What is the right mindset when hunting? What should I reasonably expect? These are really important questions whether you are just starting out or have been hunting your whole life. If you improve your mental game you will become a better hunter.
Expectations:
Warren Womack is one of the most accomplished hunters in modern times. He has his own reasons for why he hunts and what he thinks is a trophy. One thing that really makes Mr. Womack unique is that he recorded detailed facts about each one of his hunts for over 50 years!
As reported in this article, Mark Kenyon conducted an interview with Mr. Womack where he states:
- “I’ve hunted 2,003 days – 1,333 morning hunts – 1,805 evening hunts – 3,372 total bow & gun hunts – 6,300 deer sightings – 1,728 hunts without a deer sighting – 8,447 hours on stand.”
- “As of this day I’ve hunted 12 states and killed 382 deer. 175 with a wheel bow, 105 with a recurve for a total of 280 bow kills, and 102 with a gun.”
With this data I did a little math:
- On 51% of his hunts, he never saw a deer.
- When he did see deer, on average he saw 3.8 deer per hunt (let’s call it 4).
- He had an 11% success rate overall (382 deer / 3372 hunts).
- On hunts where he saw deer is success rate jumped to 23% – it went up, go figure.
- He averaged 2.5 hours per hunt (8447 hours / 3372 hunts).
I’m sure there are more stats that can be pulled out of this data, but these are what I found valuable.
One omission in this data that I think is important is that it does not include any information about his progression as a hunter. By this I mean, were those days with no deer sightings stacked more towards when he was a beginner? Did he start out not seeing that many deer and then, as he became a better hunter, did he begin to see more? It’s impossible to say from this but it’s something to think about. If you’re a novice hunter this data should give you a realistic idea of what can be expected. However it’s unrealistic to think that you are going to harvest a deer 1 out of 10 hunts when you’re first getting started.
You may look at that 11% number and feel like you’ll never get there. I’ve been hunting my whole life and I don’t think I’m there either. So what’s to be done? There is one thing that you can start implementing right now that will increase your success rate almost immediately. What is this silver bullet? The right mindset.
As I’m writing this, most states have wrapped up their hunting seasons, which is the perfect time to talk about this. The right mindset is not some meta hippy garbage about finding inner peace. It’s real actionable steps that you can work on right now that will pay dividends on your success and make you a better hunter. Here are some points to consider and reflect on.
Positive outlook
A positive outlook gets you up earlier and keeps you in the woods longer. It keeps your head up when things don’t work out and instills the belief that success is right around the corner. Positivity keeps you excited about what you’re doing and motivates you to overcome the challenges, of which there are many.
This past season was significant to me for a number of reasons but especially with my mental game. I woke up each day excited to hunt. I couldn’t wait to get off of work so I could scramble into the woods and get set up as fast as I could. I was able to keep positive and probably annoyed my wife and friends with as many times as I said “today is the day, I can feel it.” I was wrong often but I didn’t let that get me down. I was able to push past the moments of being unsuccessful or the times I screwed up – badly sometimes. (I missed a deer outright at 20 yards, hit a deer low with a grazing belly shot and was unable to recover [I later saw that deer alive and well thankfully], I snuck up to within 20 yards of the biggest deer of my life only to spook him with too much calling)
I made it a point to push past my blunders and keep going. It resulted in two fine does in my freezer and the satisfaction of success.
Focus
In the micro, focus allows you to execute the technical aspects of the hunt. It keeps you still for hours, it gives you patience when taking that next step. Focus helps you keep your cool when the big moment comes and helps you take that perfect shot.
At a larger scale focusing on one singular goal will help keep you motivated as the season drags on. Many archery seasons are months long, which is a long time to keep pushing. Picking out just one objective to focus on at a time can break up the monotony of a long season. I’m not a hunter who picks out a specific buck to hunt over the season, I am only after meat for the freezer. This makes it a bit easier to segment out my season. Take one deer at a time until the freezer is full. Try and think about some ways you can break up the season into smaller goals to focus on.
In general, focus is tough for me, as it probably is with most people. I get bored easily and tend to make excuses to break my focus. As it gets colder, it only becomes more difficult. This is where I’m trying to be intentional about building this skill. It may sound silly, but I play the “15 minutes more” game. Once I’m pushing the limit of my focus, I tell myself “ok, you can sit still for 15 more minutes” and once that time is up, I tell myself that again; trying to push myself further and further. Right now this is usually good for about an hour before I can’t take it any more. However silly it is, an hour is more than enough time to change the whole outlook of a hunt. I’ve had plenty of “buzzer beater” deer walk in right when I’m thinking about calling it quits.
Confidence
Doubt creeps its way into your mind and undermines your ability to be successful.
Did I set up in the right spot? Am I reading the sign right? Did I practice enough to make the shot?
Confidence comes from good preparation and trusting yourself to do the right thing. Previous successes and failures positively and negatively affect your confidence respectively.
The best thing I can do is be well prepared for the situation at hand. If I’ve put in the work: map study, effective target practice, on-the-ground scouting, scent control, early and correct entry strategy, then I should have all the reasons in the world to be confident. The real “trick” to confidence is actually doing the work!
Now is the best time to start, whether you’re in the off-season or right during prime time. You can do something to affect your confidence. Here are some things you can do right now:
- Start shooting your bow more regularly and practice in different in different shooting positions.
- Before leaving the woods for the day, take a few minutes to scout around. Look for fresh sign and write down what you find. Be willing to change your current setup based on what you find.
- Make a commitment to getting up and in the woods earlier. Set the timer on the coffee pot the night before, prep a quick breakfast, have all your gear ready in your vehicle. Do what you need to to get up and out the door sooner.
- Start a hunting specific workout schedule and get in better shape. Think about the physical elements of hunting: hiking, shooting, climbing, and do something to strengthen your body for those movements.
Putting it all together
Hunting is challenging on many fronts but it’s mostly a mental game. Can you endure the elements, fight off boredom, focus on the task at hand, execute? If you can improve on any one of these, you will see more success and become a better hunter. It may not be immediate, but you are investing in skills that will stick with you for the rest of your life. Get excited about hunting and take your mental game to the next level.
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