The Wife or Hunting which one needs to go??

[Joe15]

I like your idea dreamer

[snoozebutton]

I have been working a lot over the past 5 years and have little to no time for hunting and fishing. When I do get a chance I catch k-e-doublehockeysticks from the wife for being gone all the time.

I might have missed it but I don't think you elaborated on just how much you were working. Maybe she's got a legitimate complaint. If you were working 7 days a week and your first weekend off you headed to the woods, I can see how she'd be upset. Like others have said, plan a few weekends with her doing things she likes to do.

[DuckDog]

You guys got me worried?? My wife is gald to see me leave for openers. She can do her shopping thing, I can do my hunting thing.

Mine is the same way - I think its best when we both can have separate enjoyable things to do.

[mrklean]

fasternu i dont think i would be tellign anyone about that, might be a problem in the bed

[fasternu]

I guess it might be a problem for her, but we just had our first baby a few months ago. Maybe it's just quality over quantity?

[Grant Pearson]

Maybe it's just quality over quantity?

Would she say the same thing?

[paul pachowicz]

I'm just gonna take a guess and say most of you guys are alittle younger with young kids, jobs, obilgations, etc. It's kinda like looking for lateral entry into any endeavor. Ya gotta almost start at the bottom and work your way up. As time goes on things change in life and those things that make for enjoyable times becomes more affordable and time is more available. My advise to you youngsters is be patient, involve the family in outdoor recreations. Leave Outdoor Life mags lie in the open, watch outdoor programs with the family, tell stories of how much fun it was with your dad/Grandpa, indoctrinate the kids at young ages about killing animals, hooking fish and where our sustanance sources orginate. Burgers come from beef, they get slaughtered, eggs come from chickens, pork chops from pigs, etc. This isn't a problem for farm/ranch families but could be for city kids (nothing intended) or those that are skitish about guns. Thank God I was raised on a farm by a Pa that loved fishin and uncles that loved huntin and have a wife that loves antelope/deer/elk.

[The Donk]

I agree with what the above poster said. I too have the young life, and the wife does get on my case for going out too much. I try to balance it with stuff around home but you know how that goes. I don't think it will be a challenge to get my little one to go out with me because he doesn't watch cartoons for nothing but loves to watch the outdoor channel with me

The original poster needs to figure out what is important in life and then go with that. If you dig her, then deal with it and do your best to change that in her. If not that much, find another one.

[Grant Pearson]

I agree with Paul. Although I could have been classified as a "city kid" growing up, I was more of a farm kid at heart. My dad and grandpa taught me early about hunting and fishing. TO this day, I can remember fishing with my dad and grandpa for bullheads near my grandpa's hometown (with a snoopy pole no less!), as well as being taught how to shoot a gun properly. Even though those memories are 20 years or more old, I still remember them. I was taught early about hunting and fishing, and it was a big part in my growing up. When my wife and I first met, I told her right away that I'm gone a lot during the fall, and sometimes during the summer, and that if she was to have a problem with it, to let me know right away. She didn't, and still doesn't have a problem with it. I have gotten her hooked on fishing, and started on hunting. She shot her first deer this fall, and truely enjoyed it. She knows that when I go hunting in the fall, there's a decent chance that I will be bring food home to put on the table, so she doesn't complain.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

I've enjoyed following this topic. I think everyone I know who does a lot of hunting and/or fishing has encountered this issue. I'm lucky that I have a girl who doesn't get upset about me being gone for stretches, fishing all night then being tired on Saturday night, etc.

Here are a few things that I have shared with people over the years that put my fishing and hunting addictions into perspective.

1. There is always some other guy who's a much bigger dirt bag than you. One of my girlfriend's friends gave me the business about fishing all night. I reminded her that her husband's gambling problems and strip club addiction are much worse than me fishing all night. (I watched the guy lose $1600 in one night at the casino then get about ten lap dances to ease the pain while we were at a bachelor party. This was nothing new to her, he barely has a penny to his name because of gambling). Meanwhile, in the opinion of the friend, me fishing in the dark without alcohol, strippers and gambling debt is terrible. My girlfriend has stated she agrees with my point - there are a lot of bad things I could be doing with my free time, but I prefer to spend my time on the water or in the woods.

2. Women need to look at our trips as a vacation for them. When I was a kid, my dad, brother and I would go deer hunting for a week each year. My mom loved it. She and my sister would go shopping, eat fancy dinners, watch chick flix together, etc. I think my mom would have paid for us to go hunting.

