We have all had them … don’t lie. It can be embarrassing but also fun to laugh about “NOW” to fellow hunters. Let’s go bros!!
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Worst buck fever moment!
- Thread starter Fgirtyman
- Start date
MNFarmHunter
Well-Known Member
Worst moment not to laugh at.
Heard my buddy fire and seconds later, a big buck come trotting 10 yards from me. Took a quick shot with my ML and when the smoke cleared, he was spinning on the ground. By the time I reloaded, he was up, over 100y away and blocked by brush.
Tracked him for over an hour, found some blood and clots. Best guess is I hit him in ”no-man” land. Talking to a neighbor the nest day, he saw a big buck with blood on his back go trotting by.
Biggest buck I’ve ever seen on the property and couldn’t take 1/2 second for better aim.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Heard my buddy fire and seconds later, a big buck come trotting 10 yards from me. Took a quick shot with my ML and when the smoke cleared, he was spinning on the ground. By the time I reloaded, he was up, over 100y away and blocked by brush.
Tracked him for over an hour, found some blood and clots. Best guess is I hit him in ”no-man” land. Talking to a neighbor the nest day, he saw a big buck with blood on his back go trotting by.
Biggest buck I’ve ever seen on the property and couldn’t take 1/2 second for better aim.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That’s a heartbreaker but that’s deer hunting!
WISCO
Well-Known Member
When I was young I had terrible buck fever. On two separate occasions I locked up and couldn't move on two nice bucks, One was around 20 yards with a bow the other was about 10 yards with a shotgun. Neither deer knew I was there but I was frozen in place.
The first Buck I shot with my Bow I was on the ground sitting on a bucket on a wood line on the edge of a field and I seen him hop the fence and start walking the edge closing in on me at 20 yards I was shaking so hard that it took me 3 times to get my bow back. This was full on rut and the wind was working in my favor, I have no idea how he didn't notice me flailing around lol.
I'm glad I am able to compose myself now but looking back at those memories those are what got me hooked on hunting.
The first Buck I shot with my Bow I was on the ground sitting on a bucket on a wood line on the edge of a field and I seen him hop the fence and start walking the edge closing in on me at 20 yards I was shaking so hard that it took me 3 times to get my bow back. This was full on rut and the wind was working in my favor, I have no idea how he didn't notice me flailing around lol.
I'm glad I am able to compose myself now but looking back at those memories those are what got me hooked on hunting.
When you quit getting that squirt of adrenaline its time to find a new way to spend your time. 
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- Sep 1, 2020
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I shot at the best buck I have ever seen at 10 yards and missed. He came in to a mineral lick with his doe and as they left he come by me at 10 yards broadside. I drew my bow looked thru the peep and realized there were saplings in my way so I raised the bow and wow the saplings were gone so I fired the release. Of course the saplings were gone because I was aiming 2 foot above the bucks back. LOL I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.
The first time I encounter a buck ever. He came out exactly where I setup thinking deer would come out. I was setup in the crotch of a Y shape tree. Tether to one side and leaning on the other side. I decided to use a target archery's thumb release with a hair trigger because I was practicing with it all summer. But the fever got me. My arms were jelly and my 65lbs bow felt like it was 100lbs. Death grip the release to try to pull it back, lost any sense of form or draw process. Arrow disappear somewhere, don't even know to this day direction it flew no matter how many time I replay it in my head. Buck slowly prance away without a care in the world.
Sold the release the next day, lower my bow to 55lbs, and never going into the wood again without an index release.
Sold the release the next day, lower my bow to 55lbs, and never going into the wood again without an index release.
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During TN’s velvet season this year, I put a ground stalk on a great big 12-pointer I’d never seen before. Got to within about 40 yards with a thick pile of brush between me and him in the otherwise open field. I was hunkered down waiting for him to step out for what felt like forever, but eventually a different deer winded me and blew them both out. Very cool, intense moments. Later that night, I got an alert from my Apple Watch saying something like “Your heart rate was up over 126 BPM after a 10-minute period of inactivity starting at 6:02pm.” Sure enough, that’s when I was crouched down waiting him out, so I have proof of the physiological effects of buck fever! Haha
I took my 5 yr. old bowhunting on a nice fall day several years ago. I had whipped up a brushy blind 20 yards off a well used deer trail.
I had a doe tag so does where fair game and a learning opportunity for my young son. Early evening we sat next to each other in our brushy little blind. An hour passed when he whispered... "Dad there is a deer". Sure enough, a doe was coming our way. I had a cedar arrow ready nocked on my Bighorn recurve. As I got ready to show him what bowhunting was all about I began to shake.
