buck fever

theox

theox

Very Active Member
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2,278
So just curious,how do you guys overcome buck fever to make a good shot. i constantly get so worked up and so adrenaline rushed i forget to aim or just cant focus when i get shot opportunities. even if its a little buck i still get worked up even tho i dont even draw my bow back or even consider it. i have gotten severe buck fever when im not the one even shooting. i've had to sit down after someone else killed or shot at something to calm down. i get just as excited watching others get opportunities as when i get them. last year on the spike elk hunt with my step dad i spotted 2 spike elk and a little raghorn i got so worked up over it i was shaking to bad to determine which was the right one to shoot at, i couldnt hold it together for a dang spike! its ridiculous! i love the feeling but i just wish i could contain it til after the shot so i could focus and make a good clean shot. i spend every opportunity i can scouting and viewing deer and elk and do it often but that doesnt seem to help. sometimes just viewing a buck when im not hunting i get buck fever. any suggestions to help calm me down?
 
Well son, sounds to me like you need to take two years of hunting off. I know this sounds harsh, but if you take this advice along with yoga three nights a week you should be good to go.
Oh yeah, and if you draw any permits, I would gladly take those off your hands in pay for the counseling.
 
The only thing that helps me is that once I can confirm it's a shooter buck or bull, I won't look at the head gear again. Once it's game time, I can't look at the antlers until AFTER it's on the ground. Seems to help a bit for me.
 
I screwed up plenty as a kid shooting gramps 30-30 long tom at close bucks. No way i should have missed but i did.

Once i turned 16 though and i got my own scoped rifle in a 25-06, things changed a lot and to this day, i rarely get excited before the shot. I just tell myself to take care of business. Don't mess around, find a good rest, put the hairs where you want them, and squeeze her off. I think the longer a guy takes messing around with his rest, scope, looking at the rack... the more likely he is to get nervous and screw it all up. Take care of business first, then get excited and boy do i!! :)

Joey
 
Just understand that's one of the reasons we love doing what we do. Enjoy every second of it. If and when you lose that feeling, its like a kid growing up. Christmas just isn't quite as exciting.
 
Hunting is a sport and like any sport imaging what is going to happen an making the shot in your mind before you ever have the chance will keep you calm. Kind of like watching the winning shot go in or the pass be completed before you actually are in the situation. I use it a lot with kids in sports that have anxiety problems, in athletics an it does work. It gets easier an easier the older you get. I'm excited with a trophy animal but I never really feel nervous about the shot like I did when I was younger.
 
I have had many instances of buck fever in years past bowhunting. Unfortunately the state of the deer herd has cured me of getting that in the past few years. Doe fever doesn't seem to get to me...
 
>I have had many instances of
>buck fever in years past
>bowhunting. Unfortunately the state of
>the deer herd has cured
>me of getting that in
>the past few years. Doe
>fever doesn't seem to get
>to me...

LMAO... yaa its really hard to get buck fever when your drawing down on a 2 point.


"We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
 
I'm 39 years old. I used to get buck fever pretty bad when I was younger. I think what cured me of it was missing the biggest buck I'd ever seen in Ca. I remember nothing of the shot, the antlers, the setting up of the shot. I remember I'd never seen a rack that big. I remember seeing the batchelor group of bucks, noticing that one was a huge buck, stumbling all over the place to get set up, then seeing them bound over the hill AFTER the shot. That night at camp, I had to fight back the tears I was so upset....I was 20 year old at the time. That evening sticks in my mind on every hunt I go on. It reminds me that if I allow myself to get that worked up, I will screw it up. I've had it since then as every hunter does, but it doesn't last long. I calm myself down with deep breaths, and focus on a calm, steady shot. You gotta remember, it's only hunting. We put too much pressure on ourselves to close the deal that it wrecks us.

