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Buck fever got me

clwg97 said:
Once you lock eyes it's game over usually. Seems like they can sense it
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I figured someone would mention this.Have you feel someone staring at you from across a room ??
I try to watch out the corner of my eye and not make direct eye contact.
Sometimes I close my eyes and just squint and look out the cracks of my eyes. It definitely helps calm them down when they're looking straight at you.
Slow steady deep breaths can help calm you down.
 
The more you're in close proximity with deer the better you'll be able to handle it. The adrenaline never goes away. We just get better at handling it. You did fine. I'd bet you'll have a kill soon.

I remember my first bow buck. I was hunting with my big brother who at the time was already an accomplished bow hunter. First thing I said to him was that I shot a buck. Second thing was that I'm shivering uncontrollably but ain't cold! I had no idea what was happening to me. He laughed and said to me, "welcome to bow hunting".

If you think buck fever is overwhelming before the shot, just wait until afterwards! You're gona be hooked.
 
WestTn Huntin man said:
I figured someone would mention this.Have you feel someone staring at you from across a room ??
I try to watch out the corner of my eye and not make direct eye contact.
Sometimes I close my eyes and just squint and look out the cracks of my eyes. It definitely helps calm them down when they're looking straight at you.
Slow steady deep breaths can help calm you down.
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That's exactly what I do. Sometimes I close only one eye. Sometimes I squint. I'm convinced it makes a world of difference.
 
Ski said:
The more you're in close proximity with deer the better you'll be able to handle it. The adrenaline never goes away. We just get better at handling it. You did fine. I'd bet you'll have a kill soon.

I remember my first bow buck. I was hunting with my big brother who at the time was already an accomplished bow hunter. First thing I said to him was that I shot a buck. Second thing was that I'm shivering uncontrollably but ain't cold! I had no idea what was happening to me. He laughed and said to me, "welcome to bow hunting".

If you think buck fever is overwhelming before the shot, just wait until afterwards! You're gona be hooked.
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Some where on a ridge above MacAdoo Creek in Montgomery county is a maple tree with two Bear Super Razorheads embedded in it.

A group of three bucks walked right under my out-of-the-box and unpainted TSS climber, and out in front of me. I missed one of them twice with my new Bear Whitetail Hunter and hit the same tree. I was shaking so bad that I thought I was dancing.

If I'd have fallen the twelve feet to the ground, I'd probably not even have known it. Buck fever and being sixteen years old is rough.
 
cbhunter said:
Love it man! That's what it's all about right there. Wish I still got buck fever! Can't say I've been rattled in many many moons unfortunately and I've killed some great bucks over the years. Probably why I don't have the drive to hunt like I did when I was younger. Maybe if I got back into bow hunting and had a good buck in bow range, it might happen again. Keep with it bud
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I quit gun hunting because I stopped getting the shakes. Killed 7 with a bow in the last 2 season and I think I shake and tremble more every time I get to draw on one.
 
Black Titan said:
My third day in this spot. Been hunting morning and evening, no sign of deer. Im situated on top of a knob in a ridgeline. Finally this morning about 9:45 I hear a blow off to my 2 o clock down the hill. I had been using my grunt. Just a couple grunts every 30 minutes or so. After I heard the blow, I stood up, gave a soft grunt. All of a sudden I spot movement to my left. At first I thought it was another tree rat. I saw brown at ground level. But it was the head of the deer coming up the hill.

I raised my bow, hooked my release, and the deer came out perfectly broadside, about 15 yards away. I thought it was a doe at first, but it turned its head and I saw it was a spike. I was hyperfocused on a small quarter sized spot behind its front shoulder.

Now, this is only my 5th sit, and 6th hunt. I've never killed a deer.

I could instantly hear my heartbeat going a gazillion miles an hour, and im trembling, ragged breath, telling myself to calm down, and I just stood there froze. I don't think I could have even drawn a 10 pound bow at this point, much less my 70 pound bow.

All over a darn spike. This whole thing felt like an eternity, but I bet it played out in less than 30 seconds. The deer got even closer, looking around frantically. I was happy my grunting actually called one in. He then locked eyes with me and froze, me still sitting there with my bow raised, pointed right at him, not moving a muscle except for the trembling. He threw up the white flag and bounded down the hill towards where I heard the other deer blow, then I heard several more blows right after he disappeared.

So, long story short, I let him walk, decided to give him another year. Lol.

Any tips to get over buck fever? I don't know if my heart has ever raced so fast.

BT
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I don't have any tips to get over it, I shake like crazy until it's time to draw, once drawn I just calm down until I let the arrow go and I'm right back to shaking. I guess, technically, once I'm drawn I'm just hyper focused on where I want the arrow to come out the other side and that may be what keeps me calm.
 
Lost Lake said:
Some where on a ridge above MacAdoo Creek in Montgomery county is a maple tree with two Bear Super Razorheads embedded in it.

A group of three bucks walked right under my out-of-the-box and unpainted TSS climber, and out in front of me. I missed one of them twice with my new Bear Whitetail Hunter and hit the same tree. I was shaking so bad that I thought I was dancing.

