In a few minutes, I’ll be heading out with my wife for a getaway weekend at a Bed & Breakfast near Columbus, OH. We are newlyweds (married on May 5, 2007), so this is our first getaway. I’ll introduce her to my alma mater (Denison University), and we’ll do some fine dining in German Village.

While I’m gone, I encourage you to check-out the latest edition of North American Whitetail. Olympic silver medalist Vic Wunderle wrote an article about Buck Fever. If you enjoyed my “Tackle Buck Fever Series“, you’ll definitely enjoy Vic’s article.

Upon my return, I’ll continue the “Write About the Good (WATG) Series”. Here’s a hint: you’ll get an education!

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend…

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As you may know, last week I held a sticker giveaway. Anyone who posted last Thursday received a deerPhD.com sticker. The stickers are in the mail, and I wanted to highlight each recipient’s blog.

Kristine maintains the Hunt Smart, Think Safety blog for Gun Safety Innovations. She’s always finding something interesting to discuss. Kristine is also a founding member of the Outdoor Bloggers Summit, a group of bloggers dedicated to offering positive portrayals of the outdoors and welcoming new bloggers to the world of outdoor blogging.

Rex is also a founding member of the Outdoor Bloggers Summit. He maintains the well-known Deer Camp Blog. Rex describes his blog as “the outdoor column of the Bodock Times- (a satirical periodical) Humor and Hunting at the famous Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club on the edge of the Mississippi Delta.” You can usually find a timeless video on a recent post!

Jeff is the mind behind a relatively new blog: Lowcountry Hunting. He’s a professional photographer who lives deep in the heart of South Carolina. Some of his recent posts include awesome trail cam photos and highlights from the early hunting season!

Last, but not least by any means, Rick is the master-mind behind Tails & Trails, a blog all about hunting the whitetail deer. His blog is the recipient of the coveted Skinny Moose Community Award. He also explained recently that his trail cams are producing, so I’m sure there is much to look forward to at his site!

So, go check-out these sites, and check back this weekend for the continuation of the WATG series!

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Today’s installment in the Buck Fever Series is one of my favorite: the Mind. Our minds are incredibly powerful. We need to utilize that potential to our advantage instead of letting our mind get the best of us.

Before proceeding, a quick note to any first-time readers that this post is part of an ongoing series. I strongly recommend starting with installment 1 where I explain the process of Buck Fever under the skin.

If you’ve been keeping up with this series, you know I love to make analogies and illustrations. In keeping with this theme, let’s start with an illustration from the world of sports. Have you ever watched Olympic downhill skiers moments before their runs? They can usually be found with their eyes closed, crouched over, rocking back and forth. They are practicing the run in their minds. They have the entire course ingrained in their mind’s eye, and they are envisioning themselves hitting each mark with perfection. Athletes from other sports do this as well: basketball players create images of free throws, and NFL kickers picture the ball flying end over end through the uprights.

We need to do the same thing with our shooting. Before every single shot, you should ’see’ the arrow (or bullet) hit your bull. Your mind can actually guide your physical performance. After practicing this technique for some time, you may find that your sites stick to the bull like a magnet!

Another important mental technique also involves visualization. However, this form of visualization should not be conducted directly before shooting, or even with a weapon in your hand. Next time you have a few moments to spare, close your eyes and visualize yourself shooting a buck from your favorite stand. Don’t just think to yourself, “There’s the buck, shoot!” Visualize the event in real-time. Let every detail unfold as it may in a true hunting scenario - from the moment you first spot the buck to the moment you see him drop.

When I visualize in this manner, my mind usually comes to what I call a sticking point. That is, it gets to a point and then it jumps around a little - my vision isn’t clear. This sticking point is very short, and then my image resumes. This sticking point can be indicative of what you need to practice. For me, it’s usually the moment right before and during my squeezing of a trigger. This routine tells me that for some reason my mind is not comfortable with this very crucial part of shooting. The remedy? Practice. Now that I know what I need to practice, I can make my practice sessions much more efficient.

A third thing you can to prepare for hunting the buck of your dreams is to visualize success. Prepare your mind for the event by developing positive images of the buck walking into your stand and you executing a successful shot. This is where you can use your trail cameras in a creative way. If you snap a picture of a shooter buck, you can train your mind to be prepared to see this exact animal in the field. With enough practice, the result should be less intense symptoms of Buck Fever. Why? Because your mind is already trained to see this buck approaching.

