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Tips Please????

5527 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  Predator
i really need some tips on how to control myself when i get those good bucks walk in to my shooting lanes..... i keep missing


Can anyone help???:confused:
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G
don't shoot at the deer. shoot at the spot where you want the arrow to go. I wish i could follow my own advise, it seems to be my biggest issue as well. i've thought about putting a little sign on my sights saying shoot the spot not the deer.
missionx4,
I just shot a deer last month for the first time out of a tree stand. I've shot them from the ground before but it's the first time out of a tree stand. I thought my heart was going to literally explode out of my chest. Mind you this was rifle hunting not bow hunting. The shot was only about 20 yards. I think I'm going to try bow hunting next year and I'm not sure how I'm going to keep that bow from shaking all over the place. I guess that's what hunting is all about!!

Jimbo
When I first started bow hunting i shook so bad I'd lower the bow and just yell at the deer to go. The more you are around deer the better it gets. Thats good advice from ronn, forget the whole deer, think where you're going to shoot. It's really a mind over matter thing, self control. Easier said than done but time does help. When a deer is approaching I start the auto control system, pick a spot in my shooting lane where I want to shoot, smoothe draw and release, knowing I'm hidden in full camo helps, when the time comes pick the spot on the deer concentrate on the mechanics you've practiced all summer and success. You can always shake when the shooting is done....
thanks..... well i did put i sign up on my bow that i can see through my peep that says stay calm pick a spot... thnks everyone
You are missing because you do not have complete confidence in your shot. Personally I don't buy this buck fever stuff. The shaking is from lack of confidence so practise more----a lot more until you know when the pin settles a deer is going to take a dirt nap. Calm comes from confidence, confidence comes from practise.
I have to disagree with you on that. I've been bow hunting for 13 years and i still the shakes when i see the buck come into my lane..but practice does make perfect!!
I have been hunting for 30 years and I still get the shakes untill I take the shot. If that ever goes away I will be done hunting.
Wheb I see a big buck that I want to try and get a shot I dont look at the deer I find the spot and keep my focus and do not look at the horns, keep your mind on that spot. And yes shoot and shoot some more untill the bow feels like its a part of you.
Best of Luck
I think the shakes and heart pounding is what drives us to hunt in the first place. The rush is something that has to be experienced!!

Jimbo
I'm with you guys, if I didn't get that big rush then I quit hunting too. You just gotta be able to control it. Also, if hunting was simply killing, I'd also quit. Hunting is everything combined, a package of experiences so to speak and the anticipation of something new and sharing those experiences with others that make it special.
was just reading an article on this. what might help is to practice, but not alot of shots in an hour. let me explain. when we practice (or when i do) i usually shoot 3 arrow groups. at first they arn't so tight of groups. but as i get stretched and warmed up, my grouping improves. can't do that on the stand. what i'm going to try before next season is to leave my bow out and everytime i go out to my shed atleast once a day. shoot one arrow. might take a few days to get 3-5 shots, but each of them shots will be "cold shots". gonna see how that works out. and yes, i still get the shakes with a bow in hand, does will give me the shakes. lol
When we're at camp we have a target that we shoot at to keep limber. I try to make my first shot my best one when practicing, it forces me to really concentrate. It doesn't always work out that way though.
I'm with you guys, if I didn't get that big rush then I quit hunting too. .
its funny you say this my friend and I were walking in from the woods the other day and having the same conversation he says to me "the day i dont get the shakes just from seeing a doe 50-60 yds away that might move your way is the same day i will quit hunting". you as well as him are exactly right the minute that i dont get even a little shake when i see a deer thats the minute ill get out of the stand and hang up my bow.
my opinion is that if you lose that shaking and that adrenaline you lose interest in hunting. yea you want the shaking to be reduced enough so you can shoot but i dont think you want to rid of it permanently
Oh I still get the shakes but only after the arrow is in the ground painted red. I concentrate so hard on shot placement my mind has no time to think of anything else. After the shot I sit down and shake like crazy thinking holy crap what a buck ------ Dirt Nap Time!!!!! Then I call Ronn!!:biggrin:
G
i get them before and after. its hard to clam down for the draw and shot but concentrating on the spot helps for that very few seconds it takes to lose an arrow.
This is my best definition of what it means when a hunter describes all the symptoms of buck fever.

Buck Fever is the nervous, shaking, pounding heart, short of breath feeling, fully loaded with an adrenaline rush in your body.
I know other hunters may explain it a little differently but this is what happens during buck fever and this is why it happens.

Buckfever is a condition caused by nervous confusion of excitement mixed with fear.
Buck Fever is a very real condition within all hunters however, time, confidence in ones self and experience will help you overcome it.

When a hunter sees the game he is seeking come into view a natural release of adrenaline begins as his heart begins to beat a little faster with excitement,
at that point Buck fever is determined by whether the animal comes closer or drifts casually out of sight.

If the animal leaves the hunter goes right back to a normal but if the animal begins to move in closer the fear of the kill becomes active and the body releases an increased amount of adrenaline causing what we refer to as an adrenaline rush. That's when the heart begins to beat at a faster rate which causes the pounding heart and the hunter now begins to breathe deeper and faster.

The fear of the kill is when a hunter struggles to overcome seeing the animal die in his presence.
I hope this helps shed a little light on why it's difficult sometimes to maintain complete control.
Good Luck.
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I don't know about the rest of you but I like to see them die in my presence because I don't have to worry about tracking them. LOL:thumbup::yes::pickle:

You just got to love these smilies!
I guess I'm a serial buck killer.
have to admit, a nice doe will get me rattled little. especially toting the ol' bow. have to dit down after the shot, so i don't fall out the stand. :pickle:
have to admit, a nice doe will get me rattled little. especially toting the ol' bow. have to dit down after the shot, so I don't fall out the stand. :pickle:
The Adrenaline rush cause lightheadedness, usually mild and often goes unnoticed
but this is another huge reason why safety harnesses are extremely important to use
when you're in a treestand.
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