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Duck ague

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Duck ague, also buck fever or buck ague, is a hunting term for the yips, in which a marksman or hunter, before taking a shot with either a gun or bow in a tense situation, loses mental quietude and misses the shot.[1][2][3][4]

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In James Dickey's 1970 novel Deliverance and its 1972 film adaptation, a character suffers from duck ague before shooting a wild deer, after which another character describes the phenomenon, saying "Hell, I've known tournament archers, damn good shots, never out of the five ring. Draw down on a live animal, they get buck ague."[5]

In the final scene of the 1951 film Fort Worth, one character tells another, "Now don't get buck ague."

References

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  1. ^ "The Stuart-Bennett Duel. The First duel fought in Illinois, at Belleville, Indiana, Stl Clair County". Feb 8, 1819. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  2. ^ Barrel, Double (1915). "Forest and Stream". 85 (2): 587. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Miller, Orlo (2010-03-18). The Donnellys Must Die. ISBN 9780470675199.
  4. ^ "About News". The Ireton Ledger. Ireton, Iowa. April 12, 1912. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  5. ^ John Boorman (Director) (July 30, 1972). Deliverance (Motion picture). Los Angeles, CA: Warner Bros.