Hunting in Harmony?

[Visiting Hunter]

I’m glad to see conversation, because I often get the impression that folks around here must all be professional hunters/guides with how often/long they are hunting, and the money they spend to do so.

For myself, I’m still kind of figuring it out. I just picked up hunting 3 years ago, and my wife and I have been married for 10, so it’s a new dynamic. With that in mind, I’ve been very intentional to not let it be too disruptive to our “normal”, and minimize any inconvenience to her.

I don’t take off for days/weeks, rather I exclusively do day hunts. We have 1 vehicle that we share, so I try to do most of my hunting in the morning when she’s still asleep and couldn’t need the car anyway. I stay close to home; no out of state hunting for me, but I don’t see the allure of it regardless. I buy the majority of my gear secondhand to keep costs down.

I have taken off work for the last week of deer season the last 2 years, which has meant that she had to request to work from home that week. For this I am grateful, that she would make that request just so I can partake in my (admittedly unnecessary) hobby.

I may be slipping away for a weekend this spring to join some folks at bear camp. Not sure how that’ll play out. She’ll probably need to drop me off/pick me up, and I’ll just get around on bike for the hunt.

I never wanted to travel either untill the last few years. But the older I get the more I want to travel a bit and see some other terrain and have some different

I’m glad to see conversation, because I often get the impression that folks around here must all be professional hunters/guides with how often/long they are hunting, and the money they spend to do so.

For myself, I’m still kind of figuring it out. I just picked up hunting 3 years ago, and my wife and I have been married for 10, so it’s a new dynamic. With that in mind, I’ve been very intentional to not let it be too disruptive to our “normal”, and minimize any inconvenience to her.

I don’t take off for days/weeks, rather I exclusively do day hunts. We have 1 vehicle that we share, so I try to do most of my hunting in the morning when she’s still asleep and couldn’t need the car anyway. I stay close to home; no out of state hunting for me, but I don’t see the allure of it regardless. I buy the majority of my gear secondhand to keep costs down.

I have taken off work for the last week of deer season the last 2 years, which has meant that she had to request to work from home that week. For this I am grateful, that she would make that request just so I can partake in my (admittedly unnecessary) hobby.

I may be slipping away for a weekend this spring to join some folks at bear camp. Not sure how that’ll play out. She’ll probably need to drop me off/pick me up, and I’ll just get around on bike for the hunt.

There is a mule deer I have vividly in my mind as we got it on a state lease in montana we asked the lease holder if we could hunt it and they said yes and just to let them know if we harvest anything. She let me put a full deer in her trunk when we first met, wrapped it up in a tarp and made it work. So from that point on I knew she'd be pretty cool with me hunting... that was 11 years ago. Sounds like you guys have a good communication system and she's willing to adopt a newer hobby. My wife can also work from home so it's a game changer.

 

[Visiting Hunter]

Being single and having an inside cat instead of a dog has been great. Far less stress when I leave for long hunting trips. I can usually leave out enough food and water, and give a friend a spare key if the hunt is going to go long. The cat is good for a few days alone.

Also, my policy when it comes to September Weddings: Absolutely Not.

I like to say this is why I am still single.

But really, some of the most important parts of my litmus test for a potential partner is if she enjoys eating game and salmon. I have too much of it to waste a joint bank account on extra protein (or worse, "plant-based" food) that we wouldn't need.

She doesn't need to hunt/fish, but she does need to respect who I am as a hunter/angler and what I, quite literally, bring to the table. And I would absolutely reciprocate that respect for who she is and what she offers.

My dad spends a week at Elk Camp every year, and my Mom goes on a trip to Spokane to see a broadway musical and rack up credit cards shopping. They completely support each other's passions, and it has worked for 35 years.

She honestly gets pushy when the freezer is low... those years she's willing, and wants to go out more as well.

I can see that it's alot easier for cats to chill for a couple days..

My wife has been getting some time in Florida for the last couple years. She goes with her mom and they go relax and shop around for a week in a half or so..

 

[Pucky Freak]

I can tell you from experience, having a wife or SO that doesn’t understand your need to get outdoors is one of the worst predicaments you can find yourself in. Thoroughly vet that shit BEFORE the “I do.” That’s the best way to hunt in harmony.

When I met my wife she had a 4x4, a 9mm, a toolbox, a hunter’s safety card, and multiple family members that hunted. Not that any of that equals an understanding potential spouse, but it was a helpful set of reference points to have a clue about how I like to spend my time and why.