For example, Mike Hanback posted a picture recently of an enormous non-typical on public land . The hunter who submitted the picture stated that he had seen this buck before, but this recent photo made him realize just how big the buck is. Now, this hunter knows what to expect, and he can prepare himself for the occasion when the buck approaches. Imagine seeing a monster coming that you had no idea even existed. You’d definitely experience at least some astonishment and surprise, which can increase your level of arousal and decrease your performance. Preparation leads to success - even in your mind!

To recap, I discussed three different ways you can use visualization to increase your accuracy. The first was a routine you should use before every shot (including hunting scenarios). You should see your arrow slicing lungs a split-second before you actually take the shot. Second, I shared a way that you can use mental visualization to diagnose potential problems. Third, I explained how effective visualization can help you prepare for the hunt of a lifetime.

Once again, the key is practice. None of the techniques in this series will be of any benefit if you don’t develop the skills of relaxation, focus, and visualization. Hunting season is right around the corner, and you don’t want to let the buck get the best of you…

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Before continuing yesterday’s post, I want to send sincere thank-yous to everyone who has supported this series through their encouragement and suggestions via comments (and the occasional e-mail). It is my hope and desire that you will find these techniques helpful to your time in the field. Maybe they’ll help you this season when all of your scouting pays off and the monster of your dreams decides to step into your shooting lane. Onto the post…

As you may recall, yesterday I explained the importance of relaxation as an intervention technique when experiencing symptoms of Buck Fever. More specifically, I broke down relaxation into 3 components: breathing, muscles, mind. Yesterday’s post targeted breathing, and today I will explain muscle relaxation (tomorrow will be the mind). If this is your first time reading this series, I encourage you to begin with installment #1, where I explain what happens ‘under the skin’ when Buck Fever sets in.

Muscle Relaxation: I want to begin by returning to our comparison of someone who is sleeping versus someone about to perform an intense, physical activity (such as an Olympic weightlifter). I use these extreme examples to illustrate clearly the difference between being relaxed and being tense. Think about what happens to someone’s muscles when they are in a deep, relaxed sleep. Their muscles are completely limp. Contrarily, an Olympic weightlifter paces the stage and tenses his/her muscles as he tries to ‘Psych’ himself up

In hunting, if you’re ‘Psyched-up’ when you’re about to shoot, you’re probably ‘Psyched-out’. You want your muscles to be relaxed. Unfortunately, a common symptom of Buck Fever is increased tensity in our muscles, accompanied by shaking arms and legs. But fortunately, it is very possible to train your muscles to loosen up and relax. You’ll here me say it again and again…the key is practice.

So what/how do you practice? A good place to start is by experiencing polar opposites: completely relaxed and completely tensed muscles. I do this by flexing my right forearm to the point of pain. I make it as tense as possible, making careful note of how it feels and holding it for approximately 5 seconds. Then, I let the tension release until all tension has left my forearm. I do this very slowly as I gradually feel the weight of my forearm sink it farther and farther into my resting chair.

I then proceed to do this throughout all major muscle groups: right bicep, left forearm/bicep, chest, stomach, buttocks, and upper/lower legs. The whole routine should take about 20 minutes, and by the end, your entire body should feel completely at ease and relaxed. you may actually feel heavy as the weight of your body is left unsupported by any of your muscles.

Obviously a routine this long is not practical during a hunt when you must make split second decisions. However, if you practice this routine for about a week, 2 things will happen: 1) your body will learn how to relax when tense, 2) your body will start to associate a flexed forearm with a relaxed body. To prepare for hunting, you can gradually reduce the number of body parts you tense/relax to get the same effect. Basically, it’s the opposite effect that many drugs have — instead of needing more and more drugs to get the same effect, you need less and less tensing/relaxing to experience the same state of relaxness. I like to gradually reduce body parts over a period of one month, until I can get the same effect with just 2-4 major muscle groups. I prefer my final muscle groups to be my legs and my arms, because these can be flexed from virtually any position and without much movement (i.e., perfect for hunting!!!).

Muscle relaxation is a more complex and involved practice that monitoring/altering your breathing. However, there’s a cost/benefit ratio. It can take longer to practice and develop a good muscle relaxation strategy, but it can also be very effective. A primary reason it can be so effective is because it tackles one of the most major symptoms of Buck Fever: shaky muscles. If my legs are shaking uncontrollably when confronted with the buck of my dreams, the shaking will stop if I completely tense my leg muscles. Ideally, the shaking will remain subsided as I gradually loosen the tension.

A quick word on what I like to call the interaction effect. You can teach yourself to relax using either breathing or muscle relaxation techniques. However, a relaxation practice that incorporates both techniques will likely be more effective. The two techniques can interact with each other - a sort of combined effect. With practice, you can become effective at preventing symptoms of Buck Fever. If symptoms creep in, you can then rely on intervention techniques.

