New Bow Hunter Needing Help

[u/mauiwowiy]

Hey everyone,

I’m posting here because I don’t personally know any dedicated bow hunters, and I’d really appreciate some advice from those more experienced. I’ve been a rifle hunter my whole life, and so has everyone I’ve hunted with. My typical setup is a basic tree stand facing a feeder—just a seat in a tree without a drawbar. I move its location on my property each year to keep deer from patterning it.

After the Christmas hunt in my state ended, I was frustrated because I messed up my last chance to fill the freezer. I got busted by deer I couldn’t even see yet, all because I moved too much in my stand. I vented to my roommate about it, and he let me try out his compound bow. After a few days of practice, I was getting pretty accurate at 30 yards, so I decided to give bow hunting a shot.

I’ve been out with the bow about five times now. Almost every time, I’ve seen deer, and about half the time they’ve come within range. The problem is I’m shaking like a leaf when the deer show up. That movement always seems to spook them—they either slowly move out of my sight or stare me down, pinning me in place so I can’t draw my bow.

This has been really discouraging, and I’ve been tempted to switch to a crossbow. But I don’t want to give up on the compound just yet. I’m looking for tips to help me manage the shakes, stay confident, and increase my chances of success.

I feel like I’m doing okay staying still and quiet until the deer show up. But once they’re there, my nerves get the best of me, and I lose my confidence to take a shot. I haven’t released an arrow on a whitetail yet, but I’m determined to keep trying.

Any advice or encouragement would mean a lot. How do you experienced bow hunters stay calm and composed when it’s time to draw and shoot?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[u/Finger_Blaster]

Pop-up blind. wear all black on your upper torso, cover your face and hands. you can shake to your hearts content.