DEVELOP YOUR CONFIDENCE
In some cultures, it's long been accepted that in order to hunt something successfully, you must first dream about it. I wouldn't list that as a hard requirement, but there's a lot to be said for visualization. Simply putting your imagination to work well in advance to visualize all the possible moment-of-truth scenarios you may face on a given hunt -- and doing the mental gymnastics to decide how you would handle each situation -- can do wonders for your preparation and your confidence. Think of it as constructive daydreaming.

For those who suffer from an imagination deficit, here's one final trick that can put you in the proper frame of mind to make the shot on a trophy buck. Go out and buy a DVD or video that has lots of footage of monster bucks. Grab your hunting rifle, make sure it's unloaded, and have a seat on your living room floor.

That's right: I want you to practice shooting deer on your television!

You might not want do this when family members are around, lest they consider putting you on some serious medication. But this simple act, repeated over and over, can condition your brain to accept the shooting of monster bucks as routine.

We both know that's not true, but brain and body tend to function best under such situations when they're on practiced autopilot.

Remember, there'll be plenty of time later for reality to set in and celebrations to begin -- after you've made the shot.