livetohunt25
Member
What do you guys do to stay calm before you shoot a deer? I've been having problems trying to stay calm the last few years when a shooter deer approaches...any suggestions?
Calming the nerves before a shot?
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J Becker
Guest
Ya, to me, it is just natural and it just happens. I love that feeling!
HunterMan
![157RAtinybuck-thumb[1].gif](https://www.iowawhitetail.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/157RAtinybuck-thumb[1].gif)
HunterMan
doublerack
Active Member
It just comes with practice. If you think about the shot & placement and not the deer itself, you'll do just fine.
Daver
PMA Member
A couple of ideas that have worked for me...
When you are standing, be sure to flex your knees a little while you are waiting for a shot. Rock back and forth just a little too, this keeps you relaxed and lets blood keep flowing to your extremities. If people tense up they restrict blood flow and make it more likely to start shaking, etc.
Concentrate on breathing too, don't starve your brain of oxygen right before a big shot!
Especially as it gets colder, dress appropriately in terms of staying warm. If you are already on the verge of the shakes because of cold conditions and Mr. Big shows up just then, that may be enough to push you over the edge so to speak.
Other than that, experience is the best help in these situations. I never really got that nervous, but I would rush things and not take the extra 5 seconds to be sure of my exact point of aim. Someone once told to aim for a hair, not a deer. Doing that has helped a bunch.
When you are standing, be sure to flex your knees a little while you are waiting for a shot. Rock back and forth just a little too, this keeps you relaxed and lets blood keep flowing to your extremities. If people tense up they restrict blood flow and make it more likely to start shaking, etc.
Concentrate on breathing too, don't starve your brain of oxygen right before a big shot!
Especially as it gets colder, dress appropriately in terms of staying warm. If you are already on the verge of the shakes because of cold conditions and Mr. Big shows up just then, that may be enough to push you over the edge so to speak.
Other than that, experience is the best help in these situations. I never really got that nervous, but I would rush things and not take the extra 5 seconds to be sure of my exact point of aim. Someone once told to aim for a hair, not a deer. Doing that has helped a bunch.
shadowpeople
Active Member
Get a flask and some copenhagen.....
Just kidding...but seriously
I just get mad and be like there is no way this deer is going to make me miss because I have put in way too much work to get shaky at the moment of truth. Take a couple deep breaths and go through your preshot routine in your head a few times. Best of luck!
I just get mad and be like there is no way this deer is going to make me miss because I have put in way too much work to get shaky at the moment of truth. Take a couple deep breaths and go through your preshot routine in your head a few times. Best of luck!
The last few years I have been able to slip into a zone, which seems wierd, but until after the shot I am focused and almost not even thinking just going by instinct. It is hard to describe. Anyone else experience this feeling?
However, there are times when things do not go as planned, like when a 160 class buck screwed me up last year in Kansas by doing something off the wall as he was coming in. Rattled me bad and seeing my arrow miss him still keeps me up at night.
However, there are times when things do not go as planned, like when a 160 class buck screwed me up last year in Kansas by doing something off the wall as he was coming in. Rattled me bad and seeing my arrow miss him still keeps me up at night.
Liv4Rut
Active Member
It seems like I can watch a deer, no matter what it is and be perfectly fine unitl I decide its going down, I get that feeling as I am reaching for my bow. It seems like moments before I pull back its gone, Or I will verbally abuse myself, like quit shaking you stupid
*&(^&^^* its just a ^*%&^%^^*&*&*( deer!! That seems to work to
After the shot I will be shaking like a queer eating a hot dog though, just from the pure excitement of the hunt
I will agree though shooting tons of does helps a bunch. After the 3rd doe I shot last weekend, I didn't even get rattled, it was all about getting it done
It seems like the first few deer of the year I will get a little shaky but after a couple it goes away.
JNRBRONC
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After the shot I will be shaking like a queer eating a hot dog
[/ QUOTE ]
Funniest line I have heard in a long time!
[/ QUOTE ]
And of course I finished reading it as someone walked by my desk! Couldn't help busting out laughing.
I find that the more times I get out in the season, the more deer I have around me, the calmer I become. Still, it gets the blood pumping. When it doesn't, I'll know it is time to hang it up.
