The factors that make you deadly with a stick

[Kevin Dill]

You've got good accuracy with your hunting gear. You're getting good, desirable animals in to close range. You can smack a beer can at 20 yards but something seems to go haywire with animals at the moment of truth. What is it?

To attack my own question.....

I have hunted with a number of guys who were basically outstanding killers, when it came down to a killing time. If they decided an animal was to be taken, and if that animal got inside their effective range....dead critter. We've all talked about why some guys get it done with steady regularity and dependability. I feel confident to say none of them are/were natural killers. They all developed their abilities to make it count when the opportunity arrived. And here's what I think most of it boils down to:

1. Demonstrable and repeatable accuracy with the bow. Confidence is an element of accuracy. The better your accuracy, the more you believe in your ability to make a killing shot. And that belief then becomes....

2. Confidence. When the hunter believes 100% in his abilities to get it done, there's no creeping doubt when the bow is raised. Nothing beats knowing you've got this....no worries.

3. Managing emotions and thoughts. I and the majority of the successful hunters I know seem to have one thing generally in common. Once we determine an animal is worth killing, we tend to focus 150% on bringing it to fruition. Emotion and distractions are put aside. Nothing matters except the animal's actions and our final preparation. When the moment arrives that I know a shot is imminent, I find myself 'chilling down' and going into a total predatory state of mind. And though this tends to feel very instinctive to me, it's really just how I've developed over many years. My head used to be full of 'what ifs?' a long time back...and those are the things that blow your focus.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I don’t think I’d consider myself “deadly with a stick” per se, there’s certainly a pile of other folks out there that do much better than me. As far as my meager successes go: terrain and setup has been the great equalizer for me.

Where I hunt, I really don’t think there’s any advantage to a compound. 25 yard shots can be had all day, regardless of weapon. If you put in the reps and time at that distance with a stick and really learn your woodsmanship around here, you’ll thrive.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

I think the absolute #1 factor for being successful with a stick bow (and most other things in life) is hard-nosed persistence. You have to be willing to fail and try again and again until their's no time left in your hunt. There's simply no substitute, not even great shooting and calm nerves, for a never give up attitude.

Kevin's example of his moose at 4 yards is a great one. Sure, getting that bull in super close made for a chip shot. But if I remember his story correctly, he also killed it on nearly the last day of a really tough hunt. Without his persistence there would have been no chip shot.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

1. Demonstrable and repeatable accuracy with the bow. Confidence is an element of accuracy. The better your accuracy, the more you believe in your ability to make a killing shot. And that belief then becomes....

2. Confidence. When the hunter believes 100% in his abilities to get it done, there's no creeping doubt when the bow is raised. Nothing beats knowing you've got this....no worries.

3. Managing emotions and thoughts. I and the majority of the successful hunters I know seem to have one thing generally in common. Once we determine an animal is worth killing, we tend to focus 150% on bringing it to fruition. Emotion and distractions are put aside. Nothing matters except the animal's actions and our final preparation. When the moment arrives that I know a shot is imminent, I find myself 'chilling down' and going into a total predatory state of mind. And though this tends to feel very instinctive to me, it's really just how I've developed over many years. My head used to be full of 'what ifs?' a long time back...and those are the things that blow your focus.

I agree with this 100%. Accuracy begets confidence, and confidence helps with the emotional head game (doesn't fix it completely, but helps).

 

[bjfoxhoven]

I will come at this from another angle... I’m definitely not a consistent “killer” yet. Not even close. I’ve been able to keep it together and make some great shots the last few years in the heat of the moment. But I’ve been archery hunting for 15 years or so now and would have sooo many more bucks on the wall if I was a killer. And I am just diving head first into trad this year finally (due to 100x the confidence that previous years).

Proper form, consistent practice, perfect practice, practice under pressure, form, learning to get close...and then even closer, and keeping calm are all a necessity.

If you can not control your adrenaline when the time comes though, you will never be a killer. You may get lucky from time to time (I have). Like stated earlier, that is when a mental process needs to be in place, a checklist to go through to make sure you do miss any of the critical checks in your shot process.

In the aviation and anesthesia industries we fall back onto checklists and standardized protocols during stressful situations when lives are on the line...because we cannot remember everything when we have too much adrenaline surging through our veins.

When you are seasoned enough to not stress or get “buck fever” then you can just let it happen. I’m getting close to that point. Until then I will keep making sure I focus on the little parts of the draw and form to help me shoot right when the time comes.

