robbcayman

I still tend to get an increased heart rate and get a little shaky when I can hear him coming. I always try to control my breathing, but sometimes I still have the butterflies.

Can anyone sharetips on what you do to avoid buck fever? Also, do guys that have been hunting for 15-20 years still go through it? I have been hunting for 7 and I still deal with it.

outdooraholic

the day you stop having buck fever is the day you need to hang up your bow

sbooy42

been hunting for almost 20 yrs and still get it & love it.....

Best thng I have found is..look at the body

Treek

I know what you mean...I start to see black spots floating around as I try to put the pin on the deer. Wierd..

BigJ71

My heart still feels like it's going to come out of my chest when I see a big slammer buck, I get excited with any deer for that matter. I think if you DIDN'T get excited something would be wrong.

It's just a matter of focus and confidence. You should have the discipline to concentrate on your shot placement by blocking everything else out (especially the antlers)and confidence in your ability to deliver a good clean kill shot. A lot of this comes with practice.

Of course it's exciting...it's supposed to be, you just need to stay focused and your training and practice will kick in. Before you know it, you will be wrapping your hands around a nice set of antlers.

GMMAT

I wish I could bottle that feeling and sell it.

I've let it get the best of me on deer. I read a GREAT post by GregH that I've been using to help me, lately. I have consciously been telling myself to pick a spot....pick a spot.....pick a spot. It's all I'm "trying" to focus on (the spot).

I think you'll never (I hope) get rid of the feeling. I think there are steps we can take to "manage" it. I'm working on it.

Matt / PA

A little trick I did years ago as a kid when I would get shaky even at a doe......I put a little note on the backside of my upper limb that read. "Settle down and pick a spot stupid, it's just a deer!" It would make me laugh and distract my mind enough that it actually worked.

RTA47

That hart pounding felling is what makes most of come back each season.

Its not that you want to get over it, You just need to learn how to control it so you can concentrate andpull the shot off when you need to.

Things that help me is I practice like i hunt?
2nd after i know the deer is coming into range for a shot i never look at the antlers,

Try to focus more on the spot you need to put the arrow, talk to your self if you need to.

fingerz42

GMMAT.. you'd be bottling and selling adrenaline then..

I never got buck fever until I started bow hunting.. I can see a buck in rifle and stay calm, but when i see deer bowhunting i get a little shaky..

robbcayman

I thought most of you guys didn't have the adrenaline rush until after the kill, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I admit I like the feeling a lot, but I must stay focused enough to bag the deer. A lot of the guys I hunt with try to be so macho and several of them told me they never have experienced buck fever. I am starting to doubt their claims, and it makes me feel better that most guys on here experience it too.

Picking a spot and just focusing on that is a great tip. I just have to tell myself time and time again it is just a target.