battle rushing the shot. The two things aren't the same, because only rarely to I get rattled, but have rushed the shot even when fully composed.

Any advice on how to remedy this.
Thanks
Toby

[Huntrgathr]

I've rushed the shot in a couple situations - missed both times. What I do now is to draw back on a lot of animals that I don't plan to shoot and just hold the pin on them. It's also good practice for "picking a spot" and for choosing the right time to draw as well. I typically only draw on animals that I have a tag for just in case I were to subconsciously squeeze the trigger...

[Swede]

This is an interesting question that I have worked on. I believe a hunter needs to be able to make a quality shot quickly. Animals often don't give us much time. They don't stand there posing for us. They won't allow us to take our time like a 3D target does. I have seen people at 3D targets stand there for a long time aiming, then let down, take a break them re-aim and finally shoot. Elk are not going to give us that kind of opportunity very often.
At the same time we know that a quality shot requires deliberate and careful aim and a smooth release. The smooth release is important when using a release or with just fingers. I hold my trigger finger behind the trigger until I am ready to shoot. I go over the mechanics of everything associated with making the shot, in my mind. Only when I am ready to shoot do I bring my finger over the trigger. At that point I am ready, and the shot should be on its way in just a moment.

[Still Hunter]

Composer and rushing the shot can be cured the same way.

I'm willing to bet most hunters practice shooting slow deliberate shots. A rifle shooter will almost always practice from a bench rest. More than likely it will be 100% of their practice. Bow hunters will be holding the pin on the target until it's perfect, and slowly squeeze the trigger. They are called triggers aren't they? They look like them.

Hunters who use traditional bows, and use the instinctive way to shoot never get nervous. Shotgun shooters hunting bids don't get nervous. Why is that? It's because they practice shooting fast. No time to think about it. They shoot from muscle memory developed from practicing it over and over.

I have a bit of an advantage as a still hunter over long range hunters. My shots are done very fast in dark timber at not long ranges. Half of them are running shots. I've practiced that type of shooting since I was preteen. My dad setup running targets for me and my brother, and we would compete with each other everyday. To this day I don't practice on a bench. I'll sight in the gun on a bench, but that's the only time. I'll shoot off to the side of the benches. I'll use field positions, and shoot as fast as I can. Mount the gun, and as soon as I have the first sight picture shoot! Holding longer just gets the sights waving around. This makes you nervous. The longer you take. The worse it gets.

If you're the type that can hold on an elk until you have the perfect sight picture, and stay calm through the whole thing. You have no problems. If you're not that type, and can hardly catch your breath while holding on the target. You need to change things. You need to practice shooting faster. You don't need to shoot sub MOA groups to kill elk. That's for target shooters. Elk have a big kill zone. You need to practice shooting MOA of elk.

Don't dwell on the shot. Block out everything but the shot. Mount the gun, or pull the bow, get the sight picture fast, and shoot. You can do it, because you practiced it.

[Swede]

Let me come back to my earlier post here a minute and explain a point. When I wrote of going over the mechanics of the shot in my mind before I release an arrow, I was referring to, bow arm relaxed with elbow out, I verify that I am looking through my peep, have the correct front sight dot on the precise spot I want to hit. I often say "I never shoot elk". "I shoot a spot on an elk." When I check my elk over, I look to see that the arrow went precisely where I intended it to go. Other's may have different routines they go through, but by focusing on what I am doing and not being overly consumed with what the elk is up to, I have found I do not get "buck fever" and I am able to make a quality shot nearly every time.
Can problems still happen? They did this year when I hit a small dead branch I did not see. However you shoot, have a routine you have practiced and can go through very quickly. I am satisfied I can draw, aim and shoot in 5-6 seconds. I have not timed it but it is usually fairly quick.

[Still Hunter]

My post was a response to the OP. I don't always read the whole thread. I only do that on a forum that i'm a mod on.

