Bow hunting: Mental or physical?

It often occurs to me that hunting is more mental than physical. Granted, we walk into the woods, climb into a tree stand, and if a nice deer walks by and stands in the best possible spot, we draw and shoot.

If our aim is on, and we don't miss, we track down the animal. It is field-dressed, loaded into the bed of a pickup truck, and hung up to chill out. That's the physical part, and dragging the buck out is the most strenuous portion of the hunt.

Ah, but the mental aspects of a archery deer hunt is a much different story. My claim is that a hunt is more mental than physical. How so?

Think about it. Hunting is much more mehtnal. Read on!

My belief is that almost everything about a hunt is mental. We must determine where to go, when to hunt, and which tree is the best one to use under present conditions. We must consider the wind, and wonder if our clothing is really scent-free or not.

Long before we climb into a tree stand, we've had to mentally decide how much draw weight is comfortable for us. We must choose from a wide range of bows, make the decision to shoot aluminum or carbon arrows, and we must think constantly about how to set up on that big buck we've seen several times while preseason scouting. Our choice of broadheads to use can tax our brain as we consider various brands.

We've defined our hunting area, climbed into position, and then must consider where we can and cannot shoot. It's a mental and slightly physical effort to scan the area for unseen twigs that could deflect an arrow, and should the buck show up, we must mentally calculate when to draw, aim and release the arrow.

We must mentally calculate the distance, decide whether this is a dead-on shot, or whether to allow the buck to pass while hoping for another chance on another day.

There are so many things to think about when hunting.

We must mentally prepare ourselves for a long or short wait. Only our mind can allow us to believe that the branch stub poking at our left hip really doesn't hurt. We must always be aware of what the wind is doing, and a wind shift, no matter how subtle, can spook a buck if he catches any scent.

The mental gymnastics increase when a buck shows up, because as likely as not, there will be a doe and fawn(s) nearby. We must mentally condition ourselves to watch all nearby deer, and not just the buck.

It makes little sense to do everything right up until the time comes to take a shot. If we forget about watching not only the buck but the other nearby deer, the chances are excellent that one of the other animals will spot the movement made while drawing a bow. If that happens, the game is up.

We must mentally calculate angles caused by shooting toward the ground from an elevated position. Once our mind computes the angle and distance, we must then focus on the precise point of impact where we want the arrow to hit. It's all mental except drawing the bow.

Drawing on a deer is both mental and physical, and the mental picture of locking in on the heart-lung area forces us to see that spot whether we shoot instinctively, with sights or a red-dot sight. Our mind must translate what our eyes see, and relay that information to our hands and eyes, and allow us to properly aim and concentrate on that precise spot.

Do you see the point? Physical is only walking in & dragging out a deer.

Our mental image of the deer in the right position, at a known distance and angle, must be maintained even if the animal moves. We must calculate any changes that must be made, and be ever alert to the one deadly enemy of shooting arrows: we must mentally concentrate on not lifting our head as we make the release.

To do so causes the arrow to go high, and it can result in a missed shot, or even worse, a wounded deer.

Mental concentration must be maintained until we see the arrow hit the deer, and then another mental exercise comes into play. Our mind must tell us exactly where the arrow hit the animal, and our mind must prevent us from saying it was a heart shot when in fact the deer was hit in the lower leg.

Hunting is much more mental than physical although few hunters ever see it that way. For many, it is idle time spent waiting for a shot. The true deer hunter knows better.

Success or failure is in your head. It's wise to think about this issue long before a shot is taken.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors