How nervous do you get?
 

On a scale from 1 - 10. 10 being you pee on yourself at the mere suggestion of shooting a deer and 1 being you are so calm and cool it dont bother you at all. I get so freaking nervous that I would hae to rate myself at about a 8. I dont pee down my leg but my legs shake relentlessly. I would say what can I do to cure this, but I love it and thats part of it for me..

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Man it really varies for me. EVERY time I know I'm gonna shoot I get a jolt of adrenaline, but it doesn't always affect me the same way. I go on "auto pilot" and just.....do it. I pretty much always get the shakes, at bare minimum. When I shot my buck last fall, it was a good half hour before I could even stand up.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Defenitely not wanting a sure for it but I would rate mine on about a 5 if its a good buck. I dont usually get too nervous around does when all is going smoothly, but when she gets a hint that I am around and starts acting nervous I think that makes me more nervous.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I got so nervous the first year I hunted.....thatI remember one day having some small bucks under me and a couple does....and I wasn't even gonna reach for my bow.

I STILL had to prop my right leg against the tree I was in because it was shaking that bad.

It's gotten better.

I've become very much more .....I wouldn't say "relaxed".....but "focused". I just look at it like I'm there to do a job. MOTOWN told me last year to pick a spot on the deer as soon as I could.....and burn a hole in it. Don't focus on anything else. That's helped, tremendously.

When the arrow's downrange and I assess the shot, though......Katy bar the door. I am a mess.

If I could bottle that feeling and sell it......I'd retire tomorrow.

I hope I never get to the point where I don't have to fight to control my anxiety. That little inner struggle is what it's all about.;)

edit**

Forgot to answer your question....

Before the shot? about a 5. After the shot.....9.

I can honestly say, though....that the biggest buck I ever saw (inches-wise)....I was completely calm. Can't explain it.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Hell I get all fired up the first few seconds but then its a controlled anxiety for me. All my kills ive had time to watch these animals first before
getting the shot off. I believe for me this was a big help to keeping me calm. I give myself a 5.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I used to get excited before the shot, but now I get excited after the shot. I guess I have done it for long enough (and screwed up enough) that I know that there are a lot of things that can and do go wrong between when you start to draw your bow and when the animal is recovered.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I somehow manage to keep it together until after I shoot. Then the legs get wobbly.
When I was in my second year of hunting I climbed into this deformed birch tree. It had a big limb coming off the side about 6' off the ground. A 5 pointer walked right up to the tree and was sniffing my boot. My legs were shaking so bad I don't know how he didn't see them. He backed away and circled about 20 yds out. I cut the top of his back with an arrow. I was a mess:)

I try to focus on the shot, not the deer. As soon as I decided I'm going to shoot I start focusing on the spot I want to hit and where I can draw and where I can shoot. I think that distracts me from thinking about the deer. I don't look him in the eye. that freaks me out!
If I get to the point where I don't get excited I would probably quit hunting.

I don't get as excited as Stan Potts:D I bet he has to wear depends!

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

my breath gets shallow and i get shaky

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

You can, but it also likely will get youarrested.;)


I would rate myself about a 6. I realy have no significant physical effects (before the shot anyway) by in my head my brain is doing jumping jacks. I have never had any problem drawing my bow, or doing something dumb out of buck fever.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I still get nervous but the shakes always come after I the shot. Sometime I feel like I'm about to shake right out of the stand when I'm giving the deer time.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

dang u moved up here fast lol

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Before a shot, I don't think I really feel anything. I guess maybe because I am too busy talking myself thru what is going on, guessing yardage, figuring out which way he is going to go, where to draw, picking my spot. I do get pretty worked up after the shot, sometimes more than others. I remember one deer, I got worked up so bad that I could not climb down my tree for like 30 mins.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I would say I start at a 7-8 with a hught heart pounding and then if I have some time to focus I can get myself down to a 4-5. I don't really get the shakes but I do get a major thumping heart.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

i'll say about a 6-8 depending

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I would say about a 2. I think it is because I have had to control my anxiety and focus since I was little and racing go carts. I went straight from go carts to 450 HP racing trucks. I remember on my first pace lap my foot was shacking so bad I couldn't stay at a steady speed and was chirping my tires all around the track. Don't get me wrong, I get excited deer hunting and love it. I'm just able to stay calm.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

My thinking is that if I ever loose that giddiness,hunting wouldn't be fun anymore!!!!!

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

It depends on the situation. If a deer just "pops up out of nowhere," I don't have time to get nervouse. If I see him/her coming for a while I'm able to calm myself down until right before it's time to draw. I've never had any problems drawing or anything like that though. When I know the moment of truth is getting ready to happen, I get shaky. 4

Once the arrow is gone and I know I've hit the animal, I'm a mess!!!! 8


I love every bit of it!!!!

