"I shake all over".... (become the predator)
10-07-2005, 10:38 AM
#11
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 4,668
RE: "I shake all over".... (become the predator)
I agree.......and disagree.
"The shakes" have to be there IMO or what is the point?? If hunting doesn't get you excited then find something else that does. After all it is what everyone strives for in most walks of life. People want excitement at work, at play, in bed..........and so on. Drug atticts spend a lifetime chasing that original "high".........gamblers always are looking for "action".........people jump out of planes and ride roller coasters every day for a "rush" of fear and excitement. Epinephrine is not a bad thing
Having said that........I also take pride in being able to stay focused on what I have to do when the time comes. I have never had a "melt down" or "freaked out" or got a touch of "the fever". In my mind that comes from being over prepared and overly confident in my equipment. I think when people spaz-out when a deer comes by it is because they are not confident enough that they can seal the deal and they panic.
So I do think there is something to be said for being a rock solid "predator" at crunch time...........but if your heart isn't racing and you are not fired up before, during or after the shot then you have lost touch and become a little too mechanical..........take up golf.
"The shakes" have to be there IMO or what is the point?? If hunting doesn't get you excited then find something else that does. After all it is what everyone strives for in most walks of life. People want excitement at work, at play, in bed..........and so on. Drug atticts spend a lifetime chasing that original "high".........gamblers always are looking for "action".........people jump out of planes and ride roller coasters every day for a "rush" of fear and excitement. Epinephrine is not a bad thing
Having said that........I also take pride in being able to stay focused on what I have to do when the time comes. I have never had a "melt down" or "freaked out" or got a touch of "the fever". In my mind that comes from being over prepared and overly confident in my equipment. I think when people spaz-out when a deer comes by it is because they are not confident enough that they can seal the deal and they panic.
So I do think there is something to be said for being a rock solid "predator" at crunch time...........but if your heart isn't racing and you are not fired up before, during or after the shot then you have lost touch and become a little too mechanical..........take up golf.
10-07-2005, 11:20 AM
#13
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: "I shake all over".... (become the predator)
Good post David. I tend to agree with you to an extent. Though people might often say "when I stop getting the shakes" I wonder if they don't just mean that they stop getting excited about seeing a deer. I can understand your point about the former but can also see theirs about the latter.
10-07-2005, 02:17 PM
#15
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: "I shake all over".... (become the predator)
I'm not here to tell you the heart doesn't race a bit at times, but you have to become the predator to control it. Even a cat waiting to pounce is strung pretty tight sometimes. You can see every muscle just tensing and ready to leap, but they're still the consumate predator through it all. Steady focus and one purpose in mind, to triumph. I do have a tendancy to get more excited after the shot. I guess it's coming down from the high of concentration. I always tell myself, "Ok, you did that right, now sit down and breath". And then I do it.
10-07-2005, 06:40 PM
#18
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Harford Co. Maryland
Posts: 1,574
RE: "I shake all over".... (become the predator)
David, I think what you're trying to say is that it's all about how we control our impulses. We can feel the excitement of the hunt internally, but the better we control our outward reactions, the better the end result andthe more predatorial we are.
Kind of deep, I know, but I believe that's what you're trying to say. Feeling it and showing it are two different things.
Kind of deep, I know, but I believe that's what you're trying to say. Feeling it and showing it are two different things.
10-07-2005, 06:48 PM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 3,903
RE: "I shake all over".... (become the predator)
I think getting the shakes (adrenaline rush) before the shot is perfectly normal for bowhunters in the early stages of their hunting career. After controlling the shakes and getting a few deer under their belt , then itcomes after the shot instead of before.
When most hunters talk about "hanging it up when they lose the rush" , I believe their talking about the adrenaline rush after the shot.
When most hunters talk about "hanging it up when they lose the rush" , I believe their talking about the adrenaline rush after the shot.
10-07-2005, 09:18 PM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,236
RE: "I shake all over".... (become the predator)
It depends on the animal. As soon as I identify the deer as something I want I get the rush. Small bucks don't get me excited. I just find myself smiling from ear to ear like a true idiot while watching them being totally oblivious to my presence. If it is a big buck I get as excited as if it were my first time drawing on an animal. I think the rush is really just the fear of failure......lack of true confidence in the moment of truth. With every success you gain confidence and grow from it.