Again, you cannot develop this practice overnight, and you definitely cannot walk to your stand with high expectations if you’ve never practices. It will take at least a month to develop your skills to such a point where you will feel confident relying on them in the moment of truth. I know a month is a long time…but waiting a year until next season because you missed this year is a longer time. If you start now, you’ll be good to go well before the rut!

I’m throwing a lot at you, so please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or doubts. My e-mail address can be found on the “About me” profile page.

Tomorrow, I’ll wrap-up this installment with a discussion of the mind & mental imagery.

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This third installment of the Tackle Buck Fever series will target relaxation. If you’ve been keeping up with this series, you will recall that in the first installment, I explained what happens under the skin when one experiences Buck Fever. In the second post, I described the difference between prevention and intervention strategies, and then went on to explain the importance of focus (which can be thought of as a prevention strategy). Today, I’ll be explaining how a well-developed relaxation routine can be used as an effective method of intervention. Referring back to the Figure in Post 1, relaxation techniques can be useful when we are actually experiencing symptoms of Buck Fever by decreasing our arousal and increase our performance.

I want to begin in the same place I began when discussing the importance of focus — Relaxation is a skill!!! That is, it is something we need to practice in the off-season, just like shooting. I have seen far too many hunters rely on underdeveloped relaxation techniques in the moment of truth. Perhaps the most common advice is: “Just breath…take a few deep breaths.” Breathing is very important, but to set-up an analogy, it would be like telling someone who has never shot a rifle before to “Just put the cross hairs on the buck.” Shooting involves so much more than placing cross hairs on a deer’s shoulder, and so it is with relaxation - there is so much more to it than just breathing. Further, your body will respond better if you’ve taken the time to develop your skill of relaxation.

So where do we begin? Let’s break-down relaxation into 3 components: 1- breathing, 2- muscles, 3- the mind. There is a lot to each component, so I’ll discuss breathing today…and the other two tomorrow.

Breathing: “Just breathing” won’t relax us, but breathing does influence our physiology (what’s going on in our muscles and blood flow). Let’s begin with some illustrations. If you’ve ever seen a healthy person sleeping, you know that relaxed breathing is a deep, rhythmic process that involves the diaphragm more than the chest. When someone sleeps, their belly moves up and down much more than their chest. Contrast this picture with an Olympic weight-lifter preparing to execute a heavy lift. They are trying to increase their level of arousal, and they take shallow and quick breaths with their chest. Breathing with your diaphragm (belly) will relax you, but breathing with your chest can actually increase your arousal.

Another important component to breathing is the rhythm. I like to relax to a 5-count. I breath with my stomach (my stomach moves in and out…not my chest) while counting to 5. I count very slowly (about one count every 2 seconds). I breath in counting 1….2… — and then I hold on 3, exhaling on 4…5… The whole process should take about 8 to 10 seconds.

Let’s combine these two important aspects of breathing. Breathing with slow, methodic movements from your diaphragm can help you relax when you are under intense pressure. Why? The reason has to do with your blood flow and the part of your nervous system that will be triggered. Basically, if you want to relax, you should try to mimic breathing patterns your body uses naturally when you are at your most relaxed state - sleeping.

I want to reiterate that relaxation is a skill — practice now so it you can use it effectively when the buck of your dreams steps into view. I practiced this weekend while shooting my bow. I intentionally increased my heart rate and breathing patterns by jogging for about 5 minutes prior to shooting. This procedure helped me mimic a true hunting scenario when I may experience Buck Fever. Next, I employed rhythmic breathing patterns to decrease my level of arousal. The result: a more relaxed body, more regular breathing, and steady hands.

Please keep in mind that breathing is only ONE component to effective relaxation. Tomorrow, I will explain how we can incorporate effective breathing routines with muscle relaxation and mental imagery. If you take the time to develop a relaxation routine that incorporates all of these aspects, I guarantee that you will be better prepared to face the Buck of your dreams!

Things to look for this week:

• Tomorrow…continuation of the Buck Fever Series (muscle relaxation and mental imagery)
• Announcement of last week’s sticker winners (stickers are in the mail). I promise to highlight the winners’ respective blogs!!!
• Anatomy and Identity of a Deer Stand
• Continuation of the Write about the Good Series

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Here’s a helpful tool I started using to help me scout properties: Google Maps. (http://maps.google.com/maps?tab=wl)

The website offers the option to view a satellite photograph of virtually any land plot. You can zoom in and out with ease. There is also a “Hybrid” option, where a map overlays the satellite photos. Photo quality is better in some areas than others. I happen to hunt in a location that has excellent images. FYI, the images seem to be best in various locations within the United States. Sorry, Othmar.

