Buck fever

[deer slayer]

Hey guys I just wanted to see how you calm yourself down if you get buck fever? I try to whisper really quietly to myself and say, settle down don't blow the shot you dummy! You have practiced alot and can make the shot if you get the chance lol

Edited December 17, 2011 by deer slayer

[Ravin R10 man]

I concentrate on the spot I want to hit..follow through with my shot sequence, watch the deer's body language as it runs off and listen for it to fall....then i can get excited all I want...lol

[dbHunterNY]

once you spot the animal decide if you're going to take it. then only focus about what you need to do to make the shot. don't even look at the antlers if that's the case. take two or three deep breathes and then zoom right in to the exact spot you're aiming for. don't take your eyes off the spot until it drops or runs.

[deer slayer]

Those both sound like great tactics I'll give em a try

[hoosierhunter]

Hey guys I just wanted to see how you calm yourself down if you get buck fever? I try to whisper really quietly to myself and say, settle down don't blow the shot you dummy! You have practiced alot and can make the shot if you get the chance lol

Good thing you asked because don't EVER do what you have been doing again. Those are negative thoughts and I promise they affect you.I work on focused breathing and where I want to take the shot. Controlling your breathing with naturally control your heart rate as well.You never want to eliminate that excitement but controlling it til after the shot is important.Another way is to not take the shot until you calm down. Passing isn't the worst thing that ever happened.

[deer slayer]

Good thing you asked because don't EVER do what you have been doing again. Those are negative thoughts and I promise they affect you.I work on focused breathing and where I want to take the shot. Controlling your breathing with naturally control your heart rate as well.You never want to eliminate that excitement but controlling it til after the shot is important.Another way is to not take the shot until you calm down. Passing isn't the worst thing that ever happened.

Alright hoosier thanks for the advice, I will try what you and the others do to calm down instead of what I do now. Because alot of times what do don't work anyways lol

[wtnhunt]

once you spot the animal decide if you're going to take it. then only focus about what you need to do to make the shot. don't even look at the antlers if that's the case. take two or three deep breathes and then zoom right in to the exact spot you're aiming for. don't take your eyes off the spot until it drops or runs.

Real good advice there. Once I determine a deer is a shooter I am focussing on where I want to take my shot and on making my best effort to squeeze my trigger on the spot I am aiming for. I get the shakes after I shoot.

[bmjp]

I used to get it real bad...I could hear my heart beat in my ears eyes wouldn't focus...etc...I have found the older I get the easier is is for me to focus on shot placement rather than seeing rack and freaking out. I stay focused on the shot then freak out after its on the ground. I am proud of my son h didn't freak made an excellent shot (double lung at 12 yards) to take his second buck in just two years of hunting. He made his shot and was focused enough to wait 40 min got down checked his blood covered arrow and tracked his 140" 8pt and did it all on his own at 16yrs old. I am very proud of the man he is becoming! He would rather hunt or fish than do anything else. I hope he stays that way. He wants to go into wild life law enforcement. His mother doesn't want him to. I told him to do what will make HIM happy.

[deer slayer]

I used to get it real bad...I could hear my heart beat in my ears eyes wouldn't focus...etc...I have found the older I get the easier is is for me to focus on shot placement rather than seeing rack and freaking out. I stay focused on the shot then freak out after its on the ground. I am proud of my son h didn't freak made an excellent shot (double lung at 12 yards) to take his second buck in just two years of hunting. He made his shot and was focused enough to wait 40 min got down checked his blood covered arrow and tracked his 140" 8pt and did it all on his own at 16yrs old. I am very proud of the man he is becoming! He would rather hunt or fish than do anything else. I hope he stays that way. He wants to go into wild life law enforcement. His mother doesn't want him to. I told him to do what will make HIM happy.

Hey thanks for the advice and welcome to the forums buddy

[MUDRUNNER]

I still don't know how to calm myself down. Once I determine it's a deer I want to shoot my heart goes into overdrive and I start shaking and breathing heavy. I've actually been singing songs in my head once I see a shooter coming in to try and take my mind off of it and it's seemed to help a little. Usually just a song I heard on the radio driving to my spot. Once they're in my shooting lane I shift my focus to making a good shot. Buck or doe, doesn't matter, buck fever still has the same effect on me.

[deer slayer]

I still don't know how to calm myself down. Once I determine it's a deer I want to shoot my heart goes into overdrive and I start shaking and breathing heavy. I've actually been singing songs in my head once I see a shooter coming in to try and take my mind off of it and it's seemed to help a little. Usually just a song I heard on the radio driving to my spot. Once they're in my shooting lane I shift my focus to making a good shot. Buck or doe, doesn't matter, buck fever still has the same effect on me.

I've done that to I started singing a song I didn't even like lol, and it really works better than anything I've tried so far. I get the shakes to man, I'm glad you posted this because for a long time I thought there was something wrong with me I mean it's understandable to get the shakes over a buck, but I get shakes over a doe sometimes. But when it's time to take the shot all the shakes go away I'm only thinking about making a good shot. Then after the shot I get the shakes and breathing heavy again lol.

Edited December 22, 2011 by deer slayer

[Blade]

That happens to me all the time. I didn't even see an 8-Point walk in and I scared it and it almost ran off. I was shaking and my teeth were chattering. But it didn't run so dad got a shot at it.

[deer slayer]

That happens to me all the time. I didn't even see an 8-Point walk in and I scared it and it almost ran off. I was shaking and my teeth were chattering. But it didn't run so dad got a shot at it.

Yep I guess we all get it, some get it worse than others like me. But I put to practice the good advice the guys posted on here and it really helped alot. I'm more calm and can control myself now. So i wanna say thanks to: Mathews XT Man, dbHunterNY, hoosierhunter, wtnhunt, and bmjp. You all helped me alot, I can control myself when I get Buck Fever.

[bowhunter97]

I try to take deep breaths to calm down like when your in the doctors office and he is reading your records. Yea how you start breathing heavily thats what i do but i do it through my nose so its quiet and i think to my self "ok calm down focus on the shot" it normally works but you gotta get past the basicly jumping in your stand phase first. But what mainly gets me is first seeing the deer. but thats jus me.

[abrown]

Whether bow hunting or rifle, I usually try to keep my mind OFF the deer, and on the shot itself. Once I decide I'm going to shoot, I keep my mind busy with how the situation may happen. With a bow, it's yardage, anchor point, and checking the pin twice, making sure it's the right one. Then focus on just behind the front shoulder, follow through, then get PUMPED once the arrow's released! With a rifle, I learned some in the military, and learned from my father. Never look at antlers once you know he's shooter, and focus on where you want to hit, usually pick a certain LITTLE spot on the animal and shoot, aim little, miss little! NO doubt it's exciting, I found if I practice, practice and practice with good habits, after a while it's more routine than anything.

[ChrisSeb53]

I do the whole breathing thing as well. It usually slows my heart rate enough I can then focus on the shot.

[deer slayer]

I do the whole breathing thing as well. It usually slows my heart rate enough I can then focus on the shot.

I have tried that also, and it helps combined with all the other tips posted on here.