Why do essential basic fundamentals so often escape us as hunters?

[ChrisAU]

I remember Rinellas hunt on Meat Eater where he is hunting elk in the Gila and he compared hunting fundamentals to keeping fire flys in a jar. You cram so many in and one randomly escapes.

Is it like this for all hobbies? It seems we all are prone to simple mistakes that we KNOW not to make. Whether it be weapon, shelter, or strategy.

I’ve implemented pre shot routines after killing over 400 animals with a rifle. Why do I need that? Why after all that one the last 15 years does my heart skip a beat when I think I hear a deer approaching? Why is a 3x3 elk 30 yards from me an absolutely mesmerizing event when I’ve seen much bigger ones hit the ground dead? Why does a faint turkey gobble turn me into a 7th grader who is at his first dance?

Boys I love what we do. Maybe it wouldn’t be fun if there wasn’t the possiblility of being a dumbass every now and then.

Maybe I wanted to shoot my bow tonight, just once at 20 yards, like I’ve done 25 billion times it seems…or maybe I’m just an idiot enjoying his time in the woods and beyond thankful for everything I have.

Fahk. I haven’t done this since I was like 13 years old! I’m sure it will look better tomorrow.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I remember Rinellas hunt on Meat Eater where he is hunting elk in the Gila and he compared hunting fundamentals to keeping fire flys in a jar. You cram so many in and one randomly escapes.

Is it like this for all hobbies? It seems we all are prone to simple mistakes that we KNOW not to make. Whether it be weapon, shelter, or strategy.

I’ve implemented pre shot routines after killing over 400 animals with a rifle. Why do I need that? Why after all that one the last 15 years does my heart skip a beat when I think I hear a deer approaching? Why is a 3x3 elk 30 yards from me an absolutely mesmerizing event when I’ve seen much bigger ones hit the ground dead? Why does a faint turkey gobble turn me into a 7th grader who is at his first dance?

Boys I love what we do. Maybe it wouldn’t be fun if there wasn’t the possiblility of being a dumbass every now and then.

Maybe I wanted to shoot my bow tonight, just once at 20 yards, like I’ve done 25 billion times it seems…or maybe I’m just an idiot enjoying his time in the woods and beyond thankful for everything I have.

Fahk. I haven’t done this since I was like 13 years old! I’m sure it will look better tomorrow.

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About this time last year I got a new bow in the mail, it was cold and snowy out and I just wanted to shoot the new bow once. I grabbed my tab but skipped the arm guard and absolutely crushed my forearm. The nock point left a 1/4” gouge down my arm and the bruise was impressive.

I know I know better…maybe not though.

 

[Spike elk]

It's the great thing about life. We are human beings and not machines.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I would have to go out of my way to hit my arm with my bow string. Is your draw length too long?

 

[String&stick]

It's just reeducation! I reeducated once a year or so when I get lax and don't focus on form, typically happens when I'm talking to someone while shooting. But it only takes once (per year)!

 

[Rifleman86]

If they didn’t, would any of us really enjoy it?

Every time I have an animal in my crosshairs I loath and yet live for those nerves all at the same time.

 

[Red Letters]

You ought see see some of the crap I do boating

 

[Customweld]

Basic fundamentals don’t escape us. It’s a momentary lapse of reason on our part. Every one of us with any kind of experience knows better. We’ve all been taught lessons the hard way and every now and again we forget those hard learned lessons. We’re hunters and we are hard headed. Murphy has to show us who the boss is every now and again.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I think common sense is quickly forgotten and learned behavior takes over almost immediately in some of us. Learned behavior is just anything we have gotten away with in the past.

 

[EastHumboldt]

I have been derp and sometime derp hurt. Sometime derp not hurt… but mostly…. derp hurt.

 

[Jauwater]

It's amazing to me the amount of focus I have while at work or while driving, but anything else I'll do 5 times the wrong way before I do the way I know that works.

Sent from my SM-S506DL using Tapatalk

 

[ChrisAU]

I would have to go out of my way to hit my arm with my bow string. Is your draw length too long?

Oh I’m sure I went well out of my way. Hit my arm so hard it threw the peep site out of the string and tore some serving. Fixed it and shot it a few dozen times after with no issues, to add to the few thousand times before at that draw length lol.

 

[5MilesBack]

Why do essential basic fundamentals so often escape us as hunters?​

They only escape you if you let them.

 

[Rich M]

Could it be that folks in diff areas hunt diff?

Lots of newbies without “proper instruction” in the fundamentals such as shooting, reading the wind, etc.

But what are you talking about exactly? What fundamentals excite you? Is this just about poor shooting form?

 

[Tyson]

We forget the fundamentals because our anxiety/stress/excitement goes through the roof when what we’ve thought so much about might actually come together.

I explain this to people in therapy all the time, we are normally able to process about 700 complex thoughts in a moment, the more stressed out or anxious or excited you are the more that number drops, it eventually drops all the way down to where there’s only two things you can do, fight or flight. You forget those fundamentals because you literally can’t think about it at the time, your body is thinking about defending itself. You get through this by keeping yourself as calm as possible in those moments….. focus on your breathing and your shot routine, that brings comfort and familiarity which calms you down.

Also have to add that those extreme rushes of adrenaline is also part of what makes being a hunter so fun

 

[dieselchessy]

I like the overall gist of what your saying but I’m a bit lost on what fundamental you didn’t perform.
Something catagorized under “form” I presume.
I usually mess up ranging, sight pin stuff.

 

[2ski]

In answer to your question if it happens anywhere else in life I ask you this? Do you golf?

 

[N2TRKYS]

Oh I’m sure I went well out of my way. Hit my arm so hard it threw the peep site out of the string and tore some serving. Fixed it and shot it a few dozen times after with no issues, to add to the few thousand times before at that draw length lol.

Dang it, man. That sounds like a heck of a lick to the arm. That’ll be sore for awhile.

You’ll forget all about it when you start laying those big bucks down like you normally do.

Good luck this season.