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

im an 8.....i shake so bad youd think i was having a heartattack in my tree

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Before the shot - 1
After the strike - 8
But I don't think its nerves, its the adrenaline rush! Takes about 15 minutes to get past it.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

My heart still pumps when I shoot at any deer otherwise it wouldn't be fun anymore!!:D

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

depends alot for me. ive always been pretty stone cold before the shot...i say im in "kill mode" and in the zone and that focused that nothing else matters and i dont have time to think to get excited...

but then theres times i watch the animal and wait for the shot blah blah etc and i get the shakey knees and all that...im usually preety good about calming down REAL quick...but after the shot, forget it.

when i shot my buck last year i made my buddy climb the tree to get my gear and bow because there was NO way i could got down with it(i was in his stand...he climbs an actual tree and uses the branches as steps!!!!!) the stand was bouncing up and down from me shaking and as soon as i released the arrow my knees started knocking like you wouldnt believe..i have NO idea how i didnt drop my bow...or hit the end of my harness rope! i watched the buck fall and it was all over for me...i think i shook out all the leaves from the maple tree the stand was in lol....

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Depends on the size of the deer. Most of the time I would say a 6, but when a big boy comes I'm at a 9. :)

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RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I get excited when I seean animal that I know that I want to shoot. I am nervous up to the point that I stand up an then it as Auto pilot on all the way. After the shot, think I get more nervous than before. But all in all I give myself a 7.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Im with the majority of people here....
before-1-2
after- 6-7!!
First time was about a 8!!
The biggestbuck I have ever seen and worst shot I have ever made was a 9!!!! I never found that buck and think about it often!!!

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I give Myself a 7 before the shot and about a 9 after the shot..

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Man,after over 20 years of hunting I still get jacked when I see a deer that may present a shot.Sometimes it gets me worse than others,I guess I'm the worst when a deer just pops up unexpected,you knowone second no deer then,bam!,deer right there,man that gets me,how do they do that? Anyway the second worse would be after the shoot,if I see a deer in plenty of time I have an initial jolt,but then I'm able to start focusing on the spot I want to hit and an oppurtunity to draw and hit my mark.And if I decide that I'm not going to take a shot I'm totally relaxed.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I have pretty good control over the emotions. I get that rush when I first spot my target but I drop to a 2-3 for the shot. I hit an 8 or so after the shot though. :)

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Varies for me,some times cool as a cucumber on nice bucks,other times pretty jacked up on a doe.If I feel liked I am pinned on a deer the excitement heightens.If I am cold and have adrenaline going at the same time I am more jittery.I actually purposely over dress in some instances so I can not have my body be tense from the cold.
A couple of mantra's for me are reminding myself to keep the tension out of my body especially my hands and legs.Secondly to focus of the execution of an excellent shot.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Before the shot I'm around a 2, after the shot and I mean directly after I'm about a 9. I love that huge adrenalin rush after the shot.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

1-1 1/2.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I still shake a good alot. I love that feeling, i always sit there if i see a deer coming going "please chill out a bit by the time the deer is within range" lol

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Before the shot, I would say that I am at a 5, but after the shot, I am a strong 8 or better, and that is just rifle hunting. I have never deer hunted with a bow before, so we shall see this fall!!!![&:]:)

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

Same here. If I am COLD, I simply cannot control myself. I start shaking like a dog crapping peach pits. I have a real problem keeping my feet and hands warm, so that makes it all the harder. I think if a big buck came in when I was really starting to get cold, he would live another year, because I could just simply not draw for lack of strength due to cold and "buck fever".

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I get a good shot of adrenaline when I first see something I want to kill, then I switch into kill mode, get real focused on when and where I will try to take the shot, I am pretty calm, I get pretty pumped when I know I drilled him, but I keep it welled up insidetill I recover them becauseI dont like to miss anything blood trailing,once I recover them I get pretty excited.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I'd go with an 8. Last year was my first year hunting with a bow. And it was more then when i gun hunt. I only shot 1 deer before and that was with a gun and before the shot i was shaky and then right after i shot and saw the deer go down i couldnt stop shaking for a good amount of time. But bow hunting, thats a different story! It was during the rut and i saw a nice 4 point walk by and it was crazy just how close i was to him (id say about 10-15 yards).

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I mormally get exited and I would say 6 to 7:D

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

To be 100% honest Im calm and collected on the draw but as soon as the arrow hits, i turn into jello. i think i pooped once after shooting one....:D

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

When I know I'm going to shoot I get that initial shot like some others have mentioned, but then I go on autopilot until after the shot. After the shot I'm usually shaking pretty good, but focus on the deer until it either falls or gets out of sight. I think it wouldn't be as fun if I ever got down to a 1 on the scale because that excitement is what it's all about.

RE: How nervous do you get?
 

I GO INTO THE ZONE PUT THE PIN ON TARGET RELEASE ,WATCH THE ANIMAL AFTER THE SHOT AND LISTEN REPLAY IT IN MY MIND SIT DOWN AND SHAKE UNCRONTROLLABLY THATS WHAT MAKES IT AWESOME