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One of Us |
Be honest!! Having just completed Safaris in Namibia and Zambia and expecting the experience to be different than any previous hunts in the US and Alaska, I found myself surprised at how nervous I felt before the first animal in each location. All my previous hunts were self guided including my Brown Bear. I felt no jitters on any of those. Yet I did in Africa. It passed quickly after the first animal was in the salt but it still surprised me. The only thing I can figure is perhaps it was "performance anxiety" brought on by having a stranger that happened to be a professional hunter standing beside me. After reading Ivan Carters thread about being on the other side of the coin during his Elk hunt and the fact he learned from it, I just started to wonder if other hunters felt the same jitters I did? As I said they passed quickly with success. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | ||
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Naah, it's just part of the fun. It's when the buggers stop, stiffen and put the sticks up that get's you, it's a case of "you're on sunshine" In my case I get the fever when the sticks go up, I have to calm myself for the shot but afterwards I'm pieces again. I would go so far as to say that i'll stop hunting the day it stops having that effect on me. | |||
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Well put. As soon as hunting stops having that effect on me, I'll quit and take up golf. ______________________ Age and Treachery Will Always Overcome Youth and Skill | |||
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Just a little snip-it from my most recent hunt.
I'd say it happens to everyone, or at least it should!!! Graybird "Make no mistake, it's not revenge he's after ... it's the reckoning." | |||
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Very nervous. I didn't expect it either. I wondered about you Frostbit. There was a ton of attention on your hunt, starting with the Harry Selby endorsement of your perfect safari rifle. Everything worked out great, but just think about writing your report if a few things had really went south. When I took my first day sight in shots in Zambia, I think I seriously got buck fever. I think it was just the fact that everything you read, states that is when your PH will evaluate you. Luckily I really settled down and shot better than I even thought I would. I totally agree with Ivan. The PH's that complain about client's shooting, should try reversing the roles. "If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it". Fred Bear | |||
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I think it is just part of the safari experience. I was dancing my own "River Dance" in '07 as we waited a whole hour on the sticks for a monster bushbuck that I wanted very badly. I got the bushbuck but you would have thought it was my first hunt ever if you had watched my right leg. I think the tension has to come out some way and your leg volunteers to be the outlet. As others have implied if you did not get a little nervous it probably would not be half the fun. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Well said!! Both Malan in Namibia and Johnny in Zambia, I think, are used to seeing folks like us that maybe have some nerves. When I was sighting in with Johnny I was laying across the hood of the cruiser. It felt awkward but I took the shot anyway. It was high right. Johnny remarked my scope must have gotten "bumped". I told him the shot felt terrible let me position myself the way I want. I drilled the next two dead on. When I go back (notice it didn't say if) I don't think the presence of a PH will bother me near as much. I think it was some strange "I have something to prove" thing. Man I was nervous on the Croc since it was first up. I related that in my hunt report story. It turned out to be one of the best and funniest moments of the trip and helped Johnny and I to really hit it off. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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When Malan and I were chasing Black Wildebeest around we had a couple of great stalks. On one I got on the sticks about 250 yards out and stayed on them for at least 45 minutes waiting for the two shootable bulls to stand free of the cows. It never happened. My right arm fell totally asleep holding the rifle still on the sticks. The freaking Wildebeest layed down. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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without a doubt the worst case of buck fever I have ever had in my life was the first time I jerked flinched closed my eyes lost all muzzle control and fired at a standing broad side water buck. I felt like a school boy who had just be caught by his mates wanking while looking at an ugly girl. I was way way passed nervous. I had know Idea what it was like to be shooting with others watching. and I felt like hammered crap after I missed three times | |||
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One trip with Steve and you're talking like a Limey? ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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I was exactly the same for the first animal I 'tried' to shoot in Africa. Part of it is knowing in the back of your mind the money invested, part of it was being on a guided hunt for the first time and most of it was me gettin g 'worked up' over being in Africa hunting, at last. It is when you are having these problems that you find out if you have a real proffessional hunter or just a guide. I agree with other posters. If you don't or have never felt like that, then it is time to give up hunting. | |||