Shaking so bad the chattering arrow came off the rest and sat on the back of my bow hand. My 5 year old son calmly and slowly reached his little hand between the string and riser and slid the arrow back on the shelf rest.
The doe stood just out of range looking at us and eventually ran off. My son then turned to me and said "Dad you were really shaking".
That night was my great learning opportunity!!
I am often reminded by him about the time I had Buck fever by a doe. I'll never live it down!!
I had a doe tag so does where fair game and a learning opportunity for my young son. Early evening we sat next to each other in our brushy little blind. An hour passed when he whispered... "Dad there is a deer". Sure enough, a doe was coming our way. I had a cedar arrow ready nocked on my Bighorn recurve. As I got ready to show him what bowhunting was all about I began to shake.
Shaking so bad the chattering arrow came off the rest and sat on the back of my bow hand. My 5 year old son calmly and slowly reached his little hand between the string and riser and slid the arrow back on the shelf rest.
The doe stood just out of range looking at us and eventually ran off. My son then turned to me and said "Dad you were really shaking".
That night was my great learning opportunity!!
I am often reminded by him about the time I had Buck fever by a doe. I'll never live it down!!
Noonespecial
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2019
- Messages
- 448
I was 14 years old hunting with a Ben Pearson compound bow. Back then the bows were so slow you had a pin for every 5 yards and I had seven of them. It was also before releases were popular so I was a finger shooting. Standing next to a big ash tree a yearling buck came down the hill right at me followed by a doe. As he stepped in front of me at about 10 yards I took aim and mentally said I’ve got some pins on him and let the arrow fly. Watching it fly 8 inches over his back he took off running never to be seen again. Realizing I missed because I didn’t pick a spot or a pin I looked back and saw the doe standing in roughly the same spot. I quickly took another arrow out of my quiver and shot again not paying attention to the brush covering her vitals. Watching the arrow hit a twig and quickly veer of course she took a few bounds turned around and stared at me again. In utter defeat I waved my hand at her and shooed her away realizing I stood no chance of hitting anything due to my nerves getting the best of me.
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I grazed one across the rear last season at 12 yards because of a rare south Alabama earthquake.
had a 150 inch buck 40 yards from me. By far the largest buck iv'e seen to date on the hoof. Forgot my shooting stick so did a shaky off hand muzzleloader shot. Grazed the white hair off his belly. Watched him slowly trot off while I realized I had not Brought a back up load. Got plenty of trail cam pics throughout rest of season, but never another opportunity. still can't really laugh about it. Still feels like the worst nut punch ive ever had.
Dude! 25yds broadside and calm.
Note: Still to this day I shake for a good 45mins after downing a doe. If you ain't getting an adrenaline dump, then time to give it up.
Note: Still to this day I shake for a good 45mins after downing a doe. If you ain't getting an adrenaline dump, then time to give it up.
BowhunterXC
Well-Known Member
I'm lucky in that "buck fever" doesn't hit me, until after the shot.
After the shot, I'll stand there and shake like a Sherwin-Williams paint shaker.
After the shot, I'll stand there and shake like a Sherwin-Williams paint shaker.
First buck I saw from the tree came into 10 yards 2 seasons ago. Being a dumb newbie, I stood on my platform and turned towards him, which allowed me to draw my elbow back right into the tree, hurting my elbow slightly and causing so much noise that he bolted.
Best look I got at a buck last year was about 25 yards, I watched him from really far away and cross from one side of me to the other. I grabbed my bow and clipped on my release as I turned around, drew back and went to release a perfect broadside shot... And realized I'd spun my release and clipped it on backwards, by the time I tried to hook my finger around where my thumb should be he started moving and I decided it wasn't going to work.
Didn't see either buck again (unless last year's was the same deer as the year prior, it's possible but unlikely)
So for me buck fever has been more brain fog than shakes. I've gotten a bit shaky once I found both of the deer on the ground though!
Best look I got at a buck last year was about 25 yards, I watched him from really far away and cross from one side of me to the other. I grabbed my bow and clipped on my release as I turned around, drew back and went to release a perfect broadside shot... And realized I'd spun my release and clipped it on backwards, by the time I tried to hook my finger around where my thumb should be he started moving and I decided it wasn't going to work.
Didn't see either buck again (unless last year's was the same deer as the year prior, it's possible but unlikely)
So for me buck fever has been more brain fog than shakes. I've gotten a bit shaky once I found both of the deer on the ground though!