If I'd have fallen the twelve feet to the ground, I'd probably not even have known it. Buck fever and being sixteen years old is rough.
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Ha! I've heart punched a few trees myself using the old Bear Whitetail lol. I was partial to Thunderhead 125s.
 
That is one of the best posts I have read in a long time. It's precisely why we all do it! I try not to look directly at the deer until I draw and shoot. It seems to help keep some of it in check. It is a mind game. Just need to figure out how to keep most of it in check before the shot. Now, after the shoot, it takes me ten minutes to calm down enough to climb out of my stand.
 
Personally I use self talk to calm down prior to the shot. Usually I perform well unless I get surprised and must take a very quick now or never shot. Then I might get a less than perfect shot. But it's part of the hunt and experience is the best teacher.
 
The day that feeling stops is when you need to quit hunting. If I'm buck hunting and see does I'm as chill as can be but if I'm planning to shoot a doe my heart will race just as if it was a big buck. After 35+ years hunting them I've gotten a whole lot better at staying calm but I still talk myself through the shot. Good luck getting your first.
 
Black Titan said:
My third day in this spot. Been hunting morning and evening, no sign of deer. Im situated on top of a knob in a ridgeline. Finally this morning about 9:45 I hear a blow off to my 2 o clock down the hill. I had been using my grunt. Just a couple grunts every 30 minutes or so. After I heard the blow, I stood up, gave a soft grunt. All of a sudden I spot movement to my left. At first I thought it was another tree rat. I saw brown at ground level. But it was the head of the deer coming up the hill.

I raised my bow, hooked my release, and the deer came out perfectly broadside, about 15 yards away. I thought it was a doe at first, but it turned its head and I saw it was a spike. I was hyperfocused on a small quarter sized spot behind its front shoulder.

Now, this is only my 5th sit, and 6th hunt. I've never killed a deer.

I could instantly hear my heartbeat going a gazillion miles an hour, and im trembling, ragged breath, telling myself to calm down, and I just stood there froze. I don't think I could have even drawn a 10 pound bow at this point, much less my 70 pound bow.

All over a darn spike. This whole thing felt like an eternity, but I bet it played out in less than 30 seconds. The deer got even closer, looking around frantically. I was happy my grunting actually called one in. He then locked eyes with me and froze, me still sitting there with my bow raised, pointed right at him, not moving a muscle except for the trembling. He threw up the white flag and bounded down the hill towards where I heard the other deer blow, then I heard several more blows right after he disappeared.

So, long story short, I let him walk, decided to give him another year. Lol.

Any tips to get over buck fever? I don't know if my heart has ever raced so fast.

BT
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When you get over buck fever, stop goin
 
I'm hoping I can do better and somewhat control it next time. The euphoria and thrill of the adrenaline dump is exhilarating, but worries me only due to health concerns. Adrenaline dump causes an increase in both hear rate and blood pressure, which I'm on meds for both issues already! 😅 I definitely ain't trying to keel over after putting an arrow through a deer lol.

BT
 
Snake said:
Try to do like athletes taking a breath and letting it out slowly . It's different for me at times I've literally had the tree I'm in shaking as well as me then at times I don't start that until after the shot. I've had my knees shaking so bad that begin to hurt. I'll have to say it's much worse with a bow for me .
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Yep. I usually get the shakes after the shot, not nearly as much as I used to though.
 
BSK said:
Somehow, I've trained myself to be like that. My heart is pounding and I'm breathing heavy right up to the shot, but I don't "fall apart" until after the shot.


And that's one of the reasons I gave up bow-hunting. I couldn't get over the buck fever with a bow.
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I am the same way. I get super focused during the shot process but sometimes shake afterwards.

I believe there are 2 reasons why your buck fever is worse with a bow. The first reason you have buck fever worse with a bow is the uncertainty factor is higher. There are more things that can go wrong. Like misjudging distance, deer at wrong angle, not in shooting lane, etc. You are more confident with a gun, so you don't get as panicked. Part of buck fever is lack of confidence about closing the deal.

The second reason is you have more time to think about it with a bow. The more time you give your mind to worry about something, the worse it gets.

The best situation for someone with buck fever is when a shooter just suddenly appears in shooting range. Then you don't have time to get panicked.
 
Dennis said:
I believe there are 2 reasons why your buck fever is worse with a bow. The first reason you have buck fever worse with a bow is the uncertainty factor is higher. There are more things that can go wrong. Like misjudging distance, deer at wrong angle, not in shooting lane, etc. You are more confident with a gun, so you don't get as panicked. Part of buck fever is lack of confidence about closing the deal.

The second reason is you have more time to think about it with a bow. The more time you give your mind to worry about something, the worse it gets.
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I think you are correct Dennis. So much more can go wrong with a bow shot, hence the anxiety and buck fever.
 
This is why im ate up with deer hunting. At least you didn't try to shoot and miss the buck cuz you had the shakes. I did this on a 150 class deer in my first season of hunting. Shot low and shaved his white belly hair. Even during gun season I have a set phrase that I say to myself as soon as a deer is in range. "Shoulder, breathe, aim, aim, aim... squeeze." This reminds me of the fundamentals when the adrenaline starts getting out of control.
 

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