buck fever

[scotman]

I have had buck fever even with does walking under my stand. I missed a nice 8 point at 15 yards from buck fever. The longer you hunt the more you learn to control it though. Yes I agree with lonlon I would not hunt if I lost that excitement!

[Eight_Oak_Acres]

I don't get buck fever...I get deer fever...lol  Yeah, my heart pumps out of my chest...but when the time comes to make the shot, I am pretty good at controlling my breathing and concentrating on the shot. Once I release the arrow...then I lose it again and start shaking.
 
...and that's what it is all about, isn't it?

[raym]

I have been hunting for 19 years and I still get buck fever.The first few years I missed alot of deer bucks and does.Its what  keeps me going back.

[EatDeer]

When I shot my first bow kill, a decent buck, the "buck fever" after the shot about shook me out of my stand. I still get worked up before the shot,but I just try to not look at the racks,just the vitals.

[Robert Rowland]

I still get it some, not enough to miss a shot. But I guess I hav'nt been tested with a Boone & Crockett buck for several years.
I have one trail cam out right now, It has been out for about 5 weeks now, and I will swap chips and move it this weekend. I get a little excited just with anticipation of what I might find on it.

[msbadger]

I got true buck fever just once...I had decided to shoot a nice doe and drew on her at ten yrds...waiting for her to take just a couple of more step when I heard a noise to my right....I glanced over to see a 11pt buck with 12 in brow tines! My God it was the biggest deer I'd EVER seen and this is what happened...my knees started to wobble and my breathing was out of control ...then I lost all muscle control and watched in horror as the arrow I was pointing at the doe just left my bow to thankfully fly just under her chin....causing both deer to startle and jump a mere 5yrds....Mind you still in shooting range but I was 16ft up in a tree with my EYEs! shaking back and forth like a cartoon charactor and in my minds eye the top of my head opened up and blue stars were shooting out....I kept repeating to my self look up look up and don't drop that bow...Thank the heavens that I never climb with out strapping in for I was a hairs breath away from passing out.....I saw that buck again...2weeks later in a photo at the local gun shop a guy arrowed him 1 mile from our place ...the brow tines were11.65 inches long.....I went to the doctors and was put on high blood pressure meds...I now get excited but never the fever...of course I've never seen a deer that big again[;)]

[adirondackhunter]

I still get buck fever ,but i have learned how to control it.

[dtrain56]

well, i have had buck fever and could share a couple of great stories over a beer and a campfire...that is what hunting is all about..not just the kill but the story behing the kill or the miss...
 
that is what gets lost today..looking for "trophy" animals instead of the bond and friendships made over a campfire..
 
I still get buck fever..and hope i always will... i hope that i am not like all the other guys who learned to "contol" it what fun would that be..what stories would you tell of then.
 
then i would be Bill Jordan or some other tv "hunter".
 
for me i think i am still losing the battle...i have three hanging on the wall but i have messed up or gotten buck fever as they say...4 times also..so maybe its even
 
score me 3...big bucks...4
 

[adirondackhunter]

The word "control" for me means trying not let buck fever interfere with my ability in making a clean kill.

[EatDeer]

I learned to control buck fever messing up my shot,after many deer harvests. Still sometimes they really get me going,just depends on the situation. I think the reason most hunters hunt deer is for the big bucks. Nothing wrong with that ,thats what its all about. In the recent years I've got great enjoyment out of harvesting old doe's...which I still consider trophies.