What’s the proper balance of family (or significant other), chores and hunting?
#21
I guess I'm lucky, it only takes me 5 minutes or so to walk to my stands to hunt. I hunt almost everyday after work. On some weekends I'll hunt the morning, come home and we'll do what's needed and then I'll go back out in the afternoon. My son is 11 and he learned to walk on a fishing pier. We stopped fishing when my daughter was born, she's now 3 and is into it as much as he was. He's no fan of deer hunting, he finds it boring. But after the second day of turkey season and having a stand-off at 20yds with a big gobbler strutting and gobbling in front of him, he's hooked. He'd have that turkey if I hadn't judged his shot from where I was calling, almost 30yds past him. He had a 20ga and I was timid about him taking a 50yd shot....it still bothers me to this day I called him off because of my mistake.
Anyway, they hunt and fish when they want. We go fishing as a family all day on weekends, and all day is sun-up to sun-down. They live, they learn and they enjoy being the woods and fishing in the ocean. My kids know I spend every minute I have with them, so they understand when I walk into the woods without them...unless it's turkey season. My other half you ask? She doesn't bother either way, she shops at the grocery store....I shop in the woods and water.
Anyway, they hunt and fish when they want. We go fishing as a family all day on weekends, and all day is sun-up to sun-down. They live, they learn and they enjoy being the woods and fishing in the ocean. My kids know I spend every minute I have with them, so they understand when I walk into the woods without them...unless it's turkey season. My other half you ask? She doesn't bother either way, she shops at the grocery store....I shop in the woods and water.
#22
Hunting for me is not only hobby but a spiritual activity...for me it's like going to a great Christian seminar..Yesterday while in my stand I read the book of St.John all 21 chapters..{ This is one of my best ways to communicate with God..alone, still reading His Word} My wife loves the quietness and spent the morning cleaning the house. She loves it when I hunt because she worships the Lord in her quiet time..I usually only hunt the first 1/2 of the day. I'm a school teacher and I really appreciate the break even if I score or not.
Neither of us are big time socialites...we prefer quietness..
Neither of us are big time socialites...we prefer quietness..
#23
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Western, MD
Posts: 60
Yes my wife/significant other gets a bit grumpy when i hunt every day IF i do not get a deer. On the other hand if i bring home meat, she is a completly different person.
I do get the luxery of taking off 2 weeks for rifle season, and hunting about 3/4 of those days. So thats nice
I do get the luxery of taking off 2 weeks for rifle season, and hunting about 3/4 of those days. So thats nice
#24
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 127
It's tough when the kids are toddlers and the wife (or husband) isn't into hunting. You definitely have to be considerate in that situation. Fortunately, my oldest is old enough to now tag alone at times in the woods, which helps considerably on the home front. Talk about it ahead of time--what the expectations are during hunting season. Then do a lot of other things to make up for it during the rest of the year. I find that if hunting season rolls around the wife has felt loved, appreciated that year leading up to hunting season (and we've done a lot of quality family things) that goes a loooonggggg way toward helping her tolerance level. Know what I mean? Bank time during the offseason, in other words.
It also helps considerably if the family likes venison (like my family does).
As for chores, I do most of the major lawn/leaf/etc. work in the spring. There's not much going on in April. I try to minimize the quality fall time spent in the yard. It's not like the leaves are going anywhere anyway (except get covered by snow here in Michigan).
It also helps considerably if the family likes venison (like my family does).
As for chores, I do most of the major lawn/leaf/etc. work in the spring. There's not much going on in April. I try to minimize the quality fall time spent in the yard. It's not like the leaves are going anywhere anyway (except get covered by snow here in Michigan).