How to keep from driving your wife crazy with your hunting.

I have been hunting all my life and I have found that women generally don’t understand the reason for hunting.  Here are some of the things that I have used over the years.

1. Don’t try to explain it or justify it to them.  Hunting will never make sense to them because it is so far from their world (unless they are an avid outdoors woman).
2. Women will give you a thousand reasons why you shouldn’t go.  My wife use to continually grill me on my hunting outings, stating all sorts of problems it caused.  The key to solving the problem is to help them determine what the real reason is.  At one time in my life, I did door to door sales.  The people I met would give you all sorts of reasons why they couldn’t buy your product.  I learned that the true reason they were afraid to purchase your product was usually the third one. The others were just smoke.  I found that my wife’s biggest problem was the freedom that I had, to go and just abandon her leaving her with all of the work of caring for the family.  She also felt that she could make better use of the money that she felt was being wasted.  My solutions to these problems were to make sure she gets a trip each year where she gets away from the home life and give here matching funds to spend on what she wants.
3. Specialize on the hunting you love the most (mine is Elk).  Don’t try to hunt everything you can.  With your extra time you could used a few of those weekends and stay home with the kids and let her get out with her friends.  This will pay big dividends when hunting season comes around.  Just like us, women like to brag to their friends.  So give her something to brag about by being a great husband when you are home.  Do the dishes, laundry, clean up after your self and keep that honey do list short.
4. Take your boys (and girls) out with you especially when you go out scouting for that big buck.  This helps in several ways.  It reduces the load on her with less children at home for her to watch.  The best part of hunting is sharing your experiences with others, especially your kids.  You will build lasting relationships with your kids that will last a lifetime.  Hunting traditions last for many generations which will tie your whole family together.  Also your children will want to return well after they have grown and have families of their own to participate in these traditions and reminisce about past hunting trips you shared together.  I tell my wife that I am teaching my boys how to be men and building lasting relationships with them.
5. If all else fails try this last tool.  Tell her that she married you for who you are.  Hunting is part of who you are.  It helps you deal with the rat race you live in everyday.  Surely she could spare you for a couple of weeks a year so that you can keep your sanity.  Hunting is your escape from the grind that makes life worth living.  Just make sure she gets the same opportunity to get away from her normal routine. 

Hondo

Copyright Feb 2012 Harlan Pooley