Getting in control of "buck fever".

[DeerDylan]

I haven't shot bucks nearly the caliber of the above members but I have noticed when I am putting pressure on myself in general it transfers to this situation. I think at times we all put way too much pressure on ourselves.

I get an increased heart rate but just like Joe says, I take my eyes of the rack and watch the body and start looking for shots. I've been pretty lucky that I can control pretty well but I shake like crazy after the shot.

The first deer I ever tried shooting was a different story though haha I was so nervous that I couldn't get the bow drawn back haha I tried like 5 times and my father was in a tree 60 yards away holding in his laughter ha! I made good on it two weeks later though!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

I am fortunate to be one of those that goes into a zone and does nothing but focus on the kill. My heart rate gets slightly elevated but not enough to affect anything. After the shot I am a basket case and have to sit down because my entire body goes into shakes. It's actually quite amusing to me and a feeling I hope I never lose.

Best advice I can give anyone that suffers from buck fever is shoot a bunch of lesser deer to get comfortable with the kill shot. In the future when a bigger bucks shows itself you will be much more prepared. Also at a glance once I know it's a buck I want to kill I stop looking at the antlers. My focus immediately goes directly to the kill zone while paying attention to the body language in my peripheral vision. Complete and total focus is the key for me. Confidence in your shooting ability is probably #1 above everything I believe.

Best scenario for me is when they show up fast and I have to make quick decisions. Seeing a buck coming from a long ways away can really get even the most experienced hunter pretty shaken and cause you to overthink things. You would think that would give you time to settle down but most guys get more worked up by the minute and then fall apart at the shot. I always say "think like a predator". Wait for the opportunity and then attack when the time is right.

[stash59]

Experience and confidence in your shooting makes a big difference. The years I shot alot and shot well because of it. At both dots and 3-d targets. I was the most calm while shooting at animals. I still had misses but they were bad yardage estimates.

The years when I didn't take or get the oppurtunity to shoot as much my bad habits crept back in and misses from not holding my form crept in.

I hear yah jons on a mature whitetail buck giving me more problems. I'm way more calm on bull elk. I think it has to do with the fact that whitetails are what I cut my teeth on. And my desire to kill a big mature buck just burns in my brain harder.

Since my Lyme disease has kept me from hunting for so long. I'm really worried about the fever hitting me hard again this year. Especially since I'm back shooting a recurve. The plan is to target a doe or 2 first.

It's a tough balance. That shot of adrenaline is what makes this so much fun. If I didn't get that I'd quit. That's why gun hunting is less enjoyable for me. I don't get as big of an adrenaline rush with a gun any more.

Breathing deep and controlled helps me alot. Along with not staring at the rack and counting points. But once the decision is made to take an animal. Picking a spot on the animal and concentrating on that as it moves into position.

[Twenty Up]

Something I'll add is how you practice is how you'll shoot at deer. When I practice without music and try to "press the shot" I get anxiety and rush the shot (target panic). But if I'm relaxed, listening to music and doing my thing, I can really focus and line up my shots. For me, this is the difference between a 1" group at 60 or completely missing the target at 30... Once that confidence is built on the range it makes things a lot easier in the stand, when you know without a doubt that arrow is going where you float the pin.

[UofLbowhunter]

It helps me alot if there is other deer in the area. I still get shook when i first see a doe! But soon calm down quickly, this helps me keep my whits more when the buck comes in. I look fast to determined if hes a shooter,then quit looking, then i try to consentrate on the the spot i want to aim at. I still get shaky and all that,but helps if im not lookin at the rack. Now when a buck comes in from nowhere thats diffrent story, i still really havent figured out how to keep my sanity when it comes to a stealthy close range buck. But i really only had one shooting opportunity at a big buck like that, i locked up on my only shootin lane i had, he casually walked by at ten yrds never to be seen again! Since then ive had multiable small buck come in like that, so i kinda got practice in so mayb it will all come togather on the next shooter. But other than that, not lookin at the rack has been good to me!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[ncstatehunter]

I get deer fever, as mentioned earlier, but it's before and after the shot. When I pull up my gun or draw my bow I am in the zone, but breathing quickens when I first realize "Ok, this is going to happen" prior to that taking place and then the rush of adrenaline that hits me after the shot has me laughing to myself and shaking as a means of letting it all out so to speak. I have yet to find a way to stop my reaction after the shot (outside of another deer being in the area) but focused breathing helps to calm me prior to putting things in motion.

[Hawthorne]

It's the fight or flight response you go into when your body gets an adrenaline rush in a stressful situation. You learn how to control it better with experience. Some people handle it well others fall apart. I think I missed 3-4 deer with my bow when I was young because of it. The more I killed the better I got with it.

[ Post made via iPhone ]