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Johnny never said a word about my rifle barrel doing figure 8's when I went on the sticks for the Croc. I took my time and breathed myself into calm. Afterwards, feeling high from the experience, I confided how nervous I was. Johnny just remarked, "I saw your barrel moving all over the place". I think it worked out well he didn't try and "calm me down" with words. He just let me handle it and it worked out perfectly. Well perfectly 7 rounds later. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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YA he is a bad bad influence. I used to talk like a hillbilly now I talk like a deranged hillbilly!!!! come to think of it I sound just like Steve | |||
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So nervous that I missed my animal clean at about 80 yards broad-side. Smacked my next one frontal shot in the the chest at about 120. First shot I'd missed in 3 years....I hate nerves!!!! DRSS Member | |||
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505ED man that is exactly what happen to me close to same distances too | |||
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That says it all for me as well. | |||
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Shaking hands, knocking knees, racing pulse as the quarry comes closer ..... God , I pray it never ends. Africa Bug " Embrace the bite , live for adventure " EJ Carter 2011 | |||
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Greeff walked me into a number of Buffalo herds before I took my first with no nervousnesss,,,,still dont know why I totally missed my first opp broadside at a Leopard on same hunt.... | |||
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My PH has repeatedly said I get too nervous, which I doth protest vehemently. But after I missed a klippy a few years ago, he swore I kept asking "Which one, which one?" (they're almost always with a female) when he first started glassing. "How the f@#$ am I supposed to know in an instant?" he said, then did this sniffing routine. I haven't laughed that hard in about 10 years; so hard I believe the trackers thought I was "touched". | |||
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I was VERY nervous up to the point the plane landed in Namibia. Then I was too excited and giddy to really think about it. My first day out hunting I was pretty calm, tried to stay professional, and didn't over-analyze, which I have a very bad habit of doing. I figured I was there, I had many days to hunt, and I felt confident, but not over-confident, in my skills. Maybe I'm just war-weary regarding pressure and nerves (I work in an ER and have seen a lot of horrible things, been in very high-pressure, tense situations) - maybe I'm just numb to it. But there wasn't a single time during my entire hunt, with any animal, where I got the jitters, nerves, etc. Maybe there's something wrong with me? (Well, other than the usual) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorius triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt | |||
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I always look forward to a hunt with anticipation that builds to a fever pitch, but I find myself surprisingly calm and collected at the time of the shot. When the animal is down it's as if the pressure is off and I feel free to go to pieces. My first African animal, a gemsbok, was a particularly memorable experience, and I remember walking up to it and wiping my hand furiously on my pants before touching it. Later on that trip, on the buffalo portion of the hunt, it all happened so fast that I really didn't have time to get too worked up before the shot. Afterwards, as I knelt down next to an animal of which I had dreamt for 40+ years, I had to fight hard to control my tears...without total success. I actually found it quite impossible to smile for the trophy photos. I don't ever worry about losing that rush...I can't believe that will happen. John | |||
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Oh, Yeah! Went on my first safari a year ago June after a full six months in Iraq...without being allowed to fire a rifle. My first day was very bad with three straight misses. Our PH, a cross between "the Gunny" and an German SS training instructor, was not very impressed or kind. I deserved his criticism. Made up for it the next day and the following days. No, I was still nervous, but fought hard to control it. .395 Family Member DRSS, po' boy member Political correctness is nothing but liberal enforced censorship | |||
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I think I am at my most nervous when checking the rifles -- code for letting the PH see if you can shoot. You may get an unstable rest, a target made with a black magic marker at an unknown distance, and the rifle(s) just went through the baggage "handlers" careful caress -- no pressure. ------------------------------- Some Pictures from Namibia Some Pictures from Zimbabwe An Elephant Story | |||
