When does the fever hit you? (Buck fever)

[Nuts]

Different folks have different levels of excitement. For me it has evolved. As a youngster I lost my mind but managed to hold things together enough to take a good shot with (1) major flaw. I constantly rushed it. As I got older I got past that to some extent. I feel that shot rushing is a form of fever so to speak. The flip side is I was quite accurate in that rushed shot but it was still rushed. As time evolved and deer management progressed the initial excitement slowed as antler restrictions made you look longer. Eventually this lead to where I am now. Ice cold veins until after. Then my back throbs, heart pumps and I feel like I shake just a bit. But its after. I often have had to take deep breaths and make sure I am not getting tunnel vision. With a bow you can lose sight of twigs and other things.
I have sat with kids the last couple years and watched gun barrels shake. Its awesome. I was with a 10yr old when he shot his 1st deer last year. It took 4 tries to make a shot. He was losing it. I kept making him step away from the gun which was on a death grip. Deep breath. Take your time. Settle in. There is time. You want the deer on the far left. At the shot the smaller one next to the one on the left dropped. lol. We will work on left, center and right later. Good job. After the shot he was worse. Shaking uncontrollably. Something I will never forget.

So what has your fever experience and development been?
How did you deal with it? For me the biggest thing is once I determine I am going to shoot the animal I am no longer looking at horns and size. Completely block it out and focus on placement

 

[Sask hunter]

For rifle it’s after bow it’s before hand unfortunately

 

[Salmonchaser]

I’ve been packing a rifle with tags in my pocket for at least 58 years. Hunted from Alaska to Mexico, to the east as far as the Dakotas and even South Africa. Guided for quite a while as well. Had a lot of fun and have filled most of those tags. The day I don’t get all jacked up I’ll quit hunting. Shooting doesn’t seem to suffer but I’ll still occasionally miss a shot. Not sure it was fever related, but it happened.
PH last time in Africa was impressed with how excited I would get after the shot. Catherine just laughed “you should have seen him when he was young”

 

[Moserkr]

Haha so far Im the only one prior to the shot. But its not every buck bull or animal. Its only when I accidentally let it get into my head. Usually when its a big buck from a distance I will get the fever. But when stalking in close, which I prefer when still hunting, Im as calm as can be. Its never the same after the shot, Im excited, but no buck fever.

 

[gouch]

The first bear I ever shot, the bear came into view and my whole body started shaking uncontrollably. I shot anyway and the bear just stood there wondering what that sound was. Immediately after the shot the shaking stopped and I was steady as a rock and shot the bear.

That is the only time in my life that I have had anything like buck fever. I am normally a quiet person and don't talk much but after I shoot something, if there is someone around, I tend to start jabbering like a schoolgirl at a slumber party. That's about the extent of it.