I have hunted a lot , been blessed to have taken some nice Alabama deer 120’s - 130’s , the last couple of years I have developed target panic / over excitement . I really LOVE to hunt . Out of the 6 or so nice deer I’ve taken I didn’t experience this . Happened to me on a big doe this morning . Happened earlier this year on a nice doe . I don’t understand why . Took a small buck earlier this year and it didn’t happen . Cut belly hair on the doe this morning and that was it . When and shot my rifle at a little over 100 yards . Half $ size group 1.5 “ high perfectly centered like it should be . It’s between my ears . I love venison and my whole family does . I feel like I’m putting too much pressure on myself . I am pretty ok at the strategy part of hunting . I see as many or more deer than most of the ppl I hunt with . Is this something that nobody has happen or nobody talks about . I told myself I was going this afternoon and just enjoy the outdoors .

I get more nervous with a rifle than I do a bow. If I can’t get steady I just don’t shoot. Happened to me Saturday. First time my daughter had gone hunting with me and had a doe at 175 yards. Never felt comfortable so I just didn’t shoot.

Yes ! I am way calmer with a bow . Makes no sense , lot closer too .

No issues with a gun. My picture is posted on the Wikipedia page for “bow hunting target panic.”

I don’t know how to fix it but I appreciate that I’m not alone .

Happens to me...ive killed a lot of deer too

I get it with a gun every once in a while but never do with a bow for some reason. I get pumped up with a bow but dont get target panic at all. Dosent even make sense to me.

Most of you probably practice with your bow a lot more than you do with your rifle.

You are correct in my case . I used to shoot a lot , still shoot a good bit but other things . Maybe 60 rounds a year thru 3 different deer rifles .

My wife must think I have the same problem...

I’m not crazy about real long shots. I could see long shots giving a feller anxiety.

I have done it several times, I try to take deep breath and just not look at the horns.

I'm not as experienced as most and get worked up anytime I take a shot. At recommendation of a family member after missing 3 in 1 yr, I sent all my guns to a local guy and now have 2lb triggers instead of 6-7lb... not an issue/miss in 4 yrs now. Guess that extra 5lbs of force felt my nerves more or something! Ha

I always have to keep telling myself “no reason to get excited until After I make a good shot.” Focus take some Deep breaths And I repeat it over and over. No reason to get excited until after I make a good shot.

I sit there telling myself to take my time before the shot opportunity comes, but somehow I feel like I rush in the moment of truth.
May be to excitement but I don’t feel like it’s panic.. my best shots come when I don’t have time to think about it

Exactly Ridge , usually on the good bucks there is no time , they are walking or skirting something and I have no time to think about it .

NE bama good point , I have a 3lb , 2 is a little light for hunting for my taste . I do not like a heavy trigger either .

If I ever don't get excited, I'll quit and do something else.

It’s kind of strange what I experience. I get stone cold silly tore up over shooting a doe with my bow. I mean it tears me up bad. Shaky, anxious, wabbling knees, heart goes nuts, short of breath, etc.

However with a buck I plan on shooting, I don’t get the least bit excited. I literally go into a trance and all that’s on my mind is making him dead. I’m talking 100% focus on the mission. Shakes come after the shot.

I went about the first 20 years and never missed with my rifle - extremely confident - had several running shots

I got in a phase as I got older - out of the blue - I started jerking the crap out of the trigger and it took me while to figure out what the heck was going on - some things I did below
Started target practicing lot more in off season - started practicing gently squeezing trigger. One other thing I noticed was with my gun - it felt like I had to pull the trigger 2 miles to get the gun to go off. Took it to gunsmith and it took about 5 1/2 pounds to get it to go off - not good - I had him set it at about 2 pounds

Practicing shooting more would probably help - the above worked well for me