Buck Fever

[Doc]

Good old buck fever..... It can strike at any time and in a whole bunch of different ways.

 

Even with all my years of deer hunting, a couple of years back, during bow season, I experienced a rather weird physical reaction to a huge buck that actually was a bit scary. I had a buck come out of a very thick brushy area at about 30 yards. He was just beyond the area that I had cleared for a 20 yard shot, so while I could see him clearly, there was no shot available. He traveled about 15 yards broadside in front of me, heading for the edge of an old field with absolutely no chance of a shot. Then he turned around and went back to the heavy brush that he originally came out of. Then he turned around and headed back toward the field again. Back and forth he went, each time passing the little trail that could have led him right in front of me at 20 yards. A couple of times he actually turned and started to come onto that trail that would have put him on my side of that light brush screening that was protecting him. He kept plaguing me like that for about 15 or 20 minutes. Under those circumstances, that was an eternity. I could feel the excitement getting out of control as he worked me into a wacked out case of buck fever. At one point I had to actually concentrate on calming myself down by looking away for a bit. I was actually getting quite light headed, and that got me a bit concerned. That was a scary reaction that I have never experienced before or since. In the end, he simply went back into the heavy brush and never came back out. I honestly believe that if he had come out into the open, I would have had a hard time actually getting the shot off. Seriously, that extended length of super high tension had me damn near paralyzed.

 

Normally, these things happen so fast that none of the excitement gets a chance to work me into the state that I was in. But this particular back and forth nonsense really had me worked up into a serious case of buck fever.

 

So, what is the most peculiar case of buck fever with strange reactions, that any of you have experienced or heard of?

[stoneam2006]

Probably 10 years ago my dad and I started bow hunting seriously and that year we shot in 3d league and shot from different heights and pistions almost daily working up to the season. Well opening day came along and he took my stand and I went to a known bedding area in a blind. Not long after day break the big 8 we had been seeing walk thru the field almost daily walked right to him. All the excitement got to him and he lost all concentration and form. He actually set the cam of his bow on his knee after he drew the deer was only 15-20 yards out and he released. When he shot the cam on his bow rotated on his knee and threw his shot way way off mark. Never did get a second chance at that deer.

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[Doc]

I have heard stories of guys emptying their guns into the ground, stepping off their treestand platforms and doing all kinds of wild things. It is a crazy affliction that as far as I know, has no real psychological explanation.

[philoshop]

Not necessarily buck fever, more like deer fever. I have a hard time drawing the bow on a deer. On more than one occasion, I was simply unable to draw at all. It's like my body just forgets how to use the back muscles.

I deal with the bursitis and arthritis I have by shooting frequently during the off-season to stay in shape, with the bow set at 60#. A couple of weeks before the season I back it off to around 50# because I know that being cold and/or stiff from sitting is going to be a problem for me. The draw feels like nothing to me just before the season.

Once the bow is drawn I'm fine, but I've missed opportunities on a couple of nice bucks because of this.

Am I alone?

[Five Seasons]

The 8 point last season was my worst. Mostly because he toyed so close to a shot for about 45 minutes and I kept thinking I wasn't going to get one. But when I finally did I had calmed. Threaded the needle and made a great shot. That 45 minutes of adrenaline is what hunting is all about for me. Only a hunter can relate and you can't explain it to a non hunter.

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[jjb4900]

I was hunting with a friend once, as we were entering a field with him in the lead, a buck crossed the field in front of him...........I watched as he shouldered his gun and worked the bolt until every shell was ejected, he never fired once.

[Five Seasons]

I was hunting with a friend once, as we were entering a field with him in the lead, a buck crossed the field in front of him...........I watched as he shouldered his gun and worked the bolt until every shell was ejected, he never fired once.

Confused

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[A Sportsman]

jjb4900,  That sounds like something a bit worse than buck fever.  your friend may need to see a shrink for that.

[NFA-ADK]

You are not alone Philoshop.  Some of us are affected more than others and each of us has to figure out how to control it.

 

Buck fever.  This is a big hurtle for me AT times.  While any whitetail gets my blood pumping, a buck takes it to another level that I find hard to control. 

 

Last year I had a 4 pt that I was able to stalk to about 25 yards.  After seeing his rack and young age I gave him a pass but I could see my arrow shaking at the tip.  (Arrow was knocked only, showing my nerves as a 1 inch shake at the tip.) The anticipation of my stalk kept me on edge and my blood was pumping.  He pushed the edge of my shooting ability due to anticipation.  If he was a shooter I would have been in trouble.  No doe has ever gotten me this hyped up, another reason I give them a pass.  I am told I need to shoot any deer to get that itch scratched yet I don't have an itch with doe or young deer.  I did draw on one doe at 39 yards but it was just no challenge and I passed.  She stopped broadside to clean herself in an open area.  

