Buck fever.

[agingcrossbower]

When I was younger I remember the other hunters could tell when I shot because they were fast but rarely hit anything. I was also shooting a pump so most assume it was an auomatic.
When I got married my wife went along and a doe presented itself with several other smaller deer. I decided to take it and calmy shot and it dropped like a brick. Right away I started shaking uncontrollably and my wife leaned over and tried to pull the flaps of my hat down over my ears because she thought I was cold. She had no idea what buck fever was.
My advise and at least works for me is look at the rack and if its what your after do not look again. Just concentrate on the body and go for the kill. Racks will mess with your mind. Other than that aging helps.

[philman]

I Know a guy that was bowhunting and harvested a good 140ish 10pt. After the shot he was so excited he was shaking and almost in tears at the same time he called me up on the two way to tell me the good news. As soon as I arrived at his tree to help recover the deer the silly bugger walked right off the end of his tree stand.18ft. Luckily he was wearing his harnesses and nobody was hurt...LOL!Proof that buck fever can happen after the shot .......ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HARNESS!

[rayman]

Missed the first buck I ever shot at. A very big 6 p. Then made a spectacular shot on a spike that didn't run after I missed the 6 p. Would characterize it as buck fever.

Have killed 2 of the top 5 or 6 bucks I have shot at in my life - buck fever.

Buck fever does not affect the anticipation of shooting a large buck only. During doe week, I can watch 4 points all day with no anticipation at all. But if a doe starts coming in, shake-shake-shake. On my lease it's first leagal buck, then big boys and does. Also can watch a big boar hog, nothing, let a 90 pound guilt come out, palms start sweating and have to concentrate on what I'm doing. I think it's the anticipation of the shot, with the affect being amplified if a large rack of antlers is involved.

Advice for new hunters - decide if it's an animal you want to shoot, then concentrate on making a good shot.

Also - when you don't get excited anymore, it's time to quit. Me, still get excited after 33 years of deer huting.

[georgiaboy]

When i turned 16 my father started letting me hunt from a tree stand by myself,only problem was i had to use an old savage bolt action 30/30 that had no clip...a single shot by default!
Well since i knew i only had one shot i would control my nerves and wait for a good shot, killed quite a few deer with that gun. When i turned eighteen my father bought me a new rem. 270 pump, gun came with two four round clips.
First time in the stand with it i had one clip in it & the other one in my pocket full...loaded for bear as my father would say!!
About dusk dark a small doe walks out, i unload both clips & never cut a hair! My father drives into the field wanting to know if the russian's had invaded!!

[bucknbill]

i still get excited but nothing like i have read here..but i used to get pretty antsy waitin for the shot

[wayne]

1st year deer hunting was "74" people I was hunting with say i got a classic case of buck fever....I don't think so...the stock of the gun just got cought in my armpit & I could not get the weapon to my shoulder to shoot but that's my story & I'am sticking to it

Only thing after that & still to this day, is after I shoot & I know I have a good hit, my left leg will shake for about 3-5 mins. I've always said if that stops, I'll stop deerhunting...

[Big58cal]

As others have said, if I ever quit getting the shakes, I'm going to quit hunting! It won't be any fun any more.

When I first started bowhunting (with a vertical bow), I practiced A LOT! I was going to 3D archery shoots every weekend and would shoot in the back yard for almost 2 hours daily. I was addicted to archery!! I had shot so much, everything involved was second nature. Actually shooting at a live deer though was a different story.

That first year, I missed 6 deer. I couldn't figure out "why" I was missing though! My sights were dead on, I could judge the yardage within a yard or two, my bow was tuned, everything was right! I finally figured out "why" I was missing on the 7th deer. I saw the deer, drew the bow, and got ready to shoot and noticed that all of my pins were 2-3 feet ABOVE the deer. I dropped my 20 yd pin down to right behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger of the release. SMACK! The deer took off running, but was dead and didn't know it. I got to thinking back to the other shots that I had taken and sure enough, I couldn't remember ever actually putting the sight pin "on" the deer.

Since that time many moons ago, I've learned to concentrate on making the shot and putting my sight right where I want it to go. Since then also, it's a rare thing that I actually "miss" a deer. I've had several trees and limbs jump out in front of my arrows/bullets though.

