Winfwt338-06
Well-Known Member
Preach on, Bucklowery! I still get excited too! Right before I pull the trigger I have to say in my head, "Steaks". Helps me focus on the shot, not what's on its head. Don't lose your excitement!
Buck Fever
- Thread starter LongestShot
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
squawberryman
Well-Known Member
You're truly alive.
Well I agree with Bucklowry if you stop getting this feeling its time to take up a new hobby. I was bowhunting in Ohio this year when a very heavy 10 point came within 20 yards of my stand. Unfortunately it was behind me and there was no way for me to get around the tree to get a shot. I started shaking so bad I thought I was going to fall out of the stand. I literally had to put my legs against the tree to stop me from falling out. That hasn't happened in a long time to this severity. After the buck walked off I just sat there and waited for the shakes to subside. it took awhile but it finally did an I just smiled and laughed at myself. I'm glad that they (bigger bucks) still get to me like that.
A good friend of mine has a large property in PA, about two hours from where I live in N/E OH. It is a great spot to shoot out to 1400 yards. Another buddy and I spent a day shooting about a week before the season opened and as the sun rose the next morning we enjoyed watching all kinds of deer, including some decent bucks, over coffee.
Since it was close enough to home, I decided to head up the night before rifle opener. I saw several bucks before an absolute monster appeared at about 525 yards. Once glance at his head gear and I went straight to focusing on the shot. Squeezed it off and it appeared the buck fell into the trees and brush it was standing by. Hiked over and looked for 30 minutes. Not a trace of hair or blood... complete miss.
Had to be the gun... right? I determined that it was shooting 2 moa low, which was odd as this rifle has always been dead on. Made the adjustment and four days later, stopped back at his place for a morning hunt on the way to our typical PA hunt camp.
Not 30 minutes into the morning, he came out with another buck and some does. He presented a nice 425 yard shot and I squeezed. Felt great about the shot as we watched him "fall" into the brush. High fives and hugs... we were pumped.
Looked for 30 minutes and not a hair or sign of blood. Even had a bit of snow to see his tracks. Another complete miss on a deer of a lifetime at ranges that we typically shoot for groups at.
Assessed my gun again... two inches high.
Hunted him one more time on the way back from camp. He didn't show, but I was able to connect on another decent buck (didn't touch the one I missed, but still a great buck).
Yeah, buck fever is legit. Wish I'd read this thread a couple weeks ago!
Since it was close enough to home, I decided to head up the night before rifle opener. I saw several bucks before an absolute monster appeared at about 525 yards. Once glance at his head gear and I went straight to focusing on the shot. Squeezed it off and it appeared the buck fell into the trees and brush it was standing by. Hiked over and looked for 30 minutes. Not a trace of hair or blood... complete miss.
Had to be the gun... right? I determined that it was shooting 2 moa low, which was odd as this rifle has always been dead on. Made the adjustment and four days later, stopped back at his place for a morning hunt on the way to our typical PA hunt camp.
Not 30 minutes into the morning, he came out with another buck and some does. He presented a nice 425 yard shot and I squeezed. Felt great about the shot as we watched him "fall" into the brush. High fives and hugs... we were pumped.
Looked for 30 minutes and not a hair or sign of blood. Even had a bit of snow to see his tracks. Another complete miss on a deer of a lifetime at ranges that we typically shoot for groups at.
Assessed my gun again... two inches high.
Hunted him one more time on the way back from camp. He didn't show, but I was able to connect on another decent buck (didn't touch the one I missed, but still a great buck).
Yeah, buck fever is legit. Wish I'd read this thread a couple weeks ago!
Attachments
Nice buck, congrats.
ofbandg
Well-Known Member
Like everyone else I have battled the fever and like the best advice being given here I had to develop a routine that worked for me. One piece of advice I do give to others is to make your trigger the best it can be. If its sticky or heavy buck fever makes it worse.
memtb
Well-Known Member
I don't recall ever having it, except with my first bear! However, in my early years of hunting age 10 through probably around around 30, I'd get a good case of "the shakes" after the shot.
Except for the mentioned bear….never an issue "before" the shot! memtb
Except for the mentioned bear….never an issue "before" the shot! memtb
Sealesniper
Well-Known Member
Turkeys are my "worst" or "best" shakes. I love to hunt them. When I finally decide to shoot, I am able to get the nerves under control, but after the shot, I have a very real ache that starts in my lower back. It radiates up and out and I have almost severe red hot pain in my lower back/top of my stomach for 2-3 minutes. It is not so terrible I need to stop hunting over it, but it is an uncontrollable reaction to a successful hunt. Now if all I do is watch and call one in to range, then nothing. It is only once I have pulled the trigger on my shotgun or released an arrow that I can feel the tension and heat. I was wondering if anyone else has the same affliction. I also get this same reaction if I have someone with me and they shoot. Don't know if it is a subliminal response to watching something I respect being harvested. I have the same reaction, but to a much smaller degree, when other game animals are harvested.
My take is practice at 1.5-2x your expected shot distance so when the shorted shot come in, it is a chip shot. If you have only practiced @ 1xx yds and the buck comes at that distance, then you may have an issue. Just my nickels worth (inflation).
Adrenaline can be great, or very, very bad. If it happens after the shot, good. If before BAD, BAD, BAD. You have no control over the adrenal gland. It thinks you're about to go to combat, or run for your life. It doesn't care. Just dump in a massive amount, See what happens.
Swinehunt74
Well-Known Member
Taking the life from another animal creates in me a sense of power/anxiety that used to make me vibrate (buck-fever). I have learned to express a form of gratitude to whatever i plan on eating, kind of like saying grace, and i do that until i quit vibrating, been hunting like that last 40 yrs and havent missed unless i made a bad wind call.
Took me killing a couple of hundred white tails to get super calm. Over a hundred with archery equipment. I haven't kept count of them, but my friend has. He's on number 368 as of yesterday. Before you name me a game hog, Alabama has a long season, and liberal bag limit. It used to be a buck and a doe per day. Now it's a buck and doe per day, But three buck limit. Hunt four plus decades, the body count climbs.
memtb
Well-Known Member
Wow…..let me repeat …… Wow! I haven't seen 368 Whitetail! That may be a little exaggerated…..but you get the idea!
memtb
