shooter mcgavin

Hey, this is gonna sound stupid but this actually works. Next time a buck comes into range and you are going to commit to a shot pretend that that is the buck who nearly trampled your mother to death. What I am saying is that you can psych yourself out to believe that you have a vendeta against that particular deer and you need to exact revenge! Interesting I realize

Trex

I have been bowhunting since 1962 and still get the shakes. Excitement is the name of the game. When the excitement leaves me I will leave the woods. I shaved a handful of hair from the brisket of a nice 8 pt at 7:00 a.m. last Saturday......he was at 21 yds and I missed him! When I get ready to shoot I keep repeating in my head: "It's just like practice, it's just like practice. And I agree wholeheartedly with wis_bow_huntr...DON'T LOOK AT THE ANTLERS!

Mikey S.

I'm not busting your stones, but 300 shots over a few months isn't a lot. If you think about it, that's only 50 or 60 a day for a week or so. That's it.So you have a week of practice in a few months. If you shoot all year round, like indoor or 3-d shoots, and practicealso, 100 shots or so every couple days/shooting sessionis easy. What I'm saying is that you can never practice to much. Don't wear yourself out until you develope badhabits, but allow yourself moretime at the range to build that muscle memory and brain memory you need to shoot at crunch time. Controlling your emotions can be a skill learned through competitive archery.

Another thing I do is to tell myself "it's only a deer." And really, it is only a deer. There are millions of them out there, if you're a patient and persistent hunter and willing to learn the game, you'll get lots of chances. Don't put pressure on yourself to bag something all the time, you'll soon take the fun out of it. Relax, have fun, let a few deer walk by, get used to watching them, practice picking out a hair to shoot at. LImit yourself to a certain yardage, certain body position, until you're consistently bagging animals, then move up in the world.

davidmil

Some one said it, KILL MORE!!! I think when I hit 50 killsI stopped shaking. Or maybe I just got so old I couldn't tell the difference between old age shakes and buck fever shakes.[8D][8D]

hunter9022

Like everyone else says, dont look at horns, and concentrate. Like tonight, havnt had anything come in bow range yet this year untill around 7 tonight, and ill admit my heart was racin a little more than usual. But, i wasnt planning on shooting one this early with it being so hot outside. Next time a doe comes in, just let her walk by, get use to the feeling of having deer within that close of a distance and dont worry about all the aspects of having to shoot. In my opinion, all buck fever consists of worrying about messing up on something you strive so hard for. To me, its not even nervousness, its the thrill of having a deer within spitting distance and them not knowing you're there that gets my heart pumping. Anyway, try just letting a few deer lounge around you and get use to the feeling. After that, it wont be so nerve racking.

DoctorDeath

HEY LIKE WOW MANNNN ..TAKE A QUALUDE ABOUT 30 MIN BEFORE YOU GET IN YOUR STAND ...OH YEH BE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR SAFTY HARNESS ON ;&gt)

ROLL TIDE
DD

Bassman4940

Sounds to me like you are shooting at the "whole deer". It's very hard to do, but try not to look a those antlers!!! Pick the exact spot on the deer where you need to aim, and stay with that spot all the way... It takes some practice, especially when it's a decent buck.
I think everybody gets buck fever, and the day that I stop getting that feeling will be the day that I give up on bow hunting. (I hope that day never comes!)
One final note, it'a a good idea when you see one deer is to scan around the area to make sure there isn't more than one deer that can discover you, and blow your cover!

MDNewbie

It's all mental in my opinion. When I first started to gun hunt and did not see that many deer I would get all exited and start to shake. Now that I have a few years under my belt I expect to see deer.

Last year was my first with a bow. I made a deal with myself that I would not take a shot over 20 yds. (although I practiced out to 40 yds). I called in a nice 8 pointer and he was across the creek at 35 yds broadside. I did not take the shot. No regrets but because I feel confident with deer around while in my stand I was calm.

Last Saturday when I shot my first deer with a bow I felt very confident and actually told my self I was going to #$^&^ up that deer. When she got to 15 yds I took my shot.

It was a little high but I found her. I think confidence is what you need to calm your nerves.