Buck Fever

[tapstewart]

I thought I would share a quick story.
It happened last night. I had a nice 8 pointer under my stand nothing huge, but he would have been tasty. It was 4:18 as watched him walk slowly in with his head down sniffing the trail. I slowly grabbed my TRX & drew back. Then suddenly buck stops between two trees, but I still have a shot. What Im sure was only 3-4 minutes seemed more like an hour to me with the TRX in full drawI release & miss. The buck was only 15 yards from me..ouch!

Oh well, it just like my grandfather always said If was easy everyone would do it.

Buck fever. gotta love! Hopefully my next story can be in the harvest report.

 

[Thunder Ridge Extreme 1]

My grandfather taught me early how to deal with the fever and I have yet to shake on a shot. Don't get me wrong because I feel the rush but focus on the task at hand. I love to hunt and I put a ton of time into it so thats why I make each shot count. We don't go out to the tree each day to shake! We go to harvest a deer of our choice! So just settle yourself before each shot! Your not out there to shake, your out there to harvest your trophy! Good Luck! Relax! T$

 

[Kaylray]

Buck Fever is the anticipation of shooting the deer!

Making the shot is the easy part if you can keep the anticipation out of your mind.

Here is how I keep from anticipating.

I brake all the actions that need to take place down into steps. I concentrate on completing them one at a time and don't think about the shot untill it's turn.

Example when I see a buck I know may present a shot.

1.Can I successfully grab my bow without the deer seeing my movement?
2.Can I successfully attach my release?
3.Can I stand or get into positioin without being detected?
4.If I have not already done so, where am I going to try to draw on him? (his position)
5.Can I get the bow drawn?
6.If he is moving, can I get him stopped?
7.Can I pick a spot on him and get my pin on it?
8.squeeze
9.watch the arrow hit the spot
10.watch the deer and mark his last visable location.

If you break it down into steps and work on completing the individual steps, rather than shooting the deer, you will keep your nerves under control.


Oh yeah, I do have a last step.

11.Can I keep from peeing myself and falling out of my stand.

 

[ironwood]

HornTickler, great reply.

 

[Fishbonker]

Great reply. I might add the first thing to control is your breathing, if time allows. If I see the deer along way away, the first thing I start to do is hyperventilate. Once I realize I'm breathing 40-50 times a minute I can make a consious effort to control my breathing. That also lets me slow down and think like Horntickler said. Doesn't mean I'll get or make a shot, but I feel much more in control. Now if you are suprised like I was a few days ago, there isn't time to think, you just sort of react.

Good luck.

The 'Bonker

 

[hawkeyefan]

Don't feel too bad there tap. I know a guy who missed a doe from the same range with a muzzleloader last year. It happens.