How do you control your excitement?

[Hot4huntin]

Lamaze breathing techniques! I've used them more in the field than I did the hospital. Prior to the shot, I am focused and able to completely control my excitement.

BUT, like Travis said, after the shot I am a complete disaster! I will actually get a headache from the rush. Even though, I will have watched the shot and watched the direction that the animal takes, sometimes I am unable to remember any of it. I've also had my emotion and excitement afterwards trigger asthma attacks, so I have to make sure that I have my inhaler in my hunting bag. Weird, I know!

[cheez]

I shot a buck a couple of weeks ago, I got drawn on him and he didn't know I was there. I started gettin' a little shaky and couldn't get my pin where I wanted it. While at full draw, I closed my eyes, leaned my head forward, and took a couple of deep breaths thinkin' about what I needed to do. When I opened my eyes I was able to focus and settle the pin. The buck ran less than 50 yards. After the shot was when the rush hit! Good thing I was in a pop-up so I couldn't fall

[BustedAssRanch]

I must be messed up in the head, I get nervous on pigs before the shot & on deer I get nervous after the shot.

[BustedAssRanch]

Lamaze breathing techniques! I've used them more in the field than I did the hospital. Prior to the shot, I am focused and able to completely control my excitement.

Do the deer like the whoo whoo shhee sound?

[dgrimesag92]

Don't look right at him, try not to focus on the animal....when you practice shooting, create a pre-shot routine and do it every time...when you are in the stand and you think about the routine..it helps get your mind and body right. We all get shook up...if you don't it's time to quit hunting. Just breath and stick to the routine.

[Lost Buckaroo]

I just think about hillary clinton being president. that is a sobering thought ,then I regain focus and execute

[Shough]

Unfortunately I think we learn best from mistakes best. Through misses or missed opportunities from moving at the wrong time teaches us the best. I have missed deer early on and realized I was so excited I drew and just sort of pointed the bow in the general direction and fired! Now I always think of the task as hand as I am ready to draw. Draw, center the sight in peep, find the 20 yard pin, place it on the kill zone etc. I go over the aiming portion of that on each shot and I have had a very high success rate in doing that.

I think the biggest factor is experience. I use to get buck fever when gun hunting, after years of success that completely went away. Then with a bow it started all over. After years of success it has demenished also. Now I have never had a P & Y buck in range so my guess is it would be back so I just stick to what works. I always, as I am drawing mentally say which pin I am to use, find it, place it on the kill zone......

I think we all have to fight that adrenalin rush, that is a big reason why we bowhunt. For that excitement, can we control our emotions. Someday, I would really like to test my abilities and go for a brown bear with a bow. Can I really hold it together when it has to count.... Maybe someday but for now, a P & Y buck would be fantastic.

[Dale Moser]

Just concentrate on the task at hand..........same as talking to a new big prospective customer, or a really hot girl in a bar.


Concentrate on the task at hand......and be a wreck afterwards.

[Texas Grown]

If I'm in a tree, I just jump out, break a leg, yell, and the deer leaves, No more shakes.
If I'm in ground blind, I just close the window. I can't see the deer, the shakes go away.
Seriously, I have had them so bad that the whole tree shook, or my legs got so weak it drew attention, or my bow was shaking so bad that "it" (not me) blew the shot . Now I just sit there and watch them till the shakes go away, my heart settels down, and I regain my strength to draw my bow . I have found that just watching them, if time permits, and/or all year if possible, helps.