Best of luck to the original poster.

[Grant Pearson]

You bring up a lot of good points, Mid Lake. There are a lot of worse things that "us guys" could be doing. Most women I think would agree.

[Wanderer]

Read the first few pgs and the last few. Man this topic has some hang time.

My wife was testy about my time outdoors for several years. She'd get mad and I'd get over it. Along the way we figured things out. Also, she started appreciating the tasty things I would bring home - sometimes.

Now she says "Don't come home without something". AND she helps me cut up every deer that I drag home. In fact, she gets concerned if there are less than 3 deer in the freezer come December.

I am starting to feel the creep of the taxidermy work in the living room becoming a thing of the past though. She says no more turkeys and no more deer heads, just meat.

I'll say this: Tides can change but if you really have to make the choice - pick the one you can't live without.

My .02.

[JD MN/ND]

Well I am not one that is going to give advise I will simply tell you that for me I got married a little bit older in life I was 31 so I was pretty set in my ways. I did my own cooking, laundry, housekeeping, etc... but I did it on my time and my schedule. When we started dating it was bear season I was gone alot, then it was ND waterfowl hunting I was gone even more and with no cell phone connection, then it was MN deer season(gun) then came the the fill in hunting (pheasants, late season waterfowl etc...) then it was ice fishing and on and on it went. Finally it was March the ice was gone and not warm enough to go out in the boat as fish were not biting. I looked at her and said what would like to do this weekend, I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She said you don't have any fishing or hunting or anything going on? I said no this is kind of the quite period before summer fishing and fishing leagues get going( she did fish one summer of fishing leagues with me till she figured out her job was to "get the net" then that ended. For the next few weekends we did everything she wanted to do. Then that summer I bought a camper and we parked it up north and she went with every weekend to the lake with me, much more fun than having the boys there if you know what I mean. Then it started all over again with the hunting. She asked me is this way it is going to be forever? I said to her I did this before you were in my life and I will do all of this if your not in my life so I guess the answer is yes this is the way it is going to be. We got married in August so it would not interfer with any hunting or fishing openers or seasons. Our son was born late in March so that did not mess anything up. But Yes I do not do as MUCH as I used since our son was born, but now I am starting to get back to it as he is 5 and loves to do what ever dad is doing, so now I got another excuse to go and do something outdoors because another little man in the world needs an outdoor education and I am just the man for the teaching position.

By the way it helps that I work all day everyday with my wife so she does get alot attention from me. She I think is starting to look forward to me going and doing something with the guys, so she has a little me time to herself. She is not pushing me out the door yet but it won't be long. Oh and we are now on our third camper still at the same place and summers are great. Last year we spent my son's 5th B-day in ND on the spring goose hunt up there. She stayed at the house and he & I went hunting, I am not sure who enjoyed it more me or him, but that was what he wanted for his b-day and dad did not argue. I guess if you really took the time to reach and understanding before you got married, then you two should really be the ones talking about all of this and not any of us. My wife and I understood what our life was going to be before we got married and it was very clear to both of us, that the outdoors would be a huge part of that. She had her chance to turn tail and run 8 years ago when we were dating, because I do not personally believe in divorce and I told her that, before we got married, that it was not an option because there is not a problem in the world to big to be worked out. So we both understood what we were getting into before we committed our lives to each other.

Good luck in your decision.

[Sandmannd]

Originally Posted By: Day Dreamer

You guys got me worried?? My wife is gald to see me leave for openers. She can do her shopping thing, I can do my hunting thing.

Mine is the same way - I think its best when we both can have separate enjoyable things to do.

That's the thing there. You each need thing to do on your own as well as together. You can't spend every waking hour together and it's healthier to get apart and do something on your own. I always tell my wife she needs to find something she's pationate about. We have it worked out where I get a day on the weekend to hunt/fish and she gets the other to do what she wants. I still get a full weekend here and there for hunting or fishing.

[mondo]

Your wife know it or not is one of the biggest blessings you will ever receive. There is a great book out there called ---The five love languages by Gary Chapman. I'm love my bow hunting, and this book has let me spend much more time in the woods.--hope this helps-god speed.

[RBuker]

Just pose this question to her: Do I hunt today, or stay and make love with you? My wife has ALWAYS said: "Good luck hunting, be safe!"

But what are you going to do the other 23 and 3/4 hours of the day????