I try not to worry about it, learn from it and do your best to minimize it happening again.
If you lack the will to administer the beating, post your story here and we will beat you mercilessly!
I'm a positive person. I believe I'm gonna kill a monster every time I go. The fact that I never ever do doesn't seem to deter me. I'm just kinda stupid that way
When I do think negative, it generally just motivates me to work harder. I don't know how to hunt "smart", so I always just try to hunt hard. Or to hunt every single chance I get.
Seriously, it's healthy to think about mistakes from the past as long as it doesn't become a negative obsession. I still think about one I let go, who I should've married instead of my first wife. Still painfully remember how I blew it on a potential WR muley. Life is a series of "what ifs" and "if onlys".
FWIW...... luck can be a b-i-itch too. Good makes you think you're better than you are..... bad makes you realize how bad you are.... =D
I have a golfing friend...... "a bad day fishing? Well,shucks, the fish aren't biting today.... a bad day of golf..... you're just a poor excuse of a human being....."
I think bowhunting has it's similarities......
His response has had an impact on me to not dwell on the past and especially negative aspects. It does not enhance future chances of accomplishment.
ElkNut/Paul
Had a client hit a small stick on a 25 yard shot at a 350+ 6x7. When I approached he was sitting on the ground, holding his face in his hands and rocking back and forth.
I said "Look at the bright side." He said "What bright side?" I said "We get to keep hunting."
I like to try and put any failure behind as quickly as possible. If I pondered them too much it's all I'd do.
As far as hunting goes ... bad things can happen, and after they do, it's perfectly natural to be more sensitive about them. After all, you can't ignore that something bad happened and it might happen again. Framing helps -- which is why it's best to talk about your negative emotions with someone who lets you think things through.
Many people never talk about their negative emotions, which is another way to say that they never think about them, since talking and thinking are essentially the same thing. "Let me think this through" is a very useful thing to say.
You can choose to be happy and content and satisfied or something else
Being around a person who is obsessed with negativity isn't any fun. Positive people laugh more and truly are a joy to be around.
Now you've got target panic to worry about. That should easily replace the other bad things, Sugar.
Had to think about it a bit and actually erased my first reply... Would have been too salty:-)
Best thing you can do is take a break from it and do something else to get a reset. Pretty sure you will be just fine by next season!
It's August, 2008. I am on a Stones Sheep bowhunt in British Columbia. I trained hard all spring, and early summer....REAL hard. I trained hard physically, and I trained hard mentally.....preparing to embrace the suck, building confidence in my shooting, and creating a positive expectation. If I were lucky enough to tag a ram, it would complete my archery sheep slam. It is the last day of the hunt, and I have already blown two chances during the 10 day hunt. It is about 10AM, and four rams trot past me at 28-30 yards. The legal ram was last. As he came into view, I was right on his front shoulder, figuring that my lead would compensate for the speed of his trot. I released the arrow and watched it hit EXACTLY where I had aimed. I had wounded the ram, and I spent a couple hours beating myself up. My Native American guide suddenly wasn't in too good of a mood, either. Finally, I realized that my arrow was apparently traveling fast enough that no lead was necessary at that distance. OK....lesson learned.
I then began to focus on what I would do if I were to get a second chance. I could feel my positive energy rebuilding.
We followed the spoor of that ram all day, and finally caught up to him about 15-30 minutes before legal hours ended. He was bedded in the most inhospitable spot that you could imagine....and a steep upward angle. We were 66 yards away. The ram was weak, but alert, and looking right at us. I truly believe that he didn't bolt out of there in that instant, because he felt that there was no way in hell that a human could get to where he was, without him having more than enough time to easily escape. So he just laid there, and watched us. We were hunkered down behind a large boulder that hid most of our bodies.
In the instant before my shot, I remembered all of the hours of training, all of the practice, and just how lucky I was to even BE there. I was completely relaxed......and the shot reflected my body language in that moment. The point is this.....you've got to keep your head in the game....just in case you get another chance. If not, you learned a great hunting related lesson.....chalk it up as tuition. If you DO get another chance, you've got to have your head in the right place, if you wish to correct or atone for a previous mistake.
Seriously, I only review them long enough to learn what I have to. I try to focus on what I did right to keep that front and center. That's what works for me.
Although not nearly the same magnitude, I had a very similar experience as Medicinemann on Mule Deer hunt this past season. Worked out, practiced, had everything down pat. Nothing could stop me.
Last day I missed a slam dunk shot on a very nice buck. I didn't go through my shot sequence and rushed the shot. I was very upset with myself. I was hunting with my son, Wyatt, and Steven Ward. Wyatt was glassing a mile away. It was long, silent hike back. Steven said, "Hey, just think about everything you just got to experience. Most people never experience anything like it." I said, "Well at this moment all I can think about is the fact I just blew what I've been working so hard for and it sucks".
We got back to Wyatt and he says, "I've got 5 more buck spotted." Steven looked through the glass, turned to me and said "Let's go!". I didn't even look at the bucks. Soon we were back into a long stalk and I had my head back in the game. Two hours later I put a perfect 40 yard shot on a dandy buck. Focus and move forward.
Also keep in mind that bowhunting is supposed to be recreation for most of us. We don't make a living as a guide, shop owner or product designer/manufacturer, so our involvement is intended to provide some joy and relaxation. I've watched "Red Arrow" a few times on the Outdoor Channel and Kip Campbell is a good example of someone who doesn't take himself too seriously and ruin his life worrying about the next trophy animal. If it comes....cool....if it doesn't.....shoot some does or a legal buck and just enjoy the vension and process.
"Strike One!" he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed. "Strike Two!" he cried out.
The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. "Strike Three!"
"Wow!" he exclaimed... "I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!"
2017, the Good Lord, said, you can have some more time to hunt,,,, I never look back, every day out is a blessing,,,, its just hunting,,, and I love it
wish all the best for all of you
My wife often brings up negative stuff from the past or child rearing and most of it I don’t even remember anymore. I guess my brain just blocks it out