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I used to shoot competively, so I don't get nervous when I aim, but I worry constantly. The more a hunt costs, the more I worry about little things screwing up the hunt. Even having a death in the family while I am over there crosses my mind. I worry about my business. A sat phone can do wonders. But of all the bad news one can get, we need to remember the worst news of all: someday we are all going to die. Life is fleeting. | |||
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Thanks for the cheery thought. Just kidding. Sometimes I have to tell patients when things don't look so good. I'm well aware of mortality. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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When I hunt with a PH that I have not hunted with before, this is the part that makes me nervous; that first shot, and there is usually a big group watching - PH, trackers, etc. Sure feels good when you ace it. | |||
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The truth is I've been recruited by the British Cultural Preservation Association and they've given me the secret task of re-civilising the USA...... or at the very least, making you regret ever holding the Boston tea party. My next step is trying to get you guys to start using proper British profanites. | |||
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Bloody Hell Steve.... good luck with us ! Nervous... yes, but a good kind of nervous. I am looking forward to being nervous again next year ! Andy -------------------------------------------- National Rifle Association - Life Member National Wild Turkey Federation - Diamond Life Sponsor Pope & Young Club - Associate Member | |||
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Andy, Awfully good start old chap. Our next step must be to get a few more of the buggers joining the team and then we'll also be able to start lessons in Cockney rhyming slang. | |||
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i don't know if nervous is the right word but if i don't get as excited when a quail flushes as i do when a buffalo steps out i will give up hunting forever. i think the feeling is somewhere between excitement and nervous but whatever it is i love it. | |||
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Steve, you are a bigger wanker than I thought you c$%t | |||
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Hook, 10 out of 10 for British humour and friendly insults. Your next mission should you decide to accept it is to learn to drink Earl Grey in the absence of good Uganda tea. Don't forget to extend the pinkie of the hand holding the cup. Your next lesson is to learn the following before next week. Apples & pears = stairs. Trouble & strife = wife. Dog & bone = phone Plates o' meat = feet Tit for tat (or just titfa) = hat You will be tested on these aforementioned subjects. Further homework will be to study how to vote in a left wing Government with a lying, treasonous leader who will give your country, culture and national wealth away to anyone who asks. Oh no. Forget that one........ you've all, done that one already! | |||
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tell the saint mission accepeted | |||
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I get a "rush" in anticipation of getting the opportunity to shoot,,, I mainly bow hunt so I am usually very close to the animal but I really do not get the shakes or a bad case of the "nerves" untill after I shoot. Then all heck breaks loose in my body and no intelligent words come out of my mouth,, my hands shake, the adrenaline rush has me in "Hyperdrive" for a long time. And I love it! you can make more money, you can not make more time | |||
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after I shoot I tend to beat the crap out of the PH I'm so happy with the animal on the ground | |||
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My first buff 3wks ago, I don't recall an increase in pulse or breathing, but my mouth was really dry, like no spit at all. | |||
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My wife's a big tea drinker and brought Yorkshire Gold with her to Namibia and Zambia. She had Johnny du Plooy hooked by the time we left. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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I work in an ER, too. But compared to flying in a small plane, and landing on a dirt strip, "hunting" anywhere in Africa not a nervous thing. But being very close to elephants, lions, and hippos is still a nervous "position" to be in. Steve "He wins the most, who honour saves. Success is not the test." Ryan "Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything." Stalin Tanzania 06 Argentina08 Argentina Australia06 Argentina 07 Namibia Arnhemland10 Belize2011 Moz04 Moz 09 | |||
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Far and away more nervous about the taxidermy!!!!! _______________________ | |||
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I was not nervous at all on my first safari. Not the shooting, not the buffalo hunting, not the travel. It was definitely "ignorance is bliss". Now I'm a nervous wreck until I get to camp with my rifle and gear intact! After that, I worry about finding my main quarry. Last year's safari with Muchinga, when I took my buffalo on the first day, I was the most relaxed I've been since that first safari! No pressure on myself. (This year, though, I was back to worrying about all the details until my buffalo was down on day 8.) Regards, D. Nelson | |||
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