Steve
Derkha derkha Muhammed jihad hakha sherpha sherpha abakhala- Gary of Team America World Police
 
Ever since I was a kid (12 years old), as I was walking or sitting I would run through a hundred imaginary situations in my head each day. I would imagine anything from a fawn up to the largest buck ever known to man. I would even imagine bucks already been taken like the Jordan buck, Hanson buck and imagine it was me shooting them. I would think of the different angles, winds, sounds I would make, them spotting me, if I would shoot or not etc....
I did this constantly and still do to this day (33 years old), I never have gotten buck fever in my life. I am calm as could be and I can stare at the antlers as long as I want, doesn't bother me. For instance, a couple years ago, I had a 5x6 270 class bull come out at 27 yards (archery) all I had to look at was his antlers for nearly a minute. When he finally came out, I made the shot and had my bull.

Now after the shooting is done, is when my heart starts pumping and I get excited.
So I guess the cure is to shoot thousands of world records then you won't get the fever ;-)

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-29-11 AT 07:47AM (MST)[p]Honestly, I believe the best cure for buck fever is having a shot sequence. From the moment you nock an arrow and attach your release you need to have your steps laid out in your head. Shoot the same way every single time. Attach your release, take a breath, pull your bow up, slowly draw, find your aiming point, take another breath, settle your pins, and concentrate on your breathing until you release. Your steps may be different but the point is to have somthing to think about other than "Thats a nice buck" or "I'm gonna miss" or whatever. Think about every step as you do it. It will all become second nature but you still need to think about every step as you do it. Controling your breathing is very important. I was a PMI in the Marine Corps (primary marksmanship instructor) one things my some of my Marines would do is hold their breath as they settled their sights on the target. Holding your breath increases your heart rate. Once your heart rate increases, its nearly impossible to hold your weapon steady. Then you start trying to muscle or force your front sight onto the target. Once you do that you won't shoot worth a crap. I always trained my shooters to use shallow breathing and to shoot at the natural breathing pause right after the exahale. Just trying to control your breathing may be enough to calm you down till after tha shot. Sorry so long. Good luck.

"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle." General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, US Army
"Most men go through life wondering if they made a difference, Marines don't have that problem." President Ronald Regan
 
Get use to seeing game. Go out all year long and spot deer, elk, whatever. Shooting coyotes is a good way to get into a shot sequence. Spot the game, plan your shot, and focuse on your aim point, then squeeze the trigger. I like to take a breath and shoot at the end of my exhale. If the target is un aware of you being there do it several times until you focuse on your aim point...Mine has always been the crease behind the shoulder. Good luck.


Government doesn't fix anything and has spent trillions proving it!!!
Let's face it...After Monday and Tuesday, even the calender says WTF!
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-29-11 AT 09:37AM (MST)[p]I think AZ hit it on the head. For me, it is a situation of "do or die". When I wrestled in high school, I can remember being very nervous before the match, but once I stepped on the mat it was "do or die". I played baseball in college and before I stepped in the batters box I would be a touch nervous. Once the pitcher started in his wind-up I got very comfortable and went into the do or die mode. I do the same while hunting. Just like AZ said, I have my own shot sequence. Now that I think about it, I had my own sequence in going to bat, shooting a free throw, or stepping on a mat. With hunting I am more of a spot and stalk type of guy. Scouting plays a huge part in grand scheme of things. I have been to that certain spot many times during the off season. I have an idea where certain bucks feed and bed and once I have chosen a buck to take there is a good chance I have already looked at him. Once the season comes around I (hopefully) have a certain buck to hunt. After I have located an animal that I would like to take, I too get really shaky and a huge gush of adrenaline comes over me. But as I move toward the target, I start to go through the routine and distances in my head. Once I am arrive at the spot that I picked out, I take the backpack off and take my binos off. I turn my binos upside down and lay them on my pack. That way there is a perfect "v" for the end of the stock to sit in. Then I check a distance a few time and wait for a good opportunity. The only time I look at the rack is when I need to confirm that I am shooting at the right buck. The safety comes off, I inhale and hold my breath for a split second, then as I am letting out my breath slowly I pause, and squeeze the trigger. For that moment I am in control and need to keep it together so that i can celebrate later. Don't get me wrong I have lost it over a of deer and believe it or not it was one of the smallest bucks I have taken. It was a 20" 3x4 with a broken main beam. That one I missed on the first 3 shots. I was trying to shoot uphill and had not gone through my shot sequence at all. After I had missed the first 3 I then got more rattled. I ended up knocking him down but not in the usual one shot kill fashion. I don't know if any of this helps but good luck. Just like you, I get really excited spotting a good buck for a buddy. But for myself, I can usually keep it together in order to get the job done. Having beers tastes a lot better when you hands have that great smell on your hands rather than telling the story of the shoulda, coulda, and wouldas.
 
