My wife thanks you all!!!

U

UtahTightwad

Guest
Man, it sounds like I brought up a subject we have all had to deal with to some respect. I appreciate all the good advice about dealing with the wife and my hunting lifestyle. It was about what I thought, Almost half of you have a "throw her out if she doesn't like it" attitude and the rest of you say I need to really consider her fellings in this.
I'm first and foremost a family man. I have three little girls and they and my wife difinately come first. If it came down to it, I'd sell all my guns and gear and never hit the hills again if that's what it took to keep my marriage together. I think "Smellybuck" had about the best advice. I think I need to do a little more throughout the year to show her how I really feel and she will be a little more likely to be accomidating around hunting season.
I've been a "one weekend a year" hunter for all of or 13 years of marriage and I've finally decided to take it to the next level and she is just having a hard time with it. At most it will only be probably two weeks out of the year I'll be gone so I think we can work it out. I think I will also try to include her a little more. She doesn't want to hunt at all but she might like going out on a scouting trip with me every once in a while. Thanks again boy's!!!
 
When I'm old and gray and to weak in the knees to tromp the hills, the only thing I'll have left is my family. Im with utahtightwad on this one; I'd give it all up if it came down to it. It would be dang hard, but I'd do it. After 10 years of marriage my wife has come to realize that hunting is something I'm really passionate about and she respects that. Likewise I support her in the things she is passionate about. If a guy wants to get his wifes support with hunting, try giving her roses for no apparent reason (don't do it the day before you leave to go hunting, she'll know whats up). Take her out on dates throughout the year and support her in the things that are important to her.Women are emotionally fragile.If you show more devotion towards hunting than you do to her, your likely going to have problems.

cabinfever

P.S. The problem with hunting is, it's like any addiction. First it starts out as a weekend, than a week, than two weeks, than a month.Than hunting one state isn't enough.This is my problem, and even though my wife is a good sport, it still wears on her a little.
 
I'm thinking if you only hunt one or two weekends a year and she is giving you a hard time, then she has a problem. Not you!!
 
I agree, take her camping do some fishing and in the early mornings and night do your scouting, take your oldest girl with you when you go out scouting this has worked wonders for me, when my wife married me she knew I was a hunting nut, I go ever single weekend of the year but I take my family to the woods with me 70% of the time. my wife is now a avid hunter and looks forward to shooting her bow going on dove and pheasant hunts and hunting deer and elk. good luck make sure to involve your girls in the sport, my girl seems to love the outdoors and hunting more than my boy, I know it hurts but what can ya do.
when ya ask my 8 yr old girl what she wants to be when she grows up she will tell you, the worlds best woman hunter.. ahh it just melts her dad, and she knows it. After I shot my utah buck with my bow, I went back to camp to get the wife and kids out of bed to come track the blood trail with me, after all they spent a total of 18 days with me on scouting trips and the hunt itself so they earned that part to say the least.
 
Do what it takes to keep her and the kids, but also get to hunt. I've been taking my kids fishing since they were in diapers and hunting since they were 8 years old. My wife used to go with me, but the last few years she would rather I get the kids out of her hair for a few hours. Makes it easier when I want to go off for a week. Be sure while you are gone there is someone she trust she can call on if a problem arises at home. I always remind my wife to call one of my buddies if something goes wrong while I gone and she needs help.

Good Luck
Phantom Hunter
 
When all you guys are ready to sell your guns and give up your honey holes, send me a e-mail, I'm always looking for a new gun and a good place to hunt with it.
 
I've killed a lot of stuff.
My house is filled with dead animals.
When I hurt, do they hug me?
If I lost everything in this world, would they help me get back on my feet?
When I'm old and can't get around, will they help me walk?
No.
Right now...Go hold your daughter...That warm feeling is better than B&C #1
Your family is the most important thing you have.
I may catch Hell from some hardasses here, but you do what ever it takes to keep that thing together.
HH
 
I agree with the consensus here that family comes first, but am I the only guy thinking that Phantom trusts his buddies more than I trust mine??? ;) (joking)

I empathize with a lot of things being said. I am lucky enough to be a part-time stay at home dad. My kids are 1 and 3, and growing way too fast. I also didn't hunt much when we first got married, and am now addicted and driven to hunt more, longer and farther than reality permits. So I try hard to balance between the joy and responsibility of taking care of the kids and family, and the joy and compulsion of hunting. It's a delicate line, and mama is good about getting me into the woods. I can't wait until the kids can come along more. I must say that I also do a pretty good job with the flowers and stuff, helping with the housework, doing grocery shopping, etc. Probably a blessing that I live where I do (despite the dearth of elk and muleys), and can hunt 10 minutes down the road form the house, or after work, or before work, or just for a half-day here and there. Corn fed whitetails also taste mighty good, and mama likes the low fat, healthy table fare. She even helps butcher.
HB
 
I agree with NUNYA. If you only hunt one weekend out of the year and want to go all the way up to 2 weekends and she has a problem with that, something just isn't right. That means you are with her 359-361 days out of the year instead of 361-363, depending on if it's a 2 or 3 day weekend.
Don't get me wrong, I am all about family, but c'mon....live a little!!! How many guns and how much gear do you have to hunt one weekend out of the year anyway?
Good Luck with the wife and your situation. Let us know how it goes.

