Last evening, I lay in wait for a roe that has been frequenting some young trees on a new planting I look after. I lay on a grassy bank, feeling not a little cold as the sun sank low. Eventually a deer showed with about 15 mins. shooting light left; I watched him through the binos. and made the decision to shoot from my raised prone vantage point . I swapped the binos. for rifle, at which stage I started to shake uncontrollably, in the legs primarily! It took a good 5 mins. for me to get it under control, sufficiently to feel competent for the 200m. shot.
Fortunately for the deer, bad light intervened and I couldnot relocate the target!
It's the first time I have suffered and consider it a combination of cold and adrenaline induced shivering.
Is it likely to recur? Any preventative advice? Have others similar experiences?

Trans-pond,

Yep, I get that to a greater or lesser degree virtually everytime I raise a rifle on a beast regardless of the sex. Personnally I think when you feel nothing at all is the time to stop!

Regards,

Pete

Excitement and cold make me shake. A bit of deep breathing generaly helps.

I don't think what you describe is buck fever more your bodies physiological reaction to being cold and having a slight adrenaline reaction.

Buck fever IMHO is characterised by panic, tendancy to rush, wrong sight picture, innapropriate shot, snatching at trigger etc etc You displayed none of these symptoms.

IMHO I have to agree with 1894...

All cases of Buck Fever I have ever seen have resulted in a total loss of rationale and an innnaprpriate (and pulled) shot being taken. I wouldn't say that was what happened to you. I'd say you did the right thing.

The weather has got a lot colder in the last week and I have been caught out in the cold unexpectedly, to the point where I couldn't feel my fingers. I got out of the seat 20 mins early and went home as I didn't want to pull a shot and be looking for a beast in the dark.

Actually I didn't go home, I went to the pub and ordered a hot chocolate and a shot of rum!!

FB

Well I guess you will just have to call me Mr Ice!

I have never suffered from buck fever before a shot. Not sure why that is... I am as excitable as the next man!

Hi,
Buckfever doesn't necessarily mean you pulled the shot...I get high heart rate and a bit of shivering when a big trophy is spotted all of a sudden. For example when I was waiting for my stag to turn and give a broadside shot, I had the biggest adrenaline surge ever...