Here's my latest article at my Michigan Firearms Examiner page. I interviewed a couple psychologists on what to do if you experience "buck fever."
How to beat 'Buck fever' at your hunt
"It’s the day of the hunt and you’ve sighted your quarry. As you get ready to take the shot your heat beats faster, you start to sweat, and your hands shake. You want to shoot, but are afraid to miss, and the longer you wait, the worse it gets. You realize you’re suffering from buck fever, but what can you do about it?
“What hunters call ‘buck fever’ can be made up of different psychological reactions,” said sports psychologist Dr. Eddie O’Connor. “One of the things about anxiety is that physiologically it is exactly the same as excitement. When you talk about not being able to be physically calm and to hold a steady shot there’s no way to tell whether it’s from excitement or nervousness or performance anxiety.”
The good news is that O’Connor said there are effective techniques to help that should work no matter the underlying cause..."
How to beat 'Buck fever' at your hunt
"It’s the day of the hunt and you’ve sighted your quarry. As you get ready to take the shot your heat beats faster, you start to sweat, and your hands shake. You want to shoot, but are afraid to miss, and the longer you wait, the worse it gets. You realize you’re suffering from buck fever, but what can you do about it?
“What hunters call ‘buck fever’ can be made up of different psychological reactions,” said sports psychologist Dr. Eddie O’Connor. “One of the things about anxiety is that physiologically it is exactly the same as excitement. When you talk about not being able to be physically calm and to hold a steady shot there’s no way to tell whether it’s from excitement or nervousness or performance anxiety.”
The good news is that O’Connor said there are effective techniques to help that should work no matter the underlying cause..."