[ QUOTE ]
After the shot I will be shaking like a queer eating a hot dog
[/ QUOTE ]
Funniest line I have heard in a long time!
[/ QUOTE ]
And of course I finished reading it as someone walked by my desk! Couldn't help busting out laughing.
I find that the more times I get out in the season, the more deer I have around me, the calmer I become. Still, it gets the blood pumping. When it doesn't, I'll know it is time to hang it up.
gundog870
Premium Platinum Member
I take the pissed approach to. I think about the one i missed a few years ago. Being mad seems to make me relax. The "ZONE" is awesome I have that when I shoot does. But not bucks. Does anyone else go into shaking convulsions after its went down though. I shake so hard that if i open my mouth my teeth hurt from slamming together. What an awesome feeling to put a good shot on a deer!!
Greendeem
New Member
When teaching classes in survival fighting/combat to other officers I have a lecture on combat psychology which teaches officers how to calm their bodies during a stressfull situation so they can function as they have been trained to do. These tactics carry over to hunting as well, because the bodies response to the stress is the same.
Onecam gave a great example of how to deal with the stress of shooting a big buck..shoot a lot of does. This is basically stress inoculation. It's the same concept of inoculating yourself against a disease. By experiencing small amounts of stress, your body will kind of get used to it, know how to deal with it and you will not overload when you draw back on a big buck.
The main factor that cause all of the symptoms of buck fever is increased heart rate. When your heart rate reaches 115 beats per minute you start to experience vasoconstriction. This means that your veins constrict and you start to loose motor skills. Everyone has experienced this with having cold fingers. It's the same thing. When you heart reaches 145 bpm you start loosing complex motor skills, this is the start of your trouble. Another symptom of this is a hunter may want the stress to go away so bad that they will hurry the shot to get it over with.
At a 175 bpm just about all motor skills are lost except for gross motor skills. This basicall means you can hold onto the tree and not fall out. Some people cannot even draw the bow back at this point.
This increased heart rate also causes changes in your senses. You will experience tunnel vision. This is a predatory as well as a survival instict. Your body puts all of the focus on the sense you need most which is your vision. This in turn will cause some loss of other senses. This is called sensory gaiting. One good example that most hunters can relate too is auditory exclusion. When you shoot a gun at the range and forget to put your hearing protection on your ears ring. When you shoot the same gun while hunting, you don't even hear the shot.
The only way you can physicall slow down your heart rate is through breathing. The best method for this is taking what are called combat breaths. This is done by breathing in through the nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, breath out through the mouth for the count of 4, hold for a count of 4..that is one combat breath and should be repeated at least 3 times. With practice this will lower your heart rate and in turn weaken the symptoms of buck fever.
Onecam gave a great example of how to deal with the stress of shooting a big buck..shoot a lot of does. This is basically stress inoculation. It's the same concept of inoculating yourself against a disease. By experiencing small amounts of stress, your body will kind of get used to it, know how to deal with it and you will not overload when you draw back on a big buck.
The main factor that cause all of the symptoms of buck fever is increased heart rate. When your heart rate reaches 115 beats per minute you start to experience vasoconstriction. This means that your veins constrict and you start to loose motor skills. Everyone has experienced this with having cold fingers. It's the same thing. When you heart reaches 145 bpm you start loosing complex motor skills, this is the start of your trouble. Another symptom of this is a hunter may want the stress to go away so bad that they will hurry the shot to get it over with.
At a 175 bpm just about all motor skills are lost except for gross motor skills. This basicall means you can hold onto the tree and not fall out. Some people cannot even draw the bow back at this point.
This increased heart rate also causes changes in your senses. You will experience tunnel vision. This is a predatory as well as a survival instict. Your body puts all of the focus on the sense you need most which is your vision. This in turn will cause some loss of other senses. This is called sensory gaiting. One good example that most hunters can relate too is auditory exclusion. When you shoot a gun at the range and forget to put your hearing protection on your ears ring. When you shoot the same gun while hunting, you don't even hear the shot.
The only way you can physicall slow down your heart rate is through breathing. The best method for this is taking what are called combat breaths. This is done by breathing in through the nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, breath out through the mouth for the count of 4, hold for a count of 4..that is one combat breath and should be repeated at least 3 times. With practice this will lower your heart rate and in turn weaken the symptoms of buck fever.