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buckfever?

I always take a couple deep breaths as I notice the animal coming into kill range. I suppose you could try thinking of something else as you line up your shot that might help.
 
Deep breath and focus only on the spot you want to hit. Keeping eyes on the horns only makes the knees knock more.
 
You can't control Buck Fever, you can only hope to contain it. When it comes to one you are gonna shoot, once you've made that decision stop looking at the antlers and focus on yardage and shot placement. Or just hope they get on you so fast you don't have time to get Buck Fever.
 
Draw on the first doe that comes by you. I still get the ole knee shakes when I do that. Seems the next time I draw the jitters are gonna.
 
SCOFFIN said:
When it comes to one you are gonna shoot, once you've made that decision stop looking at the antlers and focus on yardage and shot placement. Or just hope they get on you so fast you don't have time to get Buck Fever.
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Pretty much this. If you can get past looking at the antlers its a done deal. Sometimes you don't have much time to decide however. Learn to control your breathing also helps.
 
A trick I learned in infantry school to calm yourself down when the adrenaline starts flowing is to take a four count breath in, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts and hold for four counts, this is a simple tool to allow you to maintain focus, prevent tunnel vision, and think clearly about the task at hand which in this case is focusing on my pin sight or front sight and putting that on a small target I imagine within my vital area. I hope this helps, it works for me in hunting situation as well as military application
 
Controlling buck fever is almost impossible, being able to control your shot however is not impossible. With a gun in hand I get on something solid for a rest (tree, fence, sit and brace off my knee, go prone etc.) I'm not a great freehand shot when I'm calm so I do anything possible to eliminate having to take a freehand shot especially if buck fever sets in. I've noticed that with a bow the strain of drawing and holding takes my shakes away. At that point its just concentrating on shot placement, good form and follow thru.
 
This is my process.

1. Decide to Shoot or not
2. Focus on where I am going to get a shot and when to draw.
3. focus on spot on the deer I am going to shoot.
4. Shoot the spot
5. Time for a lil buck fever

If I am not going to shoot I still go through this in my head minus the buck fever at the end.

Focusing on the process has helped me keep calm until after the shot. After that I better sit down for a couple minutes!

Sent from my iPad using IW
 
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Agree with CI ! Shoot or no? Then quit looking at the horns unless that's what you want to hit. After the shot I damned sure need to stay buckled up for a few minutes.
 
Trying to control my breathing really helps me, and to just focus on where you want your shot to land. I get nervous every time, but last year on one of the biggest deer I've ever seen I literally had to lean my body agaisnt the try and look down or I think I literally would of fell out of the stand. My legs were practically literally knocking. I learned legs like jelly is not just a figure os speech!
 
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