Elkwhisper
Well-known member
I generally consider myself a "good shot" with my bow...... I practice often and on the range I can generally shoot decent groups.... Like 6" at 60 yards and even keep em all in a pie plate at 100 most of the time (just for fun).
That said, the last couple of days have been pretty frustrating.... I had family obligations Saturday and Sunday, but made it out to hunt elk Monday and for bit this morning. I have a bull and a cow tag and a great place to hunt with lot's of critters.
After a few close calls with non-responsive bulls first thing yesterday morning, I stumbled into a small group of cows and calves..... One yearling cow, held up and offered me a chip shot at what I know now was 23 yards. It happened fast and she was close, so no time to range.... I guessed it at 25 yards, with the intention of putting my 30 yard pin at the bottom of her chest... I came to full draw, she held tight.... I anchored, leveled my sight and as I normally do was dropping my pins from the top down into the vitals .... and bam... let the arrow rip before I had even got my pins down on her chest. Arrow sailed an inch or two over her back and she was gone.... I wrote it off as a one time brain fart and continued hunting. Was actually able to call in a group of turkeys and had no issues center punching a jake at 32 yards. I felt better after the shot on the turkey and wasn't too worried about my shooting.
This morning the elk were moving well and starting to get more aggressive with the cow talking and bugling... it was a good morning to be in the woods. Had a legit 360+ bull with close to 80 cows, spikes and raggies doing elk stuff a couple hundred yards from the tree line out in the field... Was fun to watch, but they wanted nothing to do with my calls and stayed out of range. As they moved off I spotted a satellite bull the opposite direction, and the wind was right, so I took off after him. I was able to slip into 70 yards of him as he came down a fence line. I cow called to try and get him to close the distance and second 6x6 stepped out between us, well within range. Should have been another chip shot, but the same exact thing happened. I drew, anchored, and as the pins were dropping down into the vitals I punched the release before they got there and sent it over the elk's back again.
Now I am frustrated and over thinking it.... Do you guys think this is some sort of "target panic" that I need to work through or just a couple of isolated incidences. And a second question, when you are lining up for a shot, do you "drop your pins into the target" like I do, or maybe come up from the bottom, or just randomly move them in where they are supposed to be? I am going to be hitting the range a bunch this week to try and work this out. Any advice is most appreciated.
That said, the last couple of days have been pretty frustrating.... I had family obligations Saturday and Sunday, but made it out to hunt elk Monday and for bit this morning. I have a bull and a cow tag and a great place to hunt with lot's of critters.
After a few close calls with non-responsive bulls first thing yesterday morning, I stumbled into a small group of cows and calves..... One yearling cow, held up and offered me a chip shot at what I know now was 23 yards. It happened fast and she was close, so no time to range.... I guessed it at 25 yards, with the intention of putting my 30 yard pin at the bottom of her chest... I came to full draw, she held tight.... I anchored, leveled my sight and as I normally do was dropping my pins from the top down into the vitals .... and bam... let the arrow rip before I had even got my pins down on her chest. Arrow sailed an inch or two over her back and she was gone.... I wrote it off as a one time brain fart and continued hunting. Was actually able to call in a group of turkeys and had no issues center punching a jake at 32 yards. I felt better after the shot on the turkey and wasn't too worried about my shooting.
This morning the elk were moving well and starting to get more aggressive with the cow talking and bugling... it was a good morning to be in the woods. Had a legit 360+ bull with close to 80 cows, spikes and raggies doing elk stuff a couple hundred yards from the tree line out in the field... Was fun to watch, but they wanted nothing to do with my calls and stayed out of range. As they moved off I spotted a satellite bull the opposite direction, and the wind was right, so I took off after him. I was able to slip into 70 yards of him as he came down a fence line. I cow called to try and get him to close the distance and second 6x6 stepped out between us, well within range. Should have been another chip shot, but the same exact thing happened. I drew, anchored, and as the pins were dropping down into the vitals I punched the release before they got there and sent it over the elk's back again.
Now I am frustrated and over thinking it.... Do you guys think this is some sort of "target panic" that I need to work through or just a couple of isolated incidences. And a second question, when you are lining up for a shot, do you "drop your pins into the target" like I do, or maybe come up from the bottom, or just randomly move them in where they are supposed to be? I am going to be hitting the range a bunch this week to try and work this out. Any advice is most appreciated.