buck fever

fogducker

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ok all....im sure we all have a story here:eek: how did you,s feel after your first case of buck fever??????
was it not a rush?:) after mine...... i made up a plan.......
soon as i see game......i tell myself....vitals
aim for the vitals...... not the animal.
but ya it was a rush;)
 
I had the fever so bad my first deer I had ever seen with a rifle in my hand, I just sat and watched it at about 150 yards away. Never even thought about shooting it. I have not shot that many deer in my life where I can just up, pull the trigger and call it done. Still get the rush though, but must think to myself, take your time and wait, then it pays off. I still get a wee giddy when the first few flocks of geese come screaming into the decoys, then you know you have done something right. By the end of the season, it just gets kinda boring shooting at geese.
 
My first morning out, about 30 minutes into my sit, I saw 2 deer rustling in the bush about 80 yards away, my heart started pounding so loud I was sure they could hear it. Turns out it was a doe and a fawn. We had decided at camp not to use up the 2 doe tags unless we had not shot any bucs by the end of the week.

Later that night, we were dogging some deer out when I turned around and saw a huge buck about 100 yards away. My heart started pounding hard again and I started pondering... shoot or not? shoot or not? (I was alone, first day out, and no one to advise me!!) Finally I manned up and took the shot, by the time I found the spot where he was when I pulled the trigger the buck was gone, "damn, I missed him" I said to myself. My dad came out of the bush after hearing the shot and started to look for him. Turns out he only made it about 5 yards from where I shot him (He jumped and tumbled down the hill untill I couldnt see him). When I saw him, I lost track of what happened, I was so excited.

He was an 8 pointer. One of the "veterans" who was there was PISSED. He had been hunting all his life and never shot anything that big. He's held it against me since then lol.

Turns out we filled all of our tags by day 2.

2 bucks, 1 doe and 1 fawn.
 
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well i dont ever recall having buck fever i shot my first deer at 9 with my step dad hunting a hydro cut in N.S no problems just rested the foreend on a rock sight up bout an inch below the spine nd squeezed it off gently the buck dropped about ten yrds away ,my second buck was taken in the mountains up butler main on van isle when i was 12 caught a glimps of him from the road down the side of the face stalked in to about 200 yrds put one just behind the shoulder as he was quartering away my last 2 deer were tagged in my backyard down east both where eating from the clover patch about 150yrds from my back door never got shakey or what ever the symptoms of buck fever are its always been shoulder aim squeeze bang with me
 
Does bull fever count?

Had a young bull walk about 50 yards behind me. I thought it was the bear that almost walked on top of me the day before. :eek: It was a perfect broadside shot and I was absolutely terrified I was going to screw up my first moose. After the shot, the bull kicked his backside up like a horse and took off running. I was destroyed, I thought I had missed. He ran about 20 yards and just dropped.

We got two bull moose between six of us that year. Plus some deer. The freezers were full and the BBQ's got a good workout. :D

Patience is the key. The shot will present itself.
 
I don't think I ever had buck fever before. BUT, I sure remember the first time shooting at a deer. I was with my Dad and we were shooting at two does as they went up a cut line 250 to 300 yards. I had my Dad's gun and he was using a friends that he was unfamiliar with.:redface: I just missed one running doe as it hit the bush, maybe 2inches low right between the legs (saw the dust!) . Man, was I shaking when it was all over! I couldn't even hold the gun!

My Dad decided that he would take back his gun (he didn't want to miss again) and I could have the other!
 
I remember seeing my first really big Buck.I sneaked into a small clearing and there was a beautiful Whitetail Buck staring at me from the other side of the clearing.We stared at each other until the Buck ran away.I just stood there with my mouth open watching.Never even raised miy rifle.
 
I have never had buck/deer fever.Not to say that I don't get excited when I see deer,or to say that I never miss.It just hasn't ever taken control of my senses enough to make me a basketcase.:eek:
 
Yup, ghost deer, just suddenly, there it was, and I froze. Far as I know, he still walks the woods. Appearing, and disappearing, just as he did that day.
I did get it together, but too late.
That was not my first deer, it was maybe my tenth. It can come upon you at any time, beware!
 
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first deer equalled 4 shots+ 1 coupe de gras from my 742 in '06 at 25 yrds on a small 8 pt broadside= one deer shot in the head twice( I was aiming at his lungs)

yah I'd say I suffered buck fever pretty bad, LOL

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Buck fever... essentially it is an automatic brain function in all humans... the fight or flight syndrome.... your heart rate goes up and your blood stream is flooded with adrenaline.
This phenomenon can allow you to react quicker and see and hear more acutely... or it can anchor you like a stone and render you useless.
Taking three deep breaths and concentration can help alleviate the symptoms at the initial surge of adrenaline. But for first timers it is invariably crippling... and allows for some intense kidding back at camp.
This is a rite of passage for most hunters and should be enjoyed to the fullest.
I have seen some seriously funny buck fever episodes.... and some potentially deadly ones as well.
One of the funny ones that comes to mind was my buddy Scotty standing out in the field pointing at a deer and shouting for someone to shoot it... he was sixty yards from the deer and it was looking at him... he had a loaded shotgun in his other hand.:rolleyes:
On the flip side I took an elderly friend hunting that had not shot a deer in 25 years... I put him in a really good ground blind. After he shot his deer I had to administer first aid... Nitro... ambulance ride... the works... Buck fever can have serious consequences for older or out of shape hunters!:eek:

GOOD THREAD fogducker this one has not run in a while... it was overdue:)
 
One story I heard was when a guy took four shots at a buck. His buddy came by when he was done and to pick up his partner and said "I shot at him 4 times." His partner said he didnt hear a single shot. They went back to where he was sitting and found 4 fully loaded bullets on the ground.
He had worked the action four times and thought he had fired the whole time.
 
Happens to me sometimes as well. Have to concentrate on the vitals through the scope so I don't keep staring at the rack.
 
dw said:
Happens to me sometimes as well. Have to concentrate on the vitals through the scope so I don't keep staring at the rack.
you know im the same......... if i get lucky to have a deer show up..........i put the scope on it...... and say to myself..... VITAL,S......


lol...... i think the first deer i fired a shot on....... i missed the vitals by about 20 feet...it was an experience that i can not explain in words...
but what a rush:redface:
 
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