Welcome to the club, that's why we try so hard for that 10 seconds of adredaline. It takes years of shooting big bucks to calm you nerves and even then you'll get it. Look at the antlers and decided if your going to take him and then pick a spot, behind the shoulder, the only thing you should be looking at is brown. Take a deep breath and talk to yourself, let the action unfold in your mind like a movie, plan your shot in you head before the deer gets there. Best of luck

Don't give up! I had something similar to this happen a few years back on my first bow hunt. I had 4 does lined up at 20 yds and I went to draw back, couldn't, so I let it down and tried again and the arrow had unnocked and fell. It hit every metal step on the way down.
All I can say is keep going at it. This year I had a great hunt when a 4 pointer came at 15 yds. (from outta nowhere) and I had just enough time to get my bow, draw back, and whack him (while he a had a clear line of sight at me the whole time). I double lunged him and he didn't make it 40 yds. I like to get mad at myself and say to myself that if I don't get the deer, everyone is going to laugh at me, so in return I get the courage to draw back and bring the deer home with a good story. Hope this helped, good hunting

Want a laugh. I used to pass out when the deer were coming in. I was only eleven years old and gun hunting but when the crunch crunch would echo through the woods, things would go gold and I'd wake up on my butt with my dad pissed off above me. Thank God that stopped.

Anyway, when I started bowhunting I used to get a form of buck fever called target panic. I would come up on the vitals of a deer and release too soon. Drove me nuts so I developed a routine:

When deer is coming I decide if I am goiong to shoot it. Once I decide, I never look at the antlers if it is a buck or the eyes if it is a doe again. I just stare at the kill zone or look ahead to where my shot will be. Also, when on stand, I visualize all the different shot possibilities around me. I talk myself through the shot and if I start to think about missing, I stop and begin again later. I never let a negative thought enter my head. I watch the arrow go straight to the vitals ten times before I ever see a deeer. It has worked for me and I still shake like crazy after the shot and get all pumped up but when he is coming in and when I hit full draw, I am completely relaxed.

Good luck and don't quit. We all have had it and hey, at least you don't pass out!

Greg