As I was trying to decide on what to write for this blog, it hit me. It is time to share what I have considered my secret to my hunting success. This has worked for me since I discovered it. I learned it quite a few years ago and glad that I did.
I am a reading fanatic. Let me rephrase that. I am an outdoor reading fanatic. I have hunting and fishing magazines that cover the past 18 years that take up quite a bit of room. I also have a pretty good selection of hunting and fishing books that I have collected over the years. I will read these magazines and books whenever an opportunity arises. This is actually how I have gained a lot of the knowledge I use on all my hunting or fishing trips. I am a self taught hunter. I can't deny however, the many writers that have given me the knowledge to become a better hunter.
I am a competitor at heart. You get that when you compete in sports most of your life. I have the strong burning desire to be the best at anything I do. Hunting is no different. When I hunt, I pride myself on making sure that I set up in the right spot. The X if you will. Making sure that I give myself the best opportunity to take the animal I am hunting. I believe whole heartedly that if I do the proper scouting and home work and get to the X, I will be successful in my hunt.
Along with scouting I make sure that I become one with my weapon of choice. Whether it be a bow, rifle, slug gun, shotgun or muzzleloader. I practice throughout the year not just a few weeks before the season. This gives me confidence, and that my friends is the secret to my success. Confidence. Pretty simple huh?
You see when I started hunting years ago I spent a lot of time in the deer woods. I hunted almost as much as I do now but just couldn't seem to close the deal. I would get close and then it just seemed as though I would always find a way to question the shot, my ability etc. I became frustrated and down right furious. I mean I see the guys on t.v. do it on a daily basis with no problem. Why can't I?
Then one day I bought Peter Fiduccia's book "Whitetail Strategies". That is when I discovered what has been my secret to my hunting success. I read about his C+PT X C=CS Theory. Concentration+Positive Thinking X Confidence = Consistent Success. He explains that "you must believe in yourself as a deer hunter to be most effective when hunting whitetails." So with that I took the pact on the following page and it has helped me become successful in not only deer hunting but hunting in general. I would like to share with you this pact from his "Whitetail Strategies" book:
I am a good deer hunter.
I am confident that I make sound decisions about the hunting strategies I use.
I know my quarry's strengths and weaknesses.
From this moment on, when I think about deer hunting I will do so with confidence and a positive attitude.
When I am in the field, I will totally concentrate on the hunt. I promise myself that I will not let any other matters interfere with my thoughts when I am deer hunting.
I WILL MAINTAIN A POSITIVE AND CONFIDENT ATTITUDE EVEN WHEN I DON'T SEE DEER DURING A HUNT.
I will trust my judgement about the location and tactics I have chosen to use.
Most importantly, from this day on, I will remind myself that I am as good a deer hunter as anyone else -- and will hunt that way.
Well there you have it, the secret to my hunting successes. I have this printed and have one in my gun safe and my gun cases in case I start to lose focus on a trip. I can pull it out, read it and use it like a pep talk from one of my old coaches. It has helped me and maybe it can help you. This can be used for not only hunting but fishing as well. I highly recommend this book it provides a lot of great info that you can use. I plan on using this mindset once again in a few days for Michigan's early doe season. Try this and I know it will work for you too.
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