 

Usually I am good at keep my control but sometimes a long stalk with the anticipation of a shot that has been in the making since 2001 gets to me.  This is a big reason I practice as much as possible.  I want the "shot" to be as perfect as I can make it and shooting often makes that part second nature.  The anticipation of a 2nd buck in one year added to my shakes.  Ahh to dream!

[Hardcore]

I don't think I have enough time to post all the cases of buck/deer fever I have dealt with. Thankfully most of them occurred in my youth and cost me a number of deer and countless laughs for my dad...so a few of note....

 

the first time I ever saw deer from a stand....10 yrs old....two does run in and stop 20ish yds in front of me and start feeding..they trot off after a minute or two....(this is the point in life that absolutely hooks my deer addiction for life)...as soon as they leave I begin to shake, uncontrollably. 5-10 mins pass and my dad comes to retrieve me from the stand...i'm still shaking. I am pointing around from the stand like a mute and cant get down.  I make it to the ground after threat of repercussions from dad and cant talk....still shaking uncontrollably....after I finally explain that I saw deer....stuttering and still shaking ...dad has to lay on the ground he is laughing so hard.

 

first deer I ever shot @...I was 11 sitting on the ground very cold november morning....a very small spike comes in and I start shaking. He is feeding on acorns and presents a shot and I attempt one. Mind you I am back to uncontrollable shaking and don't know if I shot into the ground or at the moon. Deer bolts and within a few minutes dad comes running...I cant speak...shaking ....dad is on the ground again laughing.

 

I have for the most part been able to control the fever thankfully but had multiple bouts until 16-17 yrs old..but have had minor doses since..even to this day I sometimes find myself developing a subtle shake in my legs occasionally when a doe that I have no intention of shooting comes in... I can control it but it makes me laugh and think of the days when I was stricken with fever...I started talking  to myself either in my head or a whisper when a deer comes in...basically giving myself the play-by-play of the action, movements and intent

 

I took the wife hunting for the 1st time a few yrs ago and we spend the afternoon overlooking a small food plot,,,,in a very hot spot...well out steps a wallhanger...a humdinger ...(I had taken her to the range multiple times made sure she was good with the .243. She actually was very good shot...I was impressed)...so we are in a double ladder and both have guns....I have him in the scope @ 90 yds broadside and he is none the wiser...I know she has him in the scope too....when I say " do you have him in the scope?" she says yes and I say shoot.....boom....he takes off like he was hit....he wasnt and I spent an entire day after scouring for blood...clean miss...anyway I get to see her go through buck fever in a bad way afterwards...pretty funny...I also told her that if you ever questioned my love you cant anymore because me letting you take that shot instead of me proves it forever....lol

[WNYBuckHunter]

I used to have a bad problem wit it when i was younger. It cost me alot of deer, and a few great bucks. I used to get it even with does. For the past 12 years or so, i have gotten a grip on it for the most part. From the time i see the deer until i pull the trigger, im rock steady. Once i know i hit the deer, or it leaves without me shooting it, i shake uncontrollably, sometimes for quite a while. It happens with does and bucks, but it is alot worse with a shooter buck.

[dirt_a_KISS]

I always get "buck fever" lol, and im 18 haha. I got my first deer which was a buck 2 years ago and was shaking like a maraca in music class. To me its what makes me human and theres people out there tgat have been hunting their whole life that still probably get it, personanly it makes the hunt just that more special!

[NFA-ADK]

I always get "buck fever" lol, and im 18 haha. I got my first deer which was a buck 2 years ago and was shaking like a maraca in music class. To me its what makes me human and theres people out there tgat have been hunting their whole life that still probably get it, personanly it makes the hunt just that more special!

Shaking like a maraca in music class.  LOL  Love that description! 

[ncountry]

Shaking like a maraca in music class.  LOL  Love that description! 

 

LOL.. That was me.. I had only been archery hunting for a few years. Sitting on the ground next to a large cedar tree a huge~150" buck(at least up here in the land of spikes and 4 points) comes in, just the other side of the tree and stops.Maybe 10-15' away..My heart was racing and I was shaking before I even started to pull my bow back..He is just standing there for what seems like forever.. He only had 3-4 steps, tops, to go before he was in the open. As I drew my bow back, as slow as I could so he didn't see me move, my arrow was rattling on my rest.To me it sounded like a jake brake, but he never spooked. As I am waiting for him to step forward he turns and walks nonchalantly away with the tree between us. Until I started hunting downstate he was the largest buck I had ever seen .. To this day I have never had a buck that close again.