I use Google Maps to get a ‘bird’s eye’ view of the properties I hunt. I peruse my hand-written notes from scouting trips and compare them with these images to locate ideal locations for morning and evening stands. I’d paste an image in this post if it weren’t for copyright issues.

Give it a try, and let me know how it works for you.

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Yep, you read that title correctly. If you commented yesterday, you’ll be receiving a deerPhD.com sticker. Just send me an e-mail (deerPhD@gmail.com) with your address. Thanks for visiting my site!!! I’ll be sure to get them sent out this weekend! Now onto the Write About the Good Series (WATG).

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Today’s good news isn’t about an organization, or a group…it’s about an individual: Wallace H. O’Dowd (a.k.a. ‘Wally’). Wally, from central Ohio, traveled the globe in pursuit of fish and wildlife. Upon his recent death, he left an undisclosed amount of money to the Ohio Division of Wildlife for the purpose of wildlife conservation. According to several sources, Wally requested that the money be used to purchase 5,000 acres in southeastern Ohio. This land will be open to hunting, fishing, and other outdoor pursuits.

This story leaves me with little else to say…I’m literally awed. Please follow these links for the complete story (The Toledo Blade; The Outdoor Wire).

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First thing’s first…today is the sticker giveaway!!! Post a comment on this post and you are “officially” entered. If you receive a message that says your comment was flagged as spam, I will do my best to clear it. I will conduct a random drawing late tonight, and winners will be announced tomorrow. I will be giving away at least 2 stickers, but if the number of comments exceeds 15, then 1 sticker will be added for each additional 5 comments (while supplies last). So telling your friends could actually increase your chances of winning!!! (Sorry, only one entry per person). On with today’s post…

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Today we will continue our discussion of how to prevent and overcome symptoms of Buck Fever. If you are new to this series, I strongly recommend that you read the first post of this series before continuing. This post explains what happens ‘under the skin’ when Buck Fever sets in, and it will help you understand why the techniques I will suggest from this point on will work. If you’ve read it, then you should understand what the Zone is and how it applies to hunting. Therefore, we can now talk about how we can use this knowledge to make us better hunters.

Since Buck Fever ’sets in’ when we become over aroused (too excited), the trick is understanding how to 1) maintain a low level of arousal when you see a shooter, and 2) reduce your level of arousal should you become over aroused. Thus, you could divide techniques into two categories: prevention (maintain a low level of arousal so as not to become over aroused and experience Buck Fever), and intervention (decreasing symptoms of Buck Fever after you experience symptoms by lowering your arousal level).

The technique I will discuss today is Focus! There are two important issues to Focus:

1. WHAT should we focus on?
2. HOW can we learn to focus?

First, the what. If we focus on the wrong thing, we will become distracted and our chances of success will decrease. For example, if you are picturing an approaching buck hanging on your wall before you execute a shot, then you are distracted. Once you identify a buck as a shooter, you should be thinking about nothing other than what you need to do to harvest this buck. For me, I focus on 1) the buck’s vitals…not the antlers, 2) the path the deer will take to get into range, and 3) anything that might get in the way of a successful shot (such as other deer that may be spooked).

Now, the how. You need to understand that focus is a SKILL!!! Just like any other skill, you can develop our skill of focus. The key is practice. You simply cannot expect to be able to focus effectively without practice, just as you couldn’t expect to shoot accurately if you never practiced shooting. Here are some things you can do to develop our skill:

1. Think about what TO do, rather than what not to do. For example, I repeat to myself, “squeeze the trigger” instead of thinking, “don’t jerk the trigger.” Similarly, instead of thinking, “don’t get too excited” you should be thinking “relax, stay calm, breath.”
2. Visualize when you practice. Instead of simply shooting arrow after arrow at the local bow shop, practice from a simulated hunting situation. Use 3-D targets whenever possible, and visualize the target as if it is a real deer. See him walking into shooting range, and practice focusing on the vitals.
3. Watch hunting videos (as if you needed an excuse). Except, don’t just grab a beer and put our feet up when you watch. Live vicariously through the hunter on film by putting yourself in his shoes. Practice focusing on the buck’s antlers instead of admiring the buck’s antlers.
4. Spend time watching live deer, and practice staring only at their vitals. Doing so will help our eyes become accustomed to focusing on the vitals (right where you want your arrow to fly).

Let me repeat myself…the key is practice! By practicing, you can develop the important skill of focus…and if you focus on a buck’s vitals once he is identified as a shooter, you will prevent yourself from becoming over aroused and distracted.

