Every hunter knows the mental battle that unfolds in the woods. The adrenaline kicks in, your heart pounds like a drum, and before you know it, you’re caught in a tug-of-war between patience and impulse.
Unfortunately, that’s when hunters fall victim to what I call the stupid mind games. They’re the excuses, the lies, and the split-second justifications we tell ourselves when a deer steps into view.
The problem? Those mind games usually lead to poor decisions, missed opportunities, or worse—a wounded animal. Let’s look at some of the most common culprits.
"It's Now or Never"
This is the classic rush-to-shoot mindset. You see antlers, your pulse skyrockets, and suddenly you convince yourself that this is your only chance.
However, in reality, that “now or never” thinking often pushes hunters into forcing a bad shot instead of waiting for a clean one. Whitetails are creatures of habit.
Chances are, that buck didn’t just appear out of thin air. He’ll give you a better angle if you hold tight. The woods reward patience, not panic.
"It's the Only Shot I Had"
Translation: I took a shot I had no business taking. Every hunter has been tempted by the temptation of a narrow window—whether it’s a quartering angle, a moving deer, or brush in the way.
But calling it “the only shot I had” is just dressing up bad judgment. Ethical hunting demands discipline. If the shot isn’t high-percentage, then it’s not a shot at all. Period.
"I Can Probably Get an Arrow Through There"
The word “probably” should never enter your thought process at full draw. When it comes to brush, branches, or even tall grass, arrows don’t care about your confidence.
A deflection is almost guaranteed to send your shot off course, and no hunter wants to track a deer that was hit poorly because of an obstacle.
If you have to use the word, “probably,” you already know the answer – don’t release.
“I Gotta Shoot Before He Spooks and Runs Off"
This one is driven by fear. Fear of losing the opportunity. Fear of going home empty-handed. But spooking is not always the end of the story. Deer come back. They circle. They settle down.
Shooting out of panic rarely leads to clean kills. Trust your setup, trust your scouting, and, most importantly, trust yourself to wait.
“I Thought He Was Going Down, So I Didn't Make a Follow-up Shot."
Few things are as heartbreaking as watching a deer you thought was finished get up and disappear. The lesson here is simple: if he’s still on his feet, make the follow-up shot.
Ethical hunting is about certainty, not assumption. If you’ve got the opportunity to end it quickly and humanely, don’t hesitate. Don’t let pride or guesswork talk you out of finishing the job.
The Bottom Line
Hunting is as much a mental game as it is a physical pursuit. The excuses we invent in the heat of the moment can sabotage our hunt and, worse, compromise our responsibility to the animal.
The next time those voices start whispering—now or never… it’s the only shot I had…probably…shut them down! Good hunting is about patience, discipline, and ethical choices, not impulsive ones.
Don’t let stupid mind games call the shots.
