Shooting Tips to Avoid Buck Fever

It is the moment that every hunter has spent endless hours dreaming of. The thought of harvesting a trophy buck sends a tingle down the spine of every hunter. It is why we hunt, for this feeling, for this moment. Our heart begins to pound as a mature buck sporting some serious head gear walks within range. The next few seconds could determine our place in history. The fame, happiness, and camaraderie that comes with harvesting such an elusive creature, or another disheartening story of the one that got away? Do we have what it takes to keep our cool and make a good clean shot?

We have all been there, even attempting to take a doe can cause us to do things we wouldn't normally do. Not being able to move, being too weak to draw a bow, weak knees, and shaking like a leaf are the most common ailments. Stories are many of hunters that have lost their cool due to something known as buck fever.

It could be compared to stage fright also known as performance anxiety. It is the fear of failure and the fear of what others will think about us if we don't perform. Following some easy to apply tips and advice could make the difference when the curtain rises. They say hunting is luck and according to Seneca the Roman dramatist and philosopher "luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity."

Preparing ourselves for this possible once in a life time opportunity can be the key to not having to eat another deer tag sandwich this hunting season. There are some simple steps that if followed could lead to meat in the freezer and a trophy buck on the wall.

Perfect Deer Hunting Practice

Vince Lombardi said "practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect" and he was right. A lot of hunters understand that shooting a gun or bow many months before the start of the season is crucial but many of them do not practice in a hunting type of situation. Just like a warm weather football team will practice in cold conditions with a frozen football for an upcoming cold weather game, we should do the same. Assiduously practicing in a mocked up hunting situation will serve much more useful when it counts. Use a 3D deer target, preferable one with antlers and shoot at it from an elevated point like you would be out of a tree stand.

Wear your full attire of hunting clothes, boots, gloves, and mask just as if you would be while hunting. It is amazing how different shooting a bow or gun is with bulky hunting clothes, gloves, and a face mask. Try shooting in low light conditions and in less than perfect weather. It is rarely lit up like Fort Knox in the woods so practicing in low light is essential. Be sure to make some tough shots with small openings at different angles. Use your imagination to make your practice perfect and you will see great results.

Get Out in the Woods and See Deer

Constantly being outdoors and around game and wildlife will help you feel more comfortable in that type of atmosphere. Go out during the off season and sit on stand like you normally would during hunting season. Bring lunch and a camera and just get used to seeing deer and being around them. It can also help to hunt small game. Small game hunting is also fun and can be a great way to work ourselves up to the point of being able to take a mature deer.

Attitude is Everything

We have to learn to control our attitudes and our way of thinking. It has been known for centuries that we become what we think about. Go out to the woods with a bad attitude and the expectancy of probably not seeing anything and that is exactly what will happen. If we do see a shooter buck our negative attitude will definitely not help us in making a successful kill. We have to eradicate any negative feelings or thoughts as soon as they try to sneak into our mind and fill them with positive thoughts.

No matter how many hunts in a row we have not seen a deer or even if the day before we missed a good opportunity at a nice deer, we still have to have a happy and positive attitude. We just have to enjoy ourselves and be grateful that we are given the opportunity to be out in the woods and to possibly harvest an animal.

Visualize a Successful Hunt

In the Bible it says that where there is no vision the people will perish. Visualization is a technique that many successful people use. Athletes will visualize success just before performing. They allow their minds to visualize the outcome that they want. A power lifter will visualize lifting a record weight above his head just before his attempt and an Olympic runner will see himself crossing the finish line in record time. We should visualize a successful shot during the moment of truth when a buck walks into our shooting lane. See ourselves being calm, squeezing off a clean shot, and the animal going down. Think about it, visualize it, and live it over and over again. This will be crucial when buck fever tries creeping in and our subconscious mind takes over. Like a soldier that has been dropped on the front line, our training and instincts will kick in and carry us through with the results we have envisioned.

Concentrate on the Shot

We all know how easily we can hit a target with a little practice. Be it bow or gun most avid hunters are pretty good shots in the perfect conditions and when aiming at a paper target. Then why is it that most of us have made a bad shot at one time or another at an animal? We practice squeezing off shot after shot and aiming at a small bulls-eye only to go in the woods and just put the sights somewhere on the deer and slam the trigger like it's going out of style. We get back to camp and realize we do not even remember what happened; it was like someone else was making the shot for us. It's called lack of concentration; yet another symptom of buck fever.

We have to fight through the nervousness and totally concentrate on the shot. Do not aim at the entire deer but rather aim at a small spot in the kill zone of the deer, concentrate on it. Repeat in your mind squeeze the trigger….squeeze the trigger…..squeeze the trigger. Hold your breath while repeating this and start putting pressure on the trigger. Keep concentrating on the spot and squeezing until the weapon goes off, it should surprise you when it does. Write this step on a piece of masking tape and stick it on your gun or bow to help remind yourself.

Remember, when buck fever starts to creep in we have to remind ourselves of what to do. It's like hiding your own keys before you decide to tie one on, in your right mind you know you shouldn't drink and drive but once you are a little intoxicated you may not think right. So do things beforehand that are going to help you remember what to do, or what not to do in the heat of the moment. Make a step by step list and stick it on your bow or gun so you'll be reminded.

Remember to practice perfectly, to have a positive attitude, and to visualize a successful hunt. Follow these deer hunting tips consistently and buck fever will not hit you until after you've made the shot and downed a trophy buck. Then you can look at the camera like Stan Potts and say "give me a second folks."