Lien2
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-03-05 AT 10:09AM (MST)[p]Guess it depends on the situation and relationship.
In my case she was all for letting me go out as much as I liked when we first met. As time went by I got more into hunting and getting outdoors and she went with me less and less.
The outdoors is very important to me and I need to be with someone who shares the same passion for it.

Her and I had no kids to complicate the matter and hearing you have three does change things a lot.

Guess I grew up in the wrong era. Would be happy alone in the mountains but even happier with a woman that shares the same interests. Miserable with a woman who tries to control me has never been an option.
It's either 50/50 or someone is trying to control you in my opinion. Sometimes lifes little tests reveals some nasty surprises about the one you decide to give your heart to.

If your happy hunting one weekend a year then that is for you but I myself would be miserable with that....Then again you have three great kids that give you another perspective.
My best of luck to you at home and in the field.
Jerry
 
Well,
This topic sounds like one maybe I shouldn't respond to but I can't help myself. I had a wife that didn't understand my hunting addiction, even though I worked my a** off all year long, did just about everything around the house - including all the cleaning and cooking. She tried to understand - once. I even bought her a gun and tried to explain what hunting is about - its not just the killing. Anyway, like I said I had a wife, she finally decided that she don't like me anymore, just liked the stuff and money and the gun I bought her and left me. Funny thing is when she took the gun she said she might want it if she gets a boyfriend that hunts! OK, so I'm still a little bitter thats why I shouldn't respond. If I could do it over, I would try and keep it together, being divorced it not that great, you end up losing more than just a wife, also end up losing friends. Anyway, we didn't have kids but what I'm saying is try and keep it together but also make sure she understands what hunting is about. Like a couple of ther other guys said, family is more important in the end.
Good luck with you and yours,
Frank
 
My wife gets a bit irritated with all my scouting, hunting, and fishing etc. I can understand that, because when I'm gone she is both mom and dad. Tensions ease a little in the summer with family trips, because as everyone agrees, family is first. Besides, if she always wanted me gone hunting, THEN I would worry! mtmuley
 
After almost 10 years my wife and I have somewhat came to an understanding on my hunting. When we met and started going out I didn't have anyone to hunt with so I hadn't been hunting much. But shortly after getting married my best friend from over 10 years moved back into town. So I had someone to hunt with again. You can imagine the problems that caused. Plus I worked second shift and she worked days so we never saw each other during the week. I now hunt closer to home so that I don't camp as much and for every hunting trip I take, my wife and I will go somewhere for a weekend. I still hear it sometimes but not near as much. Plus my 7 year old has started coming along so that takes some of the pressure off too.

This is my daughter and I this Jan. hunting javelina. She had a blast.

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it's amazing to me that so many of these nuckleheads would give you advice to leave your wife, maybe they don't really have a life besides hunting. But so many of these fine men gave you good advice of how to compromise with her in order to continue your passion. It's the same with my wife, if I spend too much time hunting she really gets upset, not because I'm hunting, but because I'm not around spending time with her.
 
I must have a pretty good situation with my wife. I'm gone somewhere every weekend and she doesn't give me any guff over it. She knows how much I enjoy and need to get away from the tension of every day life. We still spend a lot of time together, but I think she'd rather have me spending my time up enjoying the outdoors, than slipping around enjoying somebody's else's wife!! haha..
My kids have spent a lot of time with me also, and she is happy that they enjoy the outdoors more than getting into trouble doing things that we all pray they don't do. We spend every weekend camping when the weather permits, so there is a lot of together time there. She used to go out and hunt with me, but now would rather have us all leave her alone in camp with a good book. We have been lucky to have our children raised in this manner, and not in trouble from being involved in the greater evils of this world!
I agree that you need to keep a marriage and family together, but find something that you all can enjoy together doing the things you love doing... How does the saying go? All work and no play, ???????????????????????

A bad day hunting is better than a Good Day at Work!!
 
HH,

Thank you for the great advice. I agree with you 100%. Nothing can ever replace or take the place of your family. I have a girl (5) and a boy (2) and I would give up any hunting trip in the world to spend time with them. Now don't get me wrong, I still love to hunt and will hunt as long as I am able, but I won't miss a dance recital or a ball game to be hunting, that's for sure!

Love your kids, they grow up too fast!
 

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