RE: need advice on controling nerves
GMMAT and Roskoe have it right. Control your breathing and try to get around animals as much as possible. If you have a park near you where there are a lot of deer. See how close you can get, just work on being around them. See how they react to you. After a while you will still be excited, but more able to function. The excitement is what keeps us all going so you don't want to lose that. It's making the shot while being excited that keeps us coming back for more.