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Buck fever got me

philsanchez76 said:
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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I have sort of a mantra I go through as well every time I'm about to take a shot. And mine is a reminder to not repeat every mistake I've ever made!
 
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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One of the best descriptions I have ever read, describing the first time I ever saw a legal deer in the wild! I did everything to that deer (also a spike) but shoot it. But he lit a fire in me, and that was 61 years ago next month. My health keeps me from getting out like I used to, but stories like this, remind me of the great times I have had! Thanks for the memories, if you think that shook you to your toes, wait till you see the first one on the ground! Good luck.
 
Lost Lake said:
I still get excited after a lot of years of hunting. If I don't get the occasional buck fever, I'll quit.

Something that might help once you decide to take the shot is to develop a step by step process of raising your weapon, aiming, firing/releasing, and following through. Count the steps in your head as you do them. Make it business like.

After the shot you can go back to shaking and vibrating.
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I get tore up from the floor up still fellas! I wouldn't trade that thrill for all the tea in China…that's why I get after em like I do.

Above is great advice. The adrenaline can cloud judgment and cause you to make poor decisions in the moment. I know this because it's only happened to me 100 times…I go through a 4 step "verbal" cue to keep the emotion of the encounter with the deer from influencing my muscle memory in a negative way. You can use any words you want as long and that word makes you concentrate on your mechanics.
GRIP
ACHOR
AIM
FOCUS, Focus, focus, focus

Check out Joel Turner with Shot IQ
 
Wow,that is what hunting is all about,trembling with excitement and heart beating out of your chest!Your hooked now for life,nothing like it!Good luck for your next hunt!
 
I will share another little tip. All that snorting and stomping could have been the Big Boy. It's not unusual after Bachelor groups have broken up that a big Buck will let a smaller one hang out and go a head of him..
 
I prefer to not have to think about it. I'd rather just have a buck come up on me quickly, and me have to pick an aim point and shoot rather than see it a ways off and wait for it to get closer. The longer I wait, the more nervous I get.
 
The more experience you have in that situation, the more comfortable you will be.

BTW I don't recommend using a grunt tube to blind call a deer. I only use it to stop a buck walking away. Blind calling will get you busted cause once a deer locates the source of the sound, it's going to go down wind of you to scent check.
 

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