So its my first year bow hunting and its been an awesome year. killed my first archery deer (buck) on my birthday and then a week later killed a 180+ inch Mule deer (with rifle) on public land out west. Its funny though, yesterday evening I am in the stand and a young, beautiful 8 point gave me a broadside shot at 20 yards. He Is one we have on camera only at night since august. We decided early to let him walk this year if we saw him though because he is likely just 2.5 years old and already a stud. I had him at 20 yards for nearly 10 minutes yesterday but kept my cool AND my word to my buddy that I wouldn't kill him If given the opportunity and let him walk with a hall pass. Its funny though...as I watched him walk off I realized I had a serious case of the "shakes"! I guess that adrenaline still gets the best of me at times.
I hunted shotgun season here in Illinois down in the Shawnee. I saw a couple nice bucks that were 130+ yds in the timber so no shot. I just glassed them. All the sudden my arms were shaking real bad. I couldnt hold my binoculars. I am a guy who has killed some nice 150 class deer and these 125" deer were giving me seizures from 130+ yards away. I almost laughed out loud at myself.
Got stoked about the coyote I took out yesterday. Any deer gives me the shakes after the encounter is over. The day that stops is the day I hang up the bow.
If ur surprised that u still get the shakes and its only your first year. Why are u surprised? I've Been a bow hunter for 12 years and i still shake whole shooting a doe. If you dont get the shakes u shouldn't be doing it in my opinion
I've been hunting for something for over 30 years. Whether it be busting a covey of quail or shooting at a deer with a bow I still get the shakes. That is what should happen in my opinion. If you don't get excited and it just becomes "natural" to kill something then you are doing it for the wrong reason. Like I said, JMO.
I totally agree! That was the point of my little story. I thought in the moment, why the hell am I shaking so bad. And then I remembered....oh year, because I just had a super up close and personal experience with one of the greatest and wary animals we have to hunt here. Recognizing a deer we only have pictures of and have never seen in daylight before and having the discipline to let him walk and get some age gave me a high very similar to actually taking one. Anymore, all I seem to think about is when will my next up close encounter happen! I've got the bug, bad and I love it.
^^^^^ this. I still get the fever on does, but I don't usually get it until after I shoot or if I know I'm not going to shoot.
Happened to me this season on a HUGE buck I wanted to shoot, but he gave no shot opportunity. I shook like a leaf even knowing there was no shot for me that night. A few days later, a buck I mistakenly took for him walked out and I shot him without hesitation or big ta-do. Odd I didn't get the shakes that night till after the shot. Guess I was concentrating on taking advantage of whatever shot "he" presented.
When I shot my buck this year, I shook un control ably for about 5 minutes. I've been shooken up over deer kills and coyotes, but nothing like this time. I called my wife after I shot him and saw him go down. It was so bad she actually asked if I was ok, lol.
Over the years while guiding, I had several hunters that shot right through the antlers of 6X6 elk. Several were with rifles at less than 75 yards. Everyone of them looked up after shooting and sincerely asked, "did you see where I hit him?" One hunter put 3 bullets through the antlers at 45 yards.
I usually don't shake til I see him drop. I have disciplined myself not to shake. I will only screw up the shot and the shaking was all for nothing. after so many disappointments with big buck encounters I am very hard on myself to get it done. I try to stay focused on the task at hand. shaking and excitement for me is when the mission is completed and I am standing over my game. fun to see guys getting shook up to say the least.
The day I stop getting the shakes is the day I stop hunting. Sounds like you are having an awesome year!
I usually do a pretty good job of controlling the shakes until after the arrow is released, but I got them bad on the first buck I saw this season. He was just a 2.5 year old 8pt that wasn't even very impressive but I sure did get the shakes. Once I got that out of my system, seems like I haven't really had them since this year. Even when I killed my buck last Saturday. No shakes before or after the shot.
My shakes set in post release and once I see that mule kick. Seems like when I talk myself through the shot, I calm myself down but as soon as that THWACK sound releases into the atmosphere man its like an earthquake sets in.
I get them when I initially see the deer (doesn't matter if it is a doe or buck), then I calm myself down and focus on my aiming spot. Once the arrow is released I get the full wave! I did however get the shakes for over an hour after an encounter with a stud 10. It came straight to my tree, never giving me an ethical shot. At 5 yards, it got nervous...looked up at me and bolted. To this day it was the biggest buck I have ever had in bow range and I'm not ashamed that I had the shakes for an hour after the encounter.
