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Buck Fever

"J"

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
57,023
274
North Carolina
Been thinking as I'm reading the posts that come along in the harvest threads about the excitement that comes with it.... For some it's before the shot and the nervousness shows up in the form of buck fever and for others (such as myself) are fine before hand but the after shot, buck fever shows up.... All the adrenaline gets released and I'll start shaking like I've been out in the cold under dressed for too long lol....

Hasn't always been like this, it started after some years of archery hunting back in the late 80's early 90's..... When a BB would get me shaking like a leaf on a tree in a windstorm lol.....

It was always way worse for me in bow vs gun season as usually it was a much more up and close experience lol.....

When it changed I can't really say as I think it was a more gradual thing that came a long a until one day I realized I didn't bat an eye until after the shot.... Really gets worse when I see them from a long distance lol....
 
Joel

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
If I know I'm going to shoot if given the chance I get shaky and have to take deep breaths, even on little deer. If I'm not going to shoot I'm calm as can be. Seems sometimes auto pilot kicks on and I just shoot without thinking about it.

First deer encounter was on the ground at 20 yards or less. I stood up from sitting on a log to stretch. Turned around and there was a small doe staring at me and stomping. Pretty sure I was visibly shaking on that one lol.
 
giles

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
44,783
228
The real Amish country
Yea...just about any noise in the woods and I start shaking like a dog shitting peach pits.

I get my heart rate up by running across the yard and then I pick up my crossbow a stake a shot. I found it easier to train myself to shoot user those conditions, than it was to calm my stupid ass down.
 
RedCloud

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,383
193
North Central Ohio
Like J, my early years I would shake at the site of deer close by. Helped a little once I started using those paper deer pic targets. The shakes before shooting finally went away after I got my first 3D deer target and practiced on it daily all summer long.

Now, I don't shake until after the shot. As I go through the motions I think back to that 3D target and that's what keeps me under control until after I let that arrow go. If I ever loose the shakes I'll stop hunting because that means it's no longer exciting and the adrenaline rush is gone.
 
"J"

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
57,023
274
North Carolina
I remember when seeing a deer (any deer) was enough too put you in cardiac arrest lol.....

When I was a kid, we would be rabbit hunting with beagles and once or twice a season you'd jump a doe and man was that a sight too see lol....

My first deer was a BB and I lobbed three arrows at it and didn't hit until the third one.... Over/under/through..... It kept coming back and I kept shooting.... Shaking like a leaf on a tree and all the while calling myself a dumbass for missing.....

Back en I had no one too show me the ropes, no internet too get too and books were it and my interest in reading was nil back then lol.... Unlike today....
 
Bigslam51

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
"J" said:
That's a serious adrenaline rush right there!!!! It's got so far too travel.....
Click to expand...
Lol. Never felt anything like it before! I'm just glad it was only 10 seconds from the time I saw him to the time I shot. If I would of had to watch him for a couple minutes I think I would of been a mess.
 
"J"

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
57,023
274
North Carolina
Bigslam51 said:
Lol. Never felt anything like it before! I'm just glad it was only 10 seconds from the time I saw him to the time I shot. If I would of had to watch him for a couple minutes I think I would of been a mess.
Click to expand...

I shot a nice 8 point off of the ground after watching him for what seemed like an hour but was more like 20 minutes while he made my way checking a couple of scrapes.... I called my buddy and told him he needed too come help me track it.... He was in the middle of Walmart with a cart full of food... Walked out leaving the cart behind lmao.... I was a mess when he got too me lol.... It hadn't gone but 120 yards but I wasn't going after him until I could get it together lol....
 
RedCloud

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,383
193
North Central Ohio
"J" said:
I remember when seeing a deer (any deer) was enough too put you in cardiac arrest lol.....

When I was a kid, we would be rabbit hunting with beagles and once or twice a season you'd jump a doe and man was that a sight too see lol....

My first deer was a BB and I lobbed three arrows at it and didn't hit until the third one.... Over/under/through..... It kept coming back and I kept shooting.... Shaking like a leaf on a tree and all the while calling myself a dumbass for missing.....

Back en I had no one too show me the ropes, no internet too get too and books were it and my interest in reading was nil back then lol.... Unlike today....
Click to expand...

We seem to have grown up the same way lol. The first time I seen a deer while afield was when dad took me for my first deer hunt tag along hunt. Back then we just climbed trees lol. They had big bulky tree stands but it took 3 men and a boy to haul them and hang lol. Dad sent me up the tree to 2 branches that formed a pretty nice seat. He stayed on the ground with his bear whitetail bow. Just after the sun came up a doe walked into range followed shortly by 2 bucks. One was a good 10pt and the other was a big 8pt. Those bucks squared off and started fighting about 40-50 yards away. Coolest thing I ever seen at the time and got me pretty excited. The 10pt won the fight but lost the doe because she took off while they fought. The 10 started walking towards us and I started shaking so bad that before he could make it around the old fence that use to be a pasture the 2 branches I was sitting on started clacking together lol. He looked our way and turned around and took off. All dad could do was look at me shaking those branches in the tree and laugh.

Kept those pre shakes for several years but worked hard to control it.
 
RedCloud

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,383
193
North Central Ohio
Love that video. Now, imagine shaking like that before shooting. That's what it was like. Now, it's like that after shooting but the severity just depends on the hunt. How long I had to watch it before getting the shot off or how big it was, and sometimes how fast it all happens. Just depends now how bad I shake afterwards.
 
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