What is your mental game?

[WonkyWapiti]

I've got a few mental game tools going on. First it starts off with preparation. To me, good luck is the combination of hard work and preparation meeting opportunity. All year before elk season I'm flinging tons of arrows and all year before dear season I'm blasting away with my muzzleloader. I try and spend as much time in the field during the season as possible because I keep telling my buddy, "You gotta be in it to win it!" I've pretty much had adrenaline overload due to work so I am pretty calm in the moment. However, when the heart rate goes up I use the same combat breathing technique as LazyV.

I've seen some people that get really frantic the longer the season goes on. I've got a fairly laid back personality and just put everything in perspective and enjoy the extended time out in the field.

 

[Ross]

Some good stuff in these posts....be prepared, be prepared, stay positive, stay positive, stay afield and have fun....as trout noted things on a hunt can change in a matter of minutes and you have to be ready to capitalize, which comes with being prepared and staying positive, which can be difficult at times for all of us..very good topic!

 

[fencesitter]

When it comes to elk, I'm a guy that charges pretty hard on the opener, when the elk aren't on edge..... During subsequent weekends leading up to the rut, I tend to take a more relaxed approach. When the rut is in full swing, I'm charging once again. During elk hunting, the majority of my mistakes came when I wasn't aggressive enough. One of those scenario's happened a back in 2010, when I was on a 300"+ class P&Y bull in CO, in an OTC unit. He had four cows with him, and was bugling up a storm. At one point, he began to thrash a tree, and I waited him out, figuring that he would make a move toward me, but he went the opposite direction a few minutes later, and I don't believe that he winded me. Anyway, just like skiing the bumps.... find a line, stick to it, and charge, with the wind in your face, of course. Sheer determination along with some strategic moves typically gets the job done!

 

[robby denning]

As far as up close on an animal, I just try to remember I've got a job to do and not over think the situation. And certainly not look at the antlers.

 

[GOnDEEP]

Great stuff in here guys, hard to mention anything that hasn't already been touched on. I incorporate a majority of everything you guys have said, preparation, relaxed breathing, routine, educate and my number one is definitely visualization like Hardstalk said. I run through 100's of scenarios, 100’s of times in my head every single day of the year until it is actually presented before me. At that point it’s just like watching reruns.

I know for myself, motivation is that taste of tag soup the day after hunting season closes. The feeling of defeat as you tell all your friends, NO when they ask if you were successful. When your streak of 8 consecutive bulls comes to a halt. That fuels my motivation to push over that next hill, go that extra mile and pull myself out of bed every morning. Reading all these post got me little fired.

 

[muleymemories]

For me it's about an interpersonal challenge. In my younger years it was about giving 50% and hoping to get very lucky. I finally realized I was going to have to work twice as hard to accomplish what I wanted as a hunter. I started treating every hunt as a personal challenge, giving 110% every time I went out.

"Hunt like it's your last", is something I take to heart. What would I do if this was my last hunt ever? I truly believe if you work extremely hard every time in the field your success will change for the good. My life evolves around this type of mental motivation and challenge, including; work, family, and just every day encounters...

 

[HellsCanyon]

For me it's about an interpersonal challenge. In my younger years it was about giving 50% and hoping to get very lucky. I finally realized I was going to have to work twice as hard to accomplish what I wanted as a hunter. I started treating every hunt as a personal challenge, giving 110% every time I went out.

"Hunt like it's your last", is something I take to heart. What would I do if this was my last hunt ever? I truly believe if you work extremely hard every time in the field your success will change for the good. My life evolves around this type of mental motivation and challenge, including; work, family, and just every day encounters...

I like that "hunt like its your last"! Might borrow that one...

Mike

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Well shucks... I think I do all my conscious preparation during pre season. I make sure my shooting routine is drilled in, I scout, etc. When the moment of truth comes everything goes just fine as long as I prepared well. I played sports for many years, and learned that it should always be automatic in the moment. Emotions do play a role but they get pushed to the back of my mind until the task is done (or at least I try to keep it that way).
Only other thing I do is make sure I remember to breath.