i missed a doe the other day my first deer i ever shot at with a bow. what could i do to calm myself down when deer come in?

[ILikePike]

This may sound dumb, but sit in the stand without a bow, and use a camera. You will notice the difference when a deer aproaches. When you see how easy that was, then go back with the bow.

[dovehunter2]

take deep breaths. imagine that the buck is a target

[6phunter]

Fool your brain,positive practice ,produces positive results.HUNTFISHTRAP has the key, you need to know how to unlock it.,TRY sighting in on bucks on t.v shows ,this helps young gun hunters as well.

[officerdom1987]

Don't think of the adrenaline and the shot. Make sure everything is perfect before you even pull back. Make a mental checklist: Did I take a breath before pulling back? Am I in a position I can hold if I had to? Is my bow level? Am I look at the right pin? When your about to press your trigger lightly say in your head "Press Press Press" over and over and it should be a surprise when the arrow flies. These are mental things I do. After the shot let that adrenaline out anyway you want; just do it quietly.

[ncnontypical]

Experience and Practice as mentioned earlier, I am a fairly young hunter and I still get the same adrenaline rush and "buck fever" as I have ever since my first harvest. The nerves is just part of the fun but just take your time and focus on what your doing and you'll have plenty of successful hunts in the future. Good luck out there.

[MNwhitetailHunter]

This yr i also shot at my first deer (doe) w/ a bow. also missed.taking deep breaths will help calm down nerves. Just dont overthink it. only think of the shot as another shot at the range and focus only on that.

[DSMbirddog]

Tons of practice as 4everAutumn pointed out. I even practiced from my tree stand in all direcctions. That is what I did with bow hunting. Then with a rifle or bow I concentrate on the exact spot I want my bullet or arrow to hit.

[huntfishtrap]

Visualization can help a lot. For example, if you're sitting on the couch, try envisioning a deer coming in, you stopping in right in your shooting lane, and then executing a perfect, controlled shot. You can also do it when you're practicing with your bow, or whenever really. I know that sounds a little nutty, but try it before you laugh at me.

[hawndog]

Shoot from the stand you are hunting from. Shoot a couple of squirrels before climbing down for lunch.

[4everAutumn]

Here’s my two cents, for what it’s worth: Practice a bunch so it’s all second nature to draw, anchor and sight. The less you have to think, the better. Know your ranges and find the spot you are going to hit the deer and focus on that. Think about the deer in 3-D and shoot more for the other side and what your arrow goes through, rather than the just the point of impact. With luck, every deer that comes in will always get you worked up, because that is why we bow hunt!

[Deerhunter25]

Sorry to hear about the miss. This year I harvested my first deer with a bow and what helped me most was planning what to do, how to do this, then exicute it. I hope this helps. GOOD LUCK!

[JM]

Experience...wish I could tell you more but there isn't really anything else you can do.

[deerhunterforlife]

i missed a doe the other day my first deer i ever shot at with a bow. what could i do to calm myself down when deer come in?