Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer Bow Talk Target Panic

I’ve been dealing with target panic for about 5 years now and can’t seem to break out of it, no matter what I try. It’s cost me several good deer over the past couple of seasons, and I’m finally at the point where I’m willing to change whatever I need to in order to fix it.

Right now I’m shooting a Mathews V3X 29 with a standard wrist strap release and a 3-pin sight. I’ve noticed the multiple pins almost make the panic worse. As soon as my pin gets close to the target, I lock up, freeze low, or punch the trigger. I’ve thought about switching to a single-pin and changing releases, but I’m not sure if that alone will fix it or just mask the issue.

If anybody here has dealt with target panic long-term and actually got past it, I’d really appreciate any real tips or steps that helped you. I’m ready to put in the work — I just need a direction to start in so I can get back to shooting the way I used to.

I’ve had it some in the past- I was punching my thumb button. Things have gotten better with a hinge release. I’ve thought about doing Joel Turner’s Shot IQ program but I haven’t yet. People who have used it say it’s awesome. Good luck

The problem is between your ears, not with your setup. Stop thinking about it and just shoot. It’s really that easy. Anything else is a gimmick and not needed. It’s all in your mind.

You got buck fever.

Yes, it’s all mental, but it can be very hard to fix. Watch the attached video. Before you try it, spend some time drawing, aiming at a dot at 3 to 5 yards and letting the bow down. You’ve got to reprogram your brain to show it that it’s ok to put the pin on the dot. You also have to accept that you cannot hold the pin perfectly still. Spend a few days doing this before you move on to what the video shows. It’s going to take some time to correct it. There are no magic solutions or quick fixes. See how this goes. If this doesn’t help, you may need to seek help from a professional coach. There’s hundreds of methods out there. A lot of them are just bullshit and bandaids. An interesting fact, people with OCD tendencies are the ones that are most likely to develop target panic. You will have to learn to relax and not put so much pressure on yourself.

Yea sounds like buck fever unless you have problems target shooting too. I get target panic every year when I haven't shot my bow in a while. Force your self to draw and aim and let down. Do it several times, then draw and hold for a minute or so and breathe. Slow your shot rotation and think of watching yourself shoot. If it's buck fever, it's even harder to get over. You're gonna have to shoot a few does to get your confidence first. If you hunt out of a ground blind it helps, because you can relax knowing they can't really see you. Good luck

I don’t. If you’re thinking about your shot when the time comes, you haven’t prepared enough. It should be automatic when that buck presents a shot.

What the OP is describing is textbook target panic.

Thanks, this is exactly the type of response I was hoping to get. What I’m dealing with matches what you described. It’s definitely target panic, not buck fever. It happens even in the yard at 10–20 yards with zero pressure, and I lock up as soon as the pin gets close to the spot.

I’m going to try the drills you suggested. I watched the video you posted and I’m going to follow the steps exactly the way he breaks it down, instead of trying to shortcut it like I’ve done in the past. I know it’s going to take some time to undo what I’ve built up over the last few years. Just hate that it cost me a deer of a lifetime this year to finally make me want to 100% break this but it’s probably a blessing in disguise.

And honestly, what you said about people with OCD tendencies being more likely to develop target panic makes a lot of sense. I definitely lean that way with certain things, and it explains a lot about why this has gotten worse for me.

What Shaw said is some good advice on "accept that you cannot hold the pin perfectly still"

Focus on the dot/hair on the deer all the way through the release. Trust your brain and body to get the pin on the dot at the moment of releasing.
You'll never get the pins to quit moving.

Once you beat the mind game of holding on/near a dot, don't think it will automatically solve aiming on a live animal. Knowing that an animal can step, jump, turn at any second, can also play in the mind of your release process. I had the same issue with target panic. Back tension, and a Carters hand-held thumb trigger release helped me alot. This may sound stupid, but I would draw back on squirrels, and hold my pin on them without releasing an arrow. There was still some tension to release the arrow (fight or flight?) even though I had no intention of wasting an arrow on it.

On deer, don't shoot until after the excitement fades. Let the deer go if you don't calm down in time.

On targets, make a mental checklist of each detail of form, release and follow through. Do it very slowly ensuring each detail is accounted for before slowing squeezing off. Let the bullseye or point or whatever go if it isn't right before you get wobbly or whatever.

Get yourself a routine going. Once I come to full draw, I count 1, 2, 3 pull. Just find a cadence or routine that works for you. It’s almost impossible to keep your pins perfectly still.

The few people who can hold something perfectly still will tell you that your heartbeat will still move you left and right in a figure eight.

Had target panic and this is what worked for me: switched to thumb release and instead of pins, I use the EZ-V sights. I thought it was a gimmick at first until I tried it,my grouping has never been tighter

I panic when i aint got no raynch for my nuggets

Yep.

To the original poster, I’m going to give you some advice that should work. Practice the same way you hunt. If you hunt from a climber, practice from a climber. If you hunt from a saddle, practice from a saddle. Do not shoot dozens of times per session. Shoot ONCE. Go back inside and do your daily routine. Treat every shot like it’s the only one you have. You’ll start dropping that panic. Develop muscle memory on the steps you’re taking every single shot, once a day. Then go to the woods and shoot every doe you can until you’ve killed 5 without losing one. The ONLY thing that’s going to break this mental hurdle is KILLING deer.

I've done the one shot thing for years.To the point if I hit full draw, or I feel my cam roll. My mind says, you done messed up now!!!

Same thing Shaw said kind of. Shoot at 10 till you drill hole at that range without thinking about for a week. Move to 20 a week, same thing if you can't, move back till 10 is on again. Repeat the process to
till forty. Week a time at each 10yrd incriminates. Then go backwards to back to ten, will feel like chip shots.

Explaining this to someone on the ASA site years ago when they asked about "holding steady" at 50 yards is how I got my screen name. I told them the pin floated and my mind waited for it to drive by the spot, therefore I was a "driveby shooter". The nickname was given and it has stuck all this time.