Dumb Mistakes, and 7 Ways to Train Your Brain

At a glance, I knew it was a good 4x4—the kind of buck I was after. The buck turned to walk away. Making a bad decision—like raising my binocular instead of my rifle—is part of the game. Decisions cost energy. The more decisions you make, the more tired your brain gets. Tired brains tend toward sloppy or impulsive choices. Make as many decisions as you can before you venture afield. Know your gear and don’t tinker with it. Healthy snacks keep your mental energy strong. Putting a buck in the freezer is just one of them.
Brain tech diagram
The most important thing you can take into the woods? A clear mind.

It was one of those boneheaded moves I kick myself black-and-blue over. I was still-hunting an edge where loggers had thinned a forested slope. It was late in the afternoon and the rut was on, and I expected a buck to show at any moment. I saw one about 100 yards away, broadside. At a glance, I knew it was a good 4×4—the kind of buck I was after. But instead of settling in for a shot, I pulled up my binocular and studied the antlers. The buck turned to walk away. I rushed the shot—missing clean.

Every day afield is full of decisions, large and small. Making a bad decision—like raising my binocular instead of my rifle—is part of the game. But an emerging theory of psychology is shining a light on why smart people make bad decisions. The phenomenon is called “decision fatigue.” It’s getting a lot of attention in high-stakes professions like law enforcement, military, and emergency medicine, and activities like mountaineering, where bad decisions can have devastating consequences.

Here’s the bottom line: Your brain acts like a muscle. Decisions cost energy. Analyzing trade-offs that are not…

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