ThePennsylvanian
Well-Known Member
O boy. . . . Well this still stings today, but here it goes. Last year I got a 25yd shot on a buck that I'd been after for 3 seasons. I don't even remember going through my pre-shot process I remember seeing him and pull the trigger on my release so hard I could have broken it. I can't tell you where I hit him,I'm guessing it went through the brisket.
Obviously never found him, and honestly haven't gotten over it yet. I still can't believe I screwed it up after 3 years....
Obviously never found him, and honestly haven't gotten over it yet. I still can't believe I screwed it up after 3 years....
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No pics of him this year? Any evidence that he is dead.O boy. . . . Well this still stings today, but here it goes. Last year I got a 25yd shot on a buck that I'd been after for 3 seasons. I don't even remember going through my pre-shot process I remember seeing him and pull the trigger on my release so hard I could have broken it. I can't tell you where I hit him,I'm guessing it went through the brisket.
Obviously never found him, and honestly haven't gotten over it yet. I still can't believe I screwed it up after 3 years....
Maybe get another chance. Never know. Good genes on him …maybe produce another trophy. Good luck!O boy. . . . Well this still stings today, but here it goes. Last year I got a 25yd shot on a buck that I'd been after for 3 seasons. I don't even remember going through my pre-shot process I remember seeing him and pull the trigger on my release so hard I could have broken it. I can't tell you where I hit him,I'm guessing it went through the brisket.
Obviously never found him, and honestly haven't gotten over it yet. I still can't believe I screwed it up after 3 years....
ThePennsylvanian
Well-Known Member
So I hit him Oct 30 2021. I got this pic:
That's the last picture I have of him. I usually got 10 - 20 pictures on 5 cameras. I also found a huge body deer with its head cut during the rifle season last year. I can't 100% absolutely say he's dead, but my gut is telling me he is. . . This was on public land..
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Early in my hunting career I was set up on the remote end of a creek that butted up to a mature pine stand. On either side of the creek was a 3-year-old cutover. It was about 10 AM and I decided on the spur of the moment to make an all-day sit. Something just made me do it. I had no food or water, nothing. I set it out all day and had only seen a spike up to this point. About 30 minutes until dark I see a huge bodied deer walking the edge of the pine stand heading to the right toward the cutover. The first thing that went through my mind was that someone's donkey had gotten loose. That is how big this thing looked. At this point I had not seen any horns. I knew from the way it was headed that it would likely go one of two ways. It would head north, and I would never see it again or it would head south and be within 25 yards of my stand. It turned south. By this time i was standing, and since it was gun season, I had pushed off the safety on a 30-06. That's when I get a good look at this thing's headgear. He is tall and heavy and wide. His horns are dark brown, and he is WAY bigger than any buck I have ever seen. He is walking the edge of the cutover and the creek line headed to me. At 25 yards he stops with just his head and a little bit of shoulder showing from behind a tree. I have the crosshairs on him just waiting for him to show me a few more inches of shoulder. He hesitates and steps back. I can't see him now, but he is there. He turns and heads like he will cross the SMZ. If he does, he is mine. Once again, he sticks his head out from behind a tree and waits, with just a little shoulder showing. Just show me a few more inches of shoulder! No, he backs up again and heads off into the woods. Maybe he just had a sixth sense.
I went back into the spot the next day before daylight with provisions and sat until near dark. About this same time of day that the buck came through the day before I hear something big coming through the woods. My shot at redemption? No, it is some jackwagon walking through the woods with his rifle slung over his shoulder, walking like he doesn't have a care in the world. He's not wearing a speck of orange either. I have no idea who he was or where he was going so late in the day. My guess is that he was heading out of the woods before it got dark. In hindsight he may have been a poacher.
If I had it to do over again, I would have shot the buck in the base of the neck/ shoulder junction. My rough guess is that the buck would have gone 170 to 180. Who knows? I was inexperienced and seeing that buck was like seeing a UFO land and little green men come out. It was just one of those things.
That was my one and only encounter with the buck I called "Sasquatch".
I went back into the spot the next day before daylight with provisions and sat until near dark. About this same time of day that the buck came through the day before I hear something big coming through the woods. My shot at redemption? No, it is some jackwagon walking through the woods with his rifle slung over his shoulder, walking like he doesn't have a care in the world. He's not wearing a speck of orange either. I have no idea who he was or where he was going so late in the day. My guess is that he was heading out of the woods before it got dark. In hindsight he may have been a poacher.
If I had it to do over again, I would have shot the buck in the base of the neck/ shoulder junction. My rough guess is that the buck would have gone 170 to 180. Who knows? I was inexperienced and seeing that buck was like seeing a UFO land and little green men come out. It was just one of those things.
That was my one and only encounter with the buck I called "Sasquatch".