Bowhunters are a weird bunch, man. I know because I “are” one. We somehow decided that a challenging pursuit wasn’t challenging enough, so we take sticks and strings into the woods instead of gunpowder and lead. There’s an even smaller subset of that weird bunch who takes it a step further, by striving to accomplish this heightened challenge on heavily pressured land that is accessible to everyone. I “are” also one of those, a public land bowhunter.
Just killing a mature deer is difficult. It’s even harder to do it with a bow, and even harder still on public land. To combine all these factors would have a Las Vegas odds maker laugh in your face. Yet there are many of us who go out every fall willingly handicapping ourselves in the hopes of doing the impossible.
Articles and podcasts exist in the thousands attempting to assist these underdogs on their quest. Some of my favorite topics I’ve found helpful include, using pressure to your advantage, hunting topography over sign, and overcoming target panic. Yet, a rarely talked about challenge that seems to be more prevalent with me this year is what I have dubbed, “Tree Panic”.
It could also be called Spot Anxiety, and at its very core is somewhat like FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). If I climb up here, I’ll miss what happens there. It rears its head, for me at least, in an almost “first world problem” kind of scenario. I’m in an area with so much sign and looks so good, narrowing the movement direction or activity down to a point where deer would be in range is nearly impossible. You stand at the base of each climbable tree and debate the pros and cons of each tree until you look at your watch and 30 minutes has past, and you are now feeling rushed to get set up before the deer begin to move.
It’s a not a new phenomenon to me. This year though, I have been so paralyzed by tree panic that it has caused me to lose some valuable hunting time. I have literally left an amazing area, went and climbed a tree in another area with amazing sign, left that area, went back to the original area, and then went back to the second area again. All because of a ridiculous anxiety. It seems stupid, and it is, but it’s also true. Tree panic is more than just, “I don’t know which tree to climb!”. It could be in the path you take for a stalk or where to set up to glass, though it all seems to stem from a specific point.
Hunters use their brain and their gut in equal parts. Your brain tells you the facts, and your gut interprets those facts into your plan. When your brain and your gut agree, confidence arises, and there’s naturally more enjoyment. In those moments where your brain and your gut disagree, your confidence wavers, allowing for doubt and second guessing. Let that fester for longer than 60 seconds and you have tree panic.
Like most anxiety driven problems, the fixes might seem simple. Nothing mental is simple. Hey, that’s pretty good! Take that Sigmund Freud!
A way to combat this issue for some might be to try and put less pressure on yourself. Many times during the long season I remind myself, “This is my hobby.” I hunt hard, but in the end, it’s supposed to be fun, not perfect. In the realm of bowhunting big bucks on public land, however, perfection, or close to it, is not only strived for, it is necessary. Another thought is to take deep breaths, and remember the mantra, “Smooth is fast. Fast is smooth.” I think if we modify that slightly we might have “Deliberate is fast.” Make a plan based on what you know and execute that plan the best you can. If adjustments are needed, put that in your knowledge bank for the next plan.
Remember, nothing mental is simple. Just like Target Panic or the Yips in golf, these anxieties come and go. There will never be a fool-proof way to rid yourself of these things completely. The more you increase your knowledge, the more you increase your confidence, and in turn keep these feelings at bay. Sometimes though, you are just going to feel overwhelmed and maybe accepting that fact is the true first step in overcoming your hunt anxieties. Public land bowhunting for anything is hard enough. Don’t let your mind make it harder. (That’s what she said.)
A Day in the Field 