| Why do we hunt? It is not because hunting is | | | | practice and fire many roundsof ammunition to |
| boring and does not make our heartrace. Most of | | | | prepare ourselves for just that moment. For |
| us spend weeks and months doing things that | | | | some of us that momentarrives and everything |
| usually do not interest us. Wepunch in on a time | | | | that we have worked for has fallen completely |
| clock and have to listen to the rants and ravings | | | | apart. We see thebiggest buck of our lives and |
| of the bosses. We driveto work usually | | | | our nervous system goes into overdrive. We get |
| accompanied by bad actors in traffic. Our lives are | | | | the shakesand sweats. We cannot accomplish |
| harried and we operatethat way by means of a | | | | anything which we have spent months |
| schedule which usually adds insult to injury. We | | | | preparingourselves for. The blood pressure goes |
| haveresponsibilities to our wives, children and | | | | up and our chances of hitting the buck with a |
| mortgages. We tolerate unhappiness most of | | | | goodshot goes down. The barrels of our guns |
| theyear. How many times during a brutal work | | | | shake so badly that we could not hit a barn at |
| day have you dreamed of the solitude andthe | | | | fiftyyards. |
| freedom of an outdoor experience far from the | | | | In situations like these practice controlled breathing |
| maddening crowds? Some of us toleratebad | | | | and good trigger squeezes. Get yourbreathing |
| behavior by bosses, wives, children and | | | | under control along with your nervous system. Do |
| acquaintances most of the year in order to | | | | not look at the animal's horns |
| payfor a week or so of peace in the deer woods. | | | | Concentrate on shot placement. Your mind does |
| We work our tail off to make everyone happy | | | | not need any extra distractions. Keep itsimple. |
| allyear long in order to finance a few days of | | | | Most people who have conquered buck fever |
| peace and happiness for ourselves. | | | | wait until the animal is down before theshakes |
| Some of us are not hunters. The outdoor | | | | arrive. One reason for hunting is that most people |
| experience is available to everyone who has | | | | can get in touch with feelingsthat have lain |
| ahobby or past time relating to the outdoors. Bird | | | | dormant since the last hunting season. Boring jobs |
| watching is nice. Camping is better. Thewater | | | | with boring people do notusually elicit huge happy |
| sports offer real excitement. Fishing is fun. Hunting | | | | variations in our emotions. Hunting can bring |
| can involve all of the above. Manyhunters bring | | | | emotions to thesurface that we have not |
| fishing gear along with them to use on that special | | | | experienced in months. That is part of the reason |
| area of water near theircamping space. Many | | | | to go deerhunting. We need to feel those |
| hunters make use of boats and water craft to | | | | emotions. The trick is to keep those emotions in |
| get them to theirspecial place. | | | | check untilafter you know that the animal is down. |
| Much preparation and expense are required to put | | | | One problem solving tactic is to practice firing at |
| the hunter in just the right spot for the shotof a | | | | lifesize targets of your quarry. Visualize in your |
| life time. Hunting leases are expensive. Guns, | | | | mind actual hunting situations. Prepare inadvance |
| scopes, camping gear and travelexpenses make | | | | for that buck of a life time. |
| deer hunting even more dollar intensive. We | | | | |