How to stop adrenaline.

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This is an excerpt from my accounting of the first hog that I shot.

At that point, I had no idea what creature it was, but knew it was big based on footsteps I heard (deer maybe?). Then the noise started anew and the animal continued on around to my front left, still in the woods and out of sight, but making noise. Then the noise stopped again and I spied a shadow crossing the meadow in front of me. It was a half moon that was lighting the meadow. So the animal was out of the woods now. I took out my night vision scope and saw that this was indeed a hog and I promptly hyperventilated.

I have found that the absolute worst thing to happen to cause my adrenaline to flow is for there to be a tension buildup. I had sat in the stand on and off for 6 months before I finally got a crack at this hog. He was very bit and he made lots of noise and made noise in the woods around me for the better part of an hour. When the crunching of leaves sound would get louder as he approached, the tension would build and my adrenaline would flow. It was already coursing through my system in volume at the time in my story of the above quote. Apparently I had so much flowing through me, combined with the excitement of the situation, that I totally lost control of my breathing.

I find that on occasions where there is no preceding buildup of tension, the adrenaline does not flow or isn't noticed until after I have shot. So when hogs have just "appeared" out in front of me, no tension buildup, I have usually gotten the rifle up and fired fairly quickly without the adrenaline affecting my shooting.

Take a breath and mentally tell yourself to slow down.
I do this now and I usually try to take a deep slow 'cleansing' breath while lining up my shot and usually want to fire as my sights settle on the target and the end of the cycle. Sometimes the animal has moved and I don't have a shot at that moment. The cleansing breath will still give me a good 20 seconds of time for a shot before I need to repeat the process. Only a couple of times have I needed to repeat.

It won't help with your excitement level, but it will help with your aiming - try to use some sort of rest, bipod, etc. That will alleviate a significant amount of heartbeat muzzle bounce as compared to sighting offhanded.

I also frequently tell myself that regardless of what comes out of the woods while I am in the stand, I don't have to take a shot. The animals will be back sooner or later. As much as I would like to bag another hog or 50, I would prefer not to scare the off with a blown shot and I surely don't want to torture the animals with a poor shot.
 
I read in a book once ( Big Woods Bucks by Hal Blood ) that if you can, stop moving and take 3 big breaths, inhale and hold for three seconds, exhale then hold for three count then inhale and hold again for three seconds. Ive tried it a few time and it helps to lower your heart rate and get you a little more focused. Try that next time your about to shoot somthing. And like others have said, time and experience.
 
I don`t think you ever stop it but learn to control it. Once you lose the excitement of the hunt, your next hobby is ....bowling. :)
 
Don't hold your breath and stop breathing!

I found myself holding my breath when game came into sight. Then of course I was not as steady.

Breath deep and slow. I have to force myself to do it and it calms me.
 
"The day I quit getting the RUSH is when I quit"

I agree so much with that statement,

however heres what I do. When I see my intended target, as I am bringing my rifle or bow up I take a DEEP breath in, somehow this settles me, and I slowly let it out as the crosshairs or pin settles on my aiming point. This really helps me "snap in" and focus on delivering the shot. Keep hunting though you will get it, every hunter as missed a shot at one point or another.
 
Plenty of advice here. some of it good...

I focus on looking at exactly where i want to put the bullet and try to get the same level of application on the accuracy as if i was target shooting.

I will also quit when i stop feeling the adrenaline rush.

It will get better the more you shoot
 
Stop it? I need it. When I shot my first (and only) deer a few years ago, I was using a .444 Marlin. That thing kicked my butt at the range every time. I saw the deer, took aim and fired.
I don't remember the kick. My ears weren't ringing afterward. That adrenaline actually made shooting for me, if not better, at least more comfortable.
Missing a deer completely is much better than wounding it inhumanely. Tuck it away, move on to the next one.
 
Oh man. Just imagine if you had been standing in the woods and a herd of elk walk up on you and you find yourself in the midst of a bunch of cow elk eyes and ears and you can't move a single muscle, not even to bring your muzzleloader up to your shoulder, you can't even risk another breath because they seem to sense that something isn't right here, so they all stop walking and just stand right there around you and the herd bull is screaming his face off, just out the back of the herd, but he doesn't have a clue you are there, just his ladies do.

I've been there.
 
Dylon. You should get one of those tripods or walking sticks you can rest the front of the gun on. It would probably take away 50% of that adrenilan shake for next time.
 
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