 

[bjfoxhoven]

I agree with this 100%. Accuracy begets confidence, and confidence helps with the emotional head game (doesn't fix it completely, but helps).

Completely agree too. Once I figured out my release my accuracy went way up, along with my confidence, which helped the accuracy even more. Ever wonder why people miss the small targets at close range but can hit the big targets at the same range perfectly? They aren’t confident in hitting the small target and it completely messes up their shot.

 

[ko3n3k3]

I agree with the above. I stalk on things at any chance I get. I also try to never bust anything and see how much movement I can get away with, even if it just means circling around them inside of 100 yards.

 

[Beendare]

Well the limiting factor for us as stick bow hunters is that in getting as close as we have to for a good shot....that can also work against us. Being inside an animals personal space has screwed me up more than once....a little tiny wind shift or swirl...and gone.

 

[A.Hutch]

or that moment when you've done everything right but that sixth sence kicks in and the prey knows a predator is bearing down on them.....




Hutch

 

[nrhoffman93]

I think one key to success is time in the woods. If you spend enough time in the woods opportunities will present themselves. Also, being in the right area makes a huge difference. If you want to shoot big deer, you have to hunt where big deer live. Don't expect for one to just magically appear in your usual hunting spot. Finally, being a good woodsman and knowing how to walk slow and quietly makes a big difference.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Well the limiting factor for us as stick bow hunters is that in getting as close as we have to for a good shot....that can also work against us. Being inside an animals personal space has screwed me up more than once....a little tiny wind shift or swirl...and gone.

I had an absolute monster of a bear come in to an elk call like this once. He was practically on top of me, and I knew I had the wind in my favor, then bam! He picked something up he didn’t like and was gone in a flash.

 

[Beendare]

There is the shot sequence and shooting part.... then there is the most important mental factor of getting off a good shot with the urgency of a live animal.
Its just not the same as target shooting with the all the time in the world to make a shot on a stationary target. I think a guy needs to practice with that sense of urgency in practice sessions.

Then there is the being close to animals part. How to move, when to step, where to setup, when to draw, etc. I've called elk for guys that are fidgeting around like crazy....if they only knew how much they were moving. When calling, those elk are typically looking for the source...and they will pick out small movements...let alone a guy swinging his ball cap from side to side.

I love stalking hogs for that^ reason....its good practice getting in close to animals.

______

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I love stalking hogs for that^ reason....its good practice getting in close to animals.

______

It's funny... I have really good success at getting close to hogs without them seeing me, even in the wide open. It's always their nose that beats me, rather than their eyes. I tend to think of them as mostly blind. Maybe we hunt different hogs or something.

 

[Beendare]

It's funny... I have really good success at getting close to hogs without them seeing me, even in the wide open. It's always their nose that beats me, rather than their eyes. I tend to think of them as mostly blind. Maybe we hunt different hogs or something.

Agreed they aren't the wariest animal.

About 1/2 of my stalks are in wide open areas. If one catches you moving the ones here are gone. Some of our hogs hang in areas with turkeys...and cattle as a early warning detector. That said, it isn't all that tough to get 12 yards from them if you take your time and the wind is right.

Hogs are made for bowhunters...

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I really wanna hog hunt.

 

[npm352]

My trick is to get it in a tree first..then I have all the time in the world to focus on making a good shot.

 

[A.Hutch]

I really wanna hog hunt.

C'mon down, iffin ya don't mind tha chiggers.....lol



Hutch

 

[LanceM]

I’ve always been able to get close regardless of weapon. I spent lots of time as a kid putting the sneak on anything I could find that would let me. I blew a lot of opportunities early on on shots I could have taken but I always wanted to try and get closer or just to see how close I could get. I also think learning about your equipment, learning to tune, practicing, admitting to yourself what you did wrong in practice or in a hunt situation and learning from that, staying humble.......all of it. I’m a one bow guy. I like to find one I like and shoot the piss out of it. I like to learn the feel, the draw.....all of it. For me having too many bows is a distraction. I know most guys will disagree with me on that but that’s my choice and not theirs. Regardless.......shooting stuff with a stickbow is crazy fun!!!

Agreed. Never understood the guys that have to get the new bow every season (compounds) and re-learn everything about it. By the time they're getting REALLY confident, it's time to buy a new one.

 

[Beendare]

Fantastic bear....I love that color. I think its the same hair color my wife uses- grin

My trick is to get it in a tree first..then I have all the time in the world to focus on making a good shot.

 

[npm352]

Fantastic bear....I love that color. I think its the same hair color my wife uses- grin

Haha thank you!