Once I decide to take a buck, I don't look his rack again.  At this point I avert my eyes and only take short glances at the animal, as I believe deer in particular can "feel" your predatory gaze in them.

When I'm ready to shoot, I focus on a small patch of hair or visible spot in the kill zone, come to full draw, and attempt to bisect the spot with my broadhead...

Fantastic deer, lots of good advice, looking forward to pics and story of the hunt.

bhfp

Honestly, besides the Just doin it part... here's the ticket


   

       

guys that can pick these little buggers off regularly at hunting distances           are better at pickin the spot when it counts, IMO.  Just ups your odds that much more without having lotsa kills under your belt.

I don't know everyone is different. Heck I've shot three squirrels in one day and then later completely missed a deer! For me a couple of posters have said what works for me. Once I decide I'm gona take a deer, either buck or doe, I pick a hair on it's side where I want to watch my arrow dissappear and never take my eyes off it. After that it's those tons of practice shots that take over and most times I don't remember pulling the bow back etc just watch that arrow slide in that spot!

The fact that hunting an animal like that can make us come " ungluded" is exactly why we hunt!!

When the posibility of not becoming unglued happens, I may be close to quiting hunting!

When I stopped coming unglued I will take up cruises to the Caribbean.

Im sure when the time comes, I will figure it out...If not, there will be another gift sent my way....sometime

I deal with it by tuning them into targets in my mind.They are only 3d targets and I am looking the 10 ring when they come in and nothing else.Most times I could not tell you how many points a deer has untill he is dead.A quick glance and the decision to kill him is all it takes to switch me into target mode and he no longer is a live animal in my mind.  :D

I can't speak for anyone else,I still come unglued from time to time.  I have found a method that has paid big dividens in the last four to five years.

I believe that buck fever is a natural thing. So I don't fight it. It is what you do with it in the first few seconds after it shows up.  

It Gods way of preparing our body for the task at hand.  For many of us, we then take the wrong track, we begin to worry about what might go wrong.  I turn it around and play a slightly different recording. I expect a positive out come,  I visualize the arrow going through the spot I am going to hit, not just once, but over and over until the act is completed for real.

A friend of mind tells me that he keeps convincing himself that he doesn't want to take the animal.  The whole while he is preparing for the shot, and then as he reaches full draw, he drops the string.  It works for him...

I'm with you, Rich.  A doe gives me the shakes, anything with antlers - well, I have to direct all my attention to a small hair just behind his shoulder.  If I even think about headgear I just pass on the shot, I won't take the chance of wounding him.  Hopefully he'll be around again soon.

I agree with all.  It is individual.  Small game, picking the spot every time, has helped me a bunch.  Now, even if I come unglued etc, picking a spot is part of the shot process, so If I;m drawing I'm pickin a spot, even if that means my bow arm is shakin like a quakin aspen!

I come unglued when shooting a doe at 300 yards with my rifle - knowing well ahead of time that when I pull the trigger, she's dead (U.S. Army sniper training).  I've never been close enough to shoot one with a bow and don't know what I'll do then either.....