Looking for Deer Hunting Tips: Don't Get Caught With Buck Fever
Ever heard of the story of the hunter walking right off the tree stand forgetting it is 13 feet off the ground? (Thank god for safety straps.) How about the time someone seemed paralyzed and couldn't even get the rifle up. All things can go south it seems in the face of Buck Fever.
What is Buck Fever?
Just for the fun of it I did a search on it. Hunters know what it is. Doctors seem to think it is the elevated heart rate you get when you are out of shape, excited or physically exerting yourself after a year-long treatment of inactivity and office work. I even had a definition that included a heart attack due to deer hunting exertion. I think the true meaning of the word is kind of lost on those guys.
What I think of when I think of Buck Fever is the excitement, the elevated heart rate, the escalated breathing when your target comes into view. The moment you have been waiting for, training for, preparing for and drooling over since last fall! But the trouble is your nervous system is on overdrive and you seem to lose logic, capability and control...making for a very poor hunting story later or worse yet an injury to yourself or the game.
The Yoga of hunting
I have heard some pretty interesting ideas over the years on how to overcome this. Maybe we should call this stuff the Yoga of hunting…that is learning to control and override your body's reactions.
Trophy whitetail hunting
I have a friend who hunts for trophy whitetail and when he is in target practice, he runs around until he is breathing heavy and practically panting and then picks up his bow. He says it mimics the real thing. If you can control your heavy breathing, racing heart and hit the target, you might be better prepared for what that might feel like when the real situation arises. This may look silly, but nothing is more depressing than watching that Big One get away due to poor control of response out there.
Control the breath
I haven't tried that one, but the thing I find most useful is controlling my breath. The slowing of the breath, the deep inhalation and the focusing on the breathing makes my heart slow down and my mind stop racing. Then I remind myself mentally to take my time. If the shot is not ideal I don't take it. I have faith that there will be another opportunity and another day. I don't want to risk injury to such a fine specimen because I couldn't calm down. Hunting is legitimate, unnecessary injury is disastrous.
You see part of the problem in Buck Fever, is the mind takes control. Visions of hunting stories, trophies, antler chandeliers and so forth come bursting forward. The pressure is also created by the time line restrictions. Maybe this is your last weekend out there. So you are all pressured up to not fail, which in some ways make you more likely to fail.
Visualization
If you want to keep your mind busy, try visualizing the exact movement you will take in every point of entry where a buck may come forth. Tree stand time can be a little tedious anyway, so can't hurt to give the mind a little exercise. Make this exercise as realistic as possible. If you can almost smell the deer and feel the cool breeze on your face, and the excitement: then you are doing visualization correctly. Some people I know even try to pick the exact hair to aim at. Details such as head up, head down, deer standing still versus walking slowly all these can add to the realistic nature of the exercise and the amount that this will help you when the time comes. Visualization and mental imagery is used in all athletic fields to train the mind and the body about the outcome, it is no different here.
And for gosh sakes, if you see the deer of a lifetime and have decided to take the shot, NEVER look at the antlers again! Focus on the vitals and only the vitals. Never get distracted by the head again. This may be where the excitement is, but if you can't focus on what is important here, you will be having another "I almost had it" story to tell.
Good luck and may your trophy whitetail hunt be successful.
Dr. Judy McFarlen, is the author of DiyDeerFoofPlots.com a
Canadian Veterinarian with 20 years experience. Do you know what is Buck Fever? Get some Deer Hunting Tips. Don't get caught with Buck Fever.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
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Why do people think hunting is wrong?
I don't get how people are against hunting. People need the food. I am against trophy hunting, or just shooting deer and leaving them. But it is a fun sport for families, and it is a great source of food. Besides, otherwise the deer will get overpopulated and die of starvation or get hit by cars.. I don't get how people can argue with this. How can people be against hunting?
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Is it possible to hunt canadian moose and caribou without paying out the ass?
I don't really feel like paying five grand to hunt reindeer, but guided trophy hunts are all I've seen so far.
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hunters must view please?
im going hunting for the first time im going groundhog hunting. how much does it cost to trophy hunt?
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Should there be a stop to all dog/cat breeding in America?
HSUS is the 'Humane Society of the United States.' It is supported mainly by small donations from millions of Americans because it has been almost 100% successful at selling itself as 'for the animals.' However, it's more accurately thought of as a business that provides the animal rights movement with the service of squeezing rights to use animals, than as an organization that helps animals.
HSUS is not connected with any animal shelters or direct animal welfare activities. Of top 12 HSUS Animal Stories of 2005 (grey wolves, abused tigers, pet cloning, Internet hunting, dove hunts, animal fighting, seal hunts, laying hens, trophy hunting, the HSUS-Fund For Animals merger, Katrina relief and horse slaughter), only hurricane relief had to do with helping Fido or Fluffy as promoted in their materials.
HSUS is devoted to making animal use (including pet ownership) steadily more difficult and expensive. Its main actions divide into: (a) Promoting laws to restrict use/ownership, (b) propaganda in support of such laws, and (c) fundraising/self-promotional actions. You will look in vain for an HSUS action that makes animal use or pet ownership easier, more common, more fun, or more successful.
Specific campaigns include anti-hunting, anti-meat farming and meat eating (the organization's headquarters forbids animal products), anti-pet breeding (it was the chief promoter of the so-called 'Pet Animal Welfare Statute' or PAWS), anti-circus/rodeo, and anti-animal use medical and other research. So is this a good thing or bad thing for America? Life without pets?
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Why do people kill for fun?
I consider myself an open minded person but one thing that I cant seem to understand is why people go hunting.
What exactly is fun about taking another living creatures life?
Is it some type of ego thing??
Im not talking about hunting for food. Im talking about trophy hunting. Although it makes me wonder if the primary reason that people go hunting is for food or if its for the killing for fun thing? I know people that go hunting or fishing every chance they get. Can someone really like fish that much? You really cant say you hunt deer for food if you give most of it away....
Some people get b b guns and shoot doves and other small animals for the hell of it. Whats that all about?
Maybe I just havent heard any good reasons why people hunt. Like I said Im willing to listen so someone explain it to me.
Thanks!
Yes I know how animals are treated in slaughterhouses. I agree that its completely inhumane and they should be treated better.
Some of you say its ok because animals kill other animals too..
I always thought we were supposed to be above animals considering that we are able to reason in a way that they cant.
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