thanks guys, ill have to try a tactic or two. i love the buck fever just wanna learn to suppress it til after i shoot. i've let too many good bucks get a second chance at life and its getting frustrating i just wanna be more consistant sealing the deal.
 
Wow theox, lots of great advice here! I have to say that even at almost 6 decades old I still get the ole knee-knock. I LOVE IT!
I've been able to control it BEFORE the kill but I stll go to pieces AFTER the animal is down. I still dry-heave after I walk up to a bow-killed deer or elk. I'M JUST SO DAMNED EXCITED!

I think AZWALKER'S shot sequence advice rings true to me.
Someone else said get out with the animals more.

Whatever you do just DON"T lose the excitement. That's what we all live for!

Zeke
 
i view them all year long just doesn tmake a diff i just lose control before i can shoot. only been a few times i have managned to keep control and those are the ones i have been succesful with but cant seem to figure out how i managed to keep control to do it again
 
I find if you drink several beers beforehand, it really helps to calm you down!

All kidding aside, I still get the fever. I do think think the best way you can plan is to practice shooting. Let it be second nature so when you do lose clear thought process, the actual shot just comes natural. If your confident in your rifle/bow, it makes a huge difference. At least to me.
 
Got buck fever bad when I was younger. Than I took up muzzy hunting and knew I only had one shot and learned to make it count. When it comes to really big bucks, it don't matter if your packing a bow, muzzy, or a rifle, chances are, you will get one shot. I will also add to what others have said about practice.It's huge! In my younger days, I use to shoot a few times just days before the hunt. I missed a lot of animals back than. However, in the last decade, I have really come to enjoy shooting year around. As a result, the last 7 animals I've put on the wall were all one shot kills. That rush of adrenalin you get when you spot a BIG buck is what keeps us coming back for more. Learn to harness that through practice and good ole fashion disipline, and you will master the one shot kill.
 
I dry heaved once too. I get excited after the shot as well. My left leg always shakes like a leaf for some reason. It also helps a ton to have someone there talking you down. Good advice! The excitement is awsome when you can control it.

Practice calming yourself down. If you notice you're excited about something, take a deep breath, relax your shoulder muscles (that's the first places that tenses up when we're excited) and start concentrating on breathing at a slow regular pace. You'll actually feel your heartbeat slow. Practice anytime too. Standing in line somewhere, driving, anywhere really. Just practice. Learn how to calm yourself down. That will help you tons.


"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle." General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, US Army
"Most men go through life wondering if they made a difference, Marines don't have that problem." President Ronald Regan
 
Very good advice given by everyone. You may also try .5mg of Ativan. That will get rid of the shakes!

Keep on practicing, shooting and looking at animals. You can do what Cameron Hanes does, and take some practice shots in the house while watching TV! Or even better, put on some hunting DVD's and draw back and practice some shots along with the hunter. Just don't let any of them go wild or it will be the last time you shoot your bow!

"Half of being smart, is knowing what you're dumb about."
 
If you absolutely don't get it the is sad. Half the rush of the hunt is a little fever. Practice in your off time visualizing your shot, and control your breathing.Take a breath in through your mouth for a 4 count, hold for a 4 count, and let it out through your nose for a 4 count.