For the beginners, practice until everything is second nature to you. Know what your equipment is capable of. One of the main things is learn how to judge yardage! Range finders make this a whole lot easier, but a lot of times, there's no time to use one. And the #1 thing, CONCENTRATE ON PUTTING YOUR SIGHT ON THE ANIMAL WHERE YOU WANT TO HIT!

If I see a deer or turkey, and I know I'm not going to shoot, I'm as calm as a cucumber. If I know I'm going to try to get a shot though, I start shaking like a leaf. Once I put the gun/bow up to make the actual shot, I stop shaking and concentrate on making it happen. After the shot, I'm a basket case again. I wouldn't trade it for the world though!

Muzzleloading for me presents somewhat of a "special" challenge. After every shot, I swab the barrel out with a couple of patches seasoned with Bore Butter. The inside of a muzzleloading barrel is a lot like an iron skillet, it has to be "seasoned". Once you've got it done, don't put soap and water to it!!! Just clean the fouling out with seasoning patches. Anyway, trying to get a patch off of a stack of them to swab the barrel out is dang near impossible with shaking hands/arms/body. I know better than to even touch a knife until after I calm down a little.

[frisky]

Never had any trouble pulling the trigger for the shot. My problem was , I got so excited, I would not sleep the night before the opening morning.

[j.krug]

I don't have any funny tales but I do develop a split personality when the time comes to take a shot at an animal.

The first one shakes like crazy and gets all worked up. The second one talks to the first one and tries to calm him down, tells him to check the list...arrow seated firmly, check...ready to take safety off, check...don't move around to much, check...crosshairs where you want them, check and so on.

It's wierd but I'm used to the voices in my head now anyways! As long as we don't start argueing in the tree stand it should be okay!!

[Cossack]

Been hunting deer for almost 60 yrs and STILL get 'the fever' at the sight of a deer. Not so I'm out of control, like the first time, when I emptied most of my gun's clip without pulling the trigger, but pulse starts to race, esp after decision it's gonna be a shooter. That's not likely to change until when I'm 'in the home.'

[bob1961]

i get doe fever, not buck fever ....every buck i ever had a shot at i never "LOST IT" so to say....but come to a doe coming into bow range and then i get my heart pounding so loud i think the deer will hear it, i start shaking real bad, i get tunnel vision to where i'm a basket case ....i don't know why i'm like that ....when i shot that bear monday i was kool as can be "UNTILL" after the shot then i "LOST IT" with the heart pounding and shakes ....i had a bout with some doe a few years ago before my brain surgery that left me exhausted after coming to full draw 3 times in only 30 minutes time period, they knew i standing was there but i was downwind from them and didn't move....they just stayed at a 30 yard range but was a good range for my compound at the time..........bob

....

[Dereck]

Had that Turkey hunting a couple of years ago.
Shaking so bad feet would not stay on the ground and I was sitting on my butt.

[sumner4991]

we went out again and as we passed through a logging road intersection, I told him stop, as I saw a nice buck standing about 100 yards on the side of a road. I told him to stay in the truck as the deer was on his side and he would spook it if he opened his door. I snuck around the back of the truck,jacked a shell in the chamber and took aim over the rear bumper.

I'm a little surprised that this thread has went two pages and has over 260 views and nobody has asked Hank if hunting from the bumper of a truck is legal.

Must be something in the air . . .anyway . . .

I just talk to myself . . .a lot.

[strum]

we went out again and as we passed through a logging road intersection, I told him stop, as I saw a nice buck standing about 100 yards on the side of a road. I told him to stay in the truck as the deer was on his side and he would spook it if he opened his door. I snuck around the back of the truck,jacked a shell in the chamber and took aim over the rear bumper.

I'm a little surprised that this thread has went two pages and has over 260 views and nobody has asked Hank if hunting from the bumper of a truck is legal.

Must be something in the air . . .anyway . . .

I just talk to myself . . .a lot.

i was wondering the same thing

[strum]

When i was bout 25 i was huntin along the tennessee river in alabama..just walking along kinda daydreamin i think..when a fair sized spike came running straight at me..
i think he was pushed from someone walking on down the river ..any way he stoped and looked at me and i threw my ole marlin 30-30 up and click ,leverer, click ,lever ,click.. ect till i was out of shells..i never did take the safety off had 7 brand new shells on the ground
but like most have said I can take a deer one day ..no problem at all and then some times im all messed up ..why?..i dont know but i love it