GregH

Dealing with your nerves while attempting a shot at a deer can be a frustrating experience. Buck fever is a form of target panic. The sight of a deer that you want to shoot can turn even the best of shots into a quivering mass in a tree. For most of those afflicted with frazzled nerves the result of the shot is usually a complete miss or worse yet, a wounded deer.

The root of this problem lies in controling your excitement. Even the most experienced hunter gets excited when they see a deer they want to shoot. If someone says that they weren't excited they're either lying or shouldn't be hunting.

If you or your buddy say "I wasn't nervous", it's a dead give away that you were indeed nervous. I have a friend that has wounded big bucks three times in the last 3 seasons. While describing the shot, the first thing he says is that he wasn't nervous. I know that he's lying! It's like asking a little one who ate all of the candy and have them stare down at their shoes and say it wasn't them. A dead give away, it's called denial.

The first step in correcting this problem is to admit that you have to work on controlling your excitement.

The following steps are what I do to control my excitement while making a shot at a deer.

1) Go out and scout from a distance in observation stands. Gradually work your way closer to the deer. Get used to seeing them. Look at the exact spot where you'd aim if you were to shoot that deer. Concentrate.

2) When you first spot a deer that you want to shoot you'll probably get an adrenaline burst. Take a deep breath and slowly let it out while you are preparing for the shot.

3) As the deer starts coming into range, narrow your focus to the exact spot where you want to rest your sight pin or your arrow to hit.

4) When the deer is in range of your shot, narrow your focus some more so you can only see a spot on the animal about 4 inches in diameter. About the size of a bullseye.

5) Center your pin or aim in the center of this bullseye and slowly squeeze off the shot.

6) Follow through. Do not take your eyes off of this spot until your arrow is in the target or the ground. Do not anticipate or peek around your bow to see the arrow hit, you'll throw off your shot. I try to see my arrow hit as if I were still looking through my peep sight.

7) Watch the deer run off until you can't see or hear it anymore. Then make a few mental landmarks of trees or rocks etc of where the deer went, before you get down from your stand.

The reason for narrowing your focus down to such a small spot on the deer is to help your aim and prevent you from aiming at the whole animal. It also keeps you from looking at the antlers. It is fact that the larger the antlers, the more frazzled your nerves will be. You will get a better look at the antlers once they're in your hands. Gospel.


This works for me and I hope it works for you.

Good luck!

PS. More tips are welcome

NY Bowhunter

Very good advice and often an overlooked aspect of bowhunting.


However I'm either lying or shouldn't be hunting because I really don't get nervous or "buck fever" at all[8D][:-]. I dont' even think my heart rate goes up one iota from the time I see adeer I want to shoot and the time I release my arrow. Everything seems to slow down and it's cool and calm.

After the shot is a different story. I nearly fall out of my stand after every shot because I'm shaking so bad and nervous. I take a paper bag with me for my hyperventilating after the shot. My mouth gets dry and I can't control my shakes and breathing I guess I just do it backwards.

BullRider115

Great post and great tips GregH.

100% agree. When I teach kids how to shoot, I always tell them watch the arrow through the string. A slight peek to watch that arrow around the bow is always a bad shot in my experience. I have even help correct this with adults as well.

Also, If you do not have time to sit in the woods and to get closer to the deer like Greg stated, take up 3D, not just in your backyard but, join a league.It is pretty nerve racking when you first start a league, almost the same as shooting at a deer in the woods. You have people watching you shoot who you do not know. This will help you breath and make the shot.

I believe 3D archery can be a huge confidence builder. You can never be nerveless (if that is a word) in the woods but, you can have faith that where you put your pin is where you will hit.

tsoc

Great post Greg! I am a big self talker to work my way through my shot.Intense focus on your aiming point and focusing on excellent form takes the emphasis off the excitement of the moment.
Fortunately there havn't been that many blown opportunities in the past but the memory of them and the feelings of disgust do a lot to help me keep my head on straight.
Chuck Adams uses some denial self talk to keep from getting to excited,he tells himself I probably wont get a shot upon seeing an animal he wants to take and he repeats this type of self talk all the way through his shot.I do something similar with big bucks,with no disrespect intended to doe's I tell myself that the buck is just a doe with horns,it's just a doe with horns,it desensitizes the process for me.
Do you guy's prefer when the shot opportunity happens quickly so that you have less time to think about it?Or do you do better watching the animal for an extended period of time?

BullRider115

I like a little while to see the animal coming- 5 minutes. I don't like it when they just appear in shot range nor do I like watching one for an hour as it works 70 yards out.

GregH

tsoc, Its about a horse apiece for me. If it happens real fast I take a quick look at the rack to see if it's what I want, if it is, I quickly shift focus to the spot I want to hit. There is hardly no time to get super charged. In all I prefer to have more time to prepare for the shot. Like NY Bowhunter, you should see me after the shot![:-]I don't remember climbing down and can't feel my feet on the ground.

Good question.

bloodcrick

Been there, This so called fever has cost me three p&y bucks over the years. what a rush!!

cptleo1

One thing that helps me is I quit shooting spots (targets) about 3 weeks before season.

I switch to shooting a 3-d target ONLY.

I only shoot one arrow and retrieve it (Keeps me from using nocks for reference).

What I found was it is hard to focus on a small spot on a deer -Through the sights-

Practicing on the 3d - aiming at arrow divots - shadows - shoulder crease REALLY helps

my concentration about aiming for a tuft of hair or something small on a real deer.

For me the lack of a bulls eye on a real deer encourages me to aim for the middle.

The second most important thing to practice is follow through (although equally important)

Just a few things that work for me

Finch

I momentarily check out the head gear and then begin concentrating on the boiler room. It seems to help and always leaves you surprised once you find the buck and it's bigger/smaller than you remember.

GMMAT

Greg:

Good stuff. I, for one, appreciate you taking the time to write that. One of those really hit home with me.

I can tell you for a fact I'm not doing this. I also know I'm getting ahead of myself (an old golf problem I used to have, too....at times).

I promise I'm gonna work on this. I owe to the deer.