It took me several years of "trying" before i saw any success. My biggest problem, and it may be yours as well, was confidence. At first I would bring a rifle with me to the stand, but i always seemed to defer to the rifle when game appeared. I realized the rifle had to stay at the house if I were to succeed. I practiced with my 10 inch Contender until i could hit a two liter soda bottle at 75 yards, it was routine, but when a deer would walk out at 35 i would second guess myself into waiting until there was no longer a shot oppurtunity. None of us are out to condemn an animal we enjoy and respect to a slow death, and that very thought can keep you from doing something well within your skill set. Once I broke the confidence barrier the kills started coming with more regularity. My first successfull kill was a complete fluke, i was looking at a feeder 70 yards away when a large doe walked out in front of me at a dozen or so paces. I placed the shot well and she went down as hard as any deer i'd ever shot with a rifle. The crucial thing was that i saw what a .41 magnum could do to game, and that i could do what needed to be done. Don't rush yourself. Just know that the first one is the hard one.