[Swede]

LOL Still Hunter: I was not addressing you with my posts either. I think we were just expressing what we do to not rush the shot, but to make a quality shot quickly. It appears we have much in common in our routine, but express it a little differently.

[slim9300]

Every elk I have shot inside of 30 yards and a huge number of deer, I have rushed the shot on. There is a reasonable level of 'panic' or 'fever' involved too. I have always figured that as I kill more animals it would get easier to deal with, but no it hasn't. I shot my late season cow at 15 yards and even trying to calm myself down didn't work. When I put the pin on her I did my typical 'that's good enough' and the arrow was gone in about 2 seconds (literally) and I remember thinking "WTF did you just do!" Lol.

Good thread topic. It couldn't be more relevant for me.

[Toby]

Good information, thanks for sharing. Slim, you made me laugh with your "WTF" but, your description summed my shooting up pretty well. I think there is a fine line between rushing the shot and shooting quickly as the situation requires. My son, has the knack. He makes one good shot after another, cant remember a poor one from him. He always say, just take one more second, just one more second. While I am working on that, I am still more into Slims"WTF" mode.

[Trophyhill]

one thing I've learned is that we have more time to focus and take the shot than many think. let the situation unfold, draw, aim, pull thru the shot and go get your elk.

[ElkNut1]

I've read most of what's written here & agree on a lot of the factors that have been shared.

A rushed shot mainly happens from a hunter who has taken few elk if any! What happens is a hunter sees things happening in his/her favor as the elk comes in or the hunter goes to the elk & he fears this elk may get away so he wants to take advantage of his good fortune as fast as possible & rushes/forces the shot. Too, the hunter may realize that an oncoming or milling around elk is getting close to where the wind will give him/her away so he again may rush things. It's very easy to get that now or never feeling, when it happens rarely do things come out well, generally a missed or wounded animal occurs!

ElkNut1

[elkmtngear]

Good information, thanks for sharing. Slim, you made me laugh with your "WTF" but, your description summed my shooting up pretty well. I think there is a fine line between rushing the shot and shooting quickly as the situation requires. My son, has the knack. He makes one good shot after another, cant remember a poor one from him. He always say, just take one more second, just one more second. While I am working on that, I am still more into Slims"WTF" mode.

I got pushed into "WTF" mode this Season. I was hunting blacktails on a windy ridgeline, and I had a narrow crack between two big rocks to get my shot off from my ambush point.

Wind was blowing my bow around, and right when the buck came into view a big blast of wind gusted me. I recovered and attempted a snap shot before the buck exited my field of view...result was not good!

I'm an old dog, but I learned a couple of things

1. Take your arrows out of your bow quiver when it is windy
2. Attempt to stop a moving animal for the shot by any means possible
3. When your optimum shot opportunity is gone, do not settle for a marginal shot.

[easeup]

one thing I've learned is that we have more time to focus and take the shot than many think. let the situation unfold, draw, aim, pull thru the shot and go get your elk.

yes...my experience is that there is nearly always enough time to do a good shot...its just that we perceive there isn't.

I've read most of what's written here & agree on a lot of the factors that have been shared.

A rushed shot mainly happens from a hunter who has taken few elk if any! What happens is a hunter sees things happening in his/her favor as the elk comes in or the hunter goes to the elk & he fears this elk may get away so he wants to take advantage of his good fortune as fast as possible & rushes/forces the shot. Too, the hunter may realize that an oncoming or milling around elk is getting close to where the wind will give him/her away so he again may rush things. It's very easy to get that now or never feeling, when it happens rarely do things come out well, generally a missed or wounded animal occurs!
ElkNut1

and this is why we let it happen to us......good replies

[Toby]

In thinking back over some of my shot opportunities, I think Paul's thought of rushing the shot for fear the bull/buck will get away is what causes me to rush at times. I hunt Whitetails mainly by rattling/calling and elk by calling, so when things happen, they happen fast. As you know, this type of hunting is quite different than sitting on a trail or watching a food source. I need to work on taking one more second.