First off lets be honest here people... Do any of you still get a case of BUCK FEVER no matter how slight? You know, the increased pulse, the shortness of breath, all of it, maybe even the shakes? Nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you control it. Actually it is fun to watch.

Also what is the worst case of buck fever you ever had, or witnessed? Lets hear them stories. Some of them are pretty funny I bet. And I do not mean to make fun or belittle anyone with this question.

I personally get the quick breathing when I see deer approaching. It don't matter if they have horns or not. But through the years, I have learned to control it, and mentally and physically calm myself down. When I was younger, I was terrible for getting BUCK FEVER. I used to even shake a little. Although it never cost me a deer. I've said before I would much rather have a deer suddenly come walking past me, so I have no time to think about it, and just do the shot. Or to come into a stand and stand around long enough that I can just relax and make the shot when I want.

Maybe that's why I am so picky about shot placement. And why I went to muzzleloaders. Also when I was young, I used to hunt with (and still own the little beauty) a Remington 742 Woodsmaster Carbine with a 4x Bushnell (now a Tasco 3-9x40) in 30-06. I'd hate to guess how many deer I shot with that rifle. With a 180 grain Remington Corelock, I do not think a person could have missed. But I always found that I took two shots. Normally I hit both, but I would fire twice. Why? No idea. Maybe it was the dreaded BUCK FEVER...

My best friend has the worst case of the dreaded BUCK FEVER that I have ever saw. Now this fellow has been hunting deer for twenty years. But he is a lot of fun to watch when a deer comes in. And he freely admits he has the dreaded BUCK FEVER... He will see a deer and his entire body starts to shake like a scared dog. And this is a large man so watching him shake is a joy in itself. Then he starts his constant adjustment of the rifle in his shoulder, like he can not get comfortable. And all the time he is shaking and trying to get a sight picture. Is it bad.. well the last deer he shot with is muzzleloader with open sights, he dropped it flat. The deer was 20 yards away, a nice eight pointer, and he spined it. He was aiming for the heart mind you, but he spined it. The one before he did a beautiful neck shot on. Again, was aiming for the heart. We will not even get into the broadside shots he's missed. Still he loves to deer hunt and now uses a muzzleloader all the time. A T/C Hawkins .54 caliber shooting a 300 grain REAL conical.

When he gets his deer the joy that man has from his accomplishment is something. I have sat with him in a stand one afternoon after I had filled up. I watched him shoot at a doe. I tried to talk him down, but the tunnel vision he gets is amazing. He suffers from the dreaded BUCK FEVER...