First deer hunt tomorrow... so nervous

[Hyp81]

I've got my clothes in the wash with the "no scent" stuff. Gonna lay them out so they are ready to go. Gotta be up at 3:30 to meet my friend at 4:30 in Carroll County to head out.

So freakin' nervous. I feel well-prepared on paper, but a nervous wreck in reality. Am I a good enough shot?? I keep running through everything I've learned over the past year about hunting whitetails. What if I see a deer, what if I don't?! AH!

Is it always like this on your first hunt?

 

[wilcam47]

If you don't get the rush...you don't need to hunt anymore. Even after killing many deer over the last few years I still get excited.

Make sure you have toastie toes/hand warmers. Dress in layers according to the temp.

Don't shoot unless its a good shot, Let your heart rate calm down a little before shooting, don't get discouraged if you don't see a deer things can change quickly. Theres lots of tips others will post Im sure. Good luck!

 

[Half-cocked]

Best of luck!

 

[on_the_rox]

Good luck. The excitement is great isn't it. You will do fine.

 

[BigSteve57]

DANG I envy you.

I remember my first deer hunt in 1981. I didn't sleep all night. I still don't.

Good luck!

Oh and forget about any talk about catching Buck Fever. It's a myth.

 

[crowmd]

good luck stay safe have fun and breath deep and don't forget your gun

 

[mdunphyjr]

I love that feeling, it's what keeps me hunting! Just be safe first and foremost anything beyond that is a plus!

 

[cww]

nervousness and excitement are sometimes hard to distinguish. but to answer your question yes and when that stops there is no point in going. you think it is bad now wait till you see that first deer that may give you a shot.

just relax but stay alert as it can happen fast. enjoy the sunrise, the quiet, the sights. don't worry about seeing one or not. don't rush a shot thinking this is my only chance. wait till it's right. don't get caught up in the aim for the heart stuff - my friend missed (shot under them) 3 times at deer less than 20 yards because he forgot the barrel is lower than the scope and at that range it matters

 

[SRD]

Wait until you see that first nice buck,you'll swear he can hear YOUR heart beating.If you're like most people,you might not get any sleep tonight.As already mentioned,that feeling is part of the enjoyment and what keeps you going.Good Luck.

 

[Mooseman]

DANG I envy you.

I remember my first deer hunt in 1981. I didn't sleep all night. I still don't.

Good luck!

Oh and forget about any talk about catching Buck Fever. It's a myth.

My wife caught it and she doesn't even hunt. Good luck OP.

 

[mark71211]

I remember my first hunt, every little noise I thought it was a deer walking towards me. To this day I still hate those "F"ing squirrels!

 

[nedsurf]

Good luck. Have fun. Enjoy the quiet time outdoors.

 

[Franklin]

youll be awwight! You think you are excited now, wait til you realize its a deer you seen in the corner of your eye! and if you are excited them, wait til you get the gun up and aiming and if you think you are excited then, wait til you pull the trigger and the woods get quiet.

 

[Half-cocked]

I remember my first hunt, every little noise I thought it was a deer walking towards me. To this day I still hate those "F"ing squirrels!

But if you had been out squirrel hunting, Bambi would have showed up and tried to lick your face.

 

[marko]

BREATHE DEEP. You will NOT hear the deer, especially after this rain.
Pass on a shot through brush. Whistle or "Meeeeeh" like a sheep to stop a moving animal.
Take an ethical, close shot. No sense in hunting past the wind, you are busted. Hunt into a breeze.
Good luck.

 

[Engine4]

And, spending time in the woods (even if you don't get a deer), is priceless.

 

[SRD]

And, spending time in the woods (even if you don't get a deer), is priceless.

/thread.

 

[fabsroman]

I've got my clothes in the wash with the "no scent" stuff. Gonna lay them out so they are ready to go. Gotta be up at 3:30 to meet my friend at 4:30 in Carroll County to head out.

So freakin' nervous. I feel well-prepared on paper, but a nervous wreck in reality. Am I a good enough shot?? I keep running through everything I've learned over the past year about hunting whitetails. What if I see a deer, what if I don't?! AH!

Is it always like this on your first hunt?

Not really. Depends how long you have been hunting and how prepared you are. My first white tail hunt I walked out to the stand with my dad and his buddy and not 15 minutes later I was back at the house with a button buck on the ground. My dad and his buddy thought I came back in because I was too cold and could not believe that I had already shot a deer.

Trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to kill a deer during your lifetime if you continue to hunt. Keep that in mind if/when you go to take the shot. It is just like every other first hunt you went on.

Oh yeah, it helps to be prepared. If you are confident shooting paper, it helps your confidence when shooting at an animal. End of the day, you will do just fine, even if you don't see anything or if you miss the shot. Stuff happens with hunting and animals are unpredictable.

I will say this though, I don't use scent blocking clothing when I gun hunt. Only time I use it is for bow hunting. Maybe your gun shots will be up close and personal, but most of mine aren't. Even then, I have had deer come right under my stand while gun hunting. The first deer I took, the button buck, came in with a doe and the two of them were eating the bush below the tree I was in. At first I wasn't going to shoot either of them, but then decided what the heck. It took a couple minutes to move the gun into position without them noticing it, and when I finally brought the scope up all I could see was brown fur in it. Had to move down to its belly to find some white and then figure out where I was on the deer.

Go out there, have fun hunting, and also realize that deer don't move around a lot in the rain unless they are pressured.

 

[Clovis]

What the heck was that movie? One character says something like "The night before the first day of deer season is like the night before Christmas except with guns" You can't sleep. I've hunted for years and don't expect to sleep the night before.

 

[fabsroman]

nervousness and excitement are sometimes hard to distinguish. but to answer your question yes and when that stops there is no point in going. you think it is bad now wait till you see that first deer that may give you a shot.

just relax but stay alert as it can happen fast. enjoy the sunrise, the quiet, the sights. don't worry about seeing one or not. don't rush a shot thinking this is my only chance. wait till it's right. don't get caught up in the aim for the heart stuff - my friend missed (shot under them) 3 times at deer less than 20 yards because he forgot the barrel is lower than the scope and at that range it matters

I don't really get nervous or excited about going hunting anymore. I really enjoy it, but I can sleep just fine before heading out for a hunt. Don't get nervous when I see deer or when the birds are circling. However, I still really enjoy it. I can remember how much my heart was pounding when I was calling in my first group of geese and right before I took the shot. Same goes for ducks. When I shot my first antlered buck I had seen it in the field the night before and dreamed about the shot all night. It happened almost as I had dreamed it. I wasn't nervous while taking the shot, but man was I excited after I made the shot. I had been deer hunting for just over 10 years and never killed an antlered buck other than spikes. Killed plenty of button bucks, does, and spikes, but one way or another I just never got an antlered buck. Then, three in two years, two of which I mounted.

Nowadays, I go hunting because I enjoy it. I enjoy being with friends, having the dog retrieve, and/or being outdoors.