I was on a DIY sheep hunt in IDaho, saw my first sheep on day 17. I found a legal ram on day 21. My ram was about 140 yards away in steep nasty cliffs. Had to wait for the shot, it started raining and the wind picked up to about 40 mph. My sheep fever rose every minute, I sat there for 20 minutes before I had a shot. I just practice my breathing, and got my ram. I have missed sever great animals over the years, I think every has. JB
 
I spend hours upon hours shooting at my steel gong throughout the summer. Hundreds of rounds. Every animal I get set up on honestly turns into my steel. "it's just the steel, it's just the steel, it's just the steel" is what goes through my head. It not only helps me stay calm but helps me go through my shooting routine. I think about things that otherwise would completely leave my thoughts in the heat of the moment like trigger control, shot placement, my breathing. My steel is 12X12 the size of most vitals of the animals I hunt. Now after the animal goes down it's a whole other story.....my legs shake uncontrollably and my breathing goes out the window.
 
There is actually quite a bit of scientific research on "situational performance anxiety". (Buck Fever) From missing easy putts to choking on free throws the fix is the same.

By far the most useful method is putting yourself in this situation as many times as possible. Simply put, get yourself in front of as many game animals as you can. The closer to the "real thing" the better, but don't overlook the importance of small game, antlerless, etc.
The other two techniques used by professional athletes are Sequence training and Visualization. The more detail you put into your visualization, the more helpful it is. Imagine the sequence of events, the wind, the smell,. . . everything.

Good Luck!
 
Funny advice coming from a guy with the name "cantclosethedeal"!!

LMAO, just kidding man I just thought it was ironic. Great advice!!!

"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle." General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, US Army
"Most men go through life wondering if they made a difference, Marines don't have that problem." President Ronald Regan
 
I guess you first need to figure out what really ails you.

(Choking is "over-thinking")

(Panic is "not thinking")

Most close-range hunters CHOKE. They over-think.

When you're in-the-zone you don't need to think at all. Everything becomes automatic.

Zeke
 
Zeke, you've hit the nail on the head. Be in the moment, don't think, let your mind go blank and just do it. Works for me.


"We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
 
I guess I'm not sure what buck fever is. I am always very excited but I seem to operate on auto pilot and the shot just happens. When I was bowhunting a lot I very seldom even remembered pulling the bull back or touching the release. I am always excited especially after a nice shot on a trophy animal, as far as shakes or dry heaves I guess I just don't get that
 
Get laid right before you walk out the door/un zip the tent flap. Always seems to help me. My nerves are never too frazzled then.
 
>Get laid right before you walk
>out the door/un zip the
>tent flap. Always seems
>to help me. My
>nerves are never too frazzled
>then.


Hahahahahaha I love it! In all seriousness, making quick, accurate shots in the field is all about confidence in my opinion. You have to have confidence in your abilities as a shooter and the confidence in your equipment. I've never really got to worked up over taking shot, I just seem to get into a trans every time and muscle memory and reflexes take over. Like some one said before me, being a wrestler really helps. No other sport except bullriding has taught me to calm my nerves better than wrestling.
Coloradoboy
 
Honest answer- I don't... I've had buck fever on every buck I've ever chased or new I was goin to shoot at... I've killed 7 bucks in that time, two were 4 points. However, in that same time, I have missed three other 4 points. One of them would have been a real wall hanger.

Anyway, I have buck fever no matter what, and it just seems like I'm shootin before I have a chance to worry about it interfering... Happy Huntin..!


"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
Here is a link I posted of a hunt that I took my nephew on. Boy did he ever have buck fever! I wish the camera would have captured his breathing and nervousness. He was shaking up a storm. It was fun watching him. We practiced all summer, and he still had the shakes. Their is something about putting the cross hairs on the animal that gets us all. We worked hard and had an awesome hunt even though he didn't shoot one.

http://www.monsterhuntclips.com/video/1435/Buck-Fever


"Half of being smart, is knowing what you're dumb about."
 

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