Next up in this series: Relaxation

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First off, I am very thankful for the positive feedback many offered in response to post #1 in the Buck Fever Series. The series will continue later this week, followed by a continuation of the Write About the Good series (a challenged started by Kristine at OBS and inspired by Phillip at the Hog Blog).

Second, I’m holding the much anticipated and first-ever deerPhD.com sticker/decal giveaway this week!!! It will be held on Thursday, and winners will be announced on Friday. Here are the “official” details. To enter, post a comment on Thursday’s post. Any comment will work, even if it just says “I want a sticker.” By posting a comment, you will be “officially” entered into the giveaway. I will do my best to get the post up bright and early on Thursday so everyone has a fair chance of entering. I will conduct a random drawing late Thursday night. Winners will be posted on Friday before my “Write About the Good” post. Winners will have to e-mail me their name and address so I can mail them a sticker. Then, the only thing left for winners to do is display it proudly on your car or truck (or anywhere you want). I plan on giving away 2 stickers, but that number will increase if I get an overwhelming response (so tell your friends!).

Finally, earlier this week I promised the Shed Antler a picture he might enjoy. I found a shed a few months back and gave it to my then new puppy, Phoenix. It has since become his favorite toy! My wife and I adopted Phoenix a few weeks after we were married in May (Yes, we’re newlyweds!!!). We named the dog Phoenix Penske because Ericka lived in Phoenix when we started to date, and we moved her back to Ohio in a Penske truck! Hope you enjoy…

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Most hunters have experienced at least some symptoms of Buck Fever. When a buck approaches, common symptoms include unsteady arms and legs, sweaty palms, irregular breathing, increased heart rate, and sometimes the inability to draw your bow. All of these symptoms have obvious and serious implications on your success rate. Since most hunters don’t have a full understanding of Buck Fever, it can be difficult to overcome its symptoms.

Enter modern Psychology! I’ll be writing a series of posts dedicated to understanding what Buck Fever is and how we can control its symptoms. My inspiration for these writings comes from my background in the study of Psychology and application of Sport Psychology techniques while participating in collegiate athletics. A few years ago I began to notice that most hunting advice falls under one of 3 categories:

1. Scouting: How to find more and bigger deer.
2. Technology: New and improved equipment and gadgets.
3. Technique: How to improve your hunting/shooting skills.

All of these concepts are extremely important, but regardless of where your are hunting, what you are hunting with, or how you are hunting, everything in hunting comes down to YOU in the moment of truth! Can you make the shot when you must, and can you do it again and again, year after year? By understanding what leads to Buck Fever, hunters will be able to develop effective prevention techniques and control these symptoms in the moment of truth.

Under the surface, Buck Fever is related to something many of you may have heard of before: The Zone. It’s talked about a lot in sports like baseball and football. What made Michael Jordan such a fantastic basketball player was his ability to play in the zone for extended periods of time. The field of Psychology has defined this “zone” as an intense period of concentration and focus, free from any and all distractions.

The key aspect of the zone is complete focus on the task at hand (not on anything else that might distract you). This concept applies perfectly to hunting where there is so much to distract us, such as the antler growth of the buck in our sites.

If we were to draw a graph of what the “zone” might look like, we might draw something like what is displayed in Figure 1. Two psychologists initially described this ‘inverted U’ in 1908 (Robert M. Yerkes and J.D. Dodson). This graph depicts the relationship between one’s level of arousal (or excitement) and performance on a particular task. As you can see in the Figure, performance peaks when we are at the appropriate level of arousal. This peak is a graphical depiction of the “zone”. We are in the zone when our performance is at its our level of arousal is just right for the task at hand and performance is at its peak.

The ideal level of arousal varies depending on the task you are completing. For example, Olympic weightlifters need to compete at a very high level of arousal. That is, their performance peaks when they are highly aroused. Conversely, hunters tend to be most accurate when level of arousal is very low. When hunters become overly aroused (or too excited), performance declines dramatically. This phenomenon is what we call Buck Fever, and it is represented in the graph by the dotted lines.

Keep this graph in mind as we examine what happens during a typical whitetail deer hunt. Hunters spend hour after hour doing next to nothing (level of arousal is very far to the left on the graph). Then, all of the sudden, we may see a buck! Upon spotting a buck, our level of arousal moves instantaneously to the right side of the graph. As we become over aroused (or over excited), we begin to experience symptoms of Buck Fever.

While this description of Buck Fever and the Zone is somewhat overly simplistic, it offers a useful framework to discuss how we can control our level of arousal and thus increase our levels of performance. In future posts, I will continue this series by building on this understanding of Buck Fever. In doing so, I will discuss tips and techniques that will help you control your level of arousal and prepare for your next moment of truth!

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