Serious question about hunting, kids, and marriage.

[DUKFVR]

When I proposed I told my future wife that you know how I hunt & fish. If you have a problem with that its better you say no. I know it sounds bad, but I told her if you try to change me after marriage it will be over. She said I would rather you be chasing game & fish instead of bar room floozies. Been married 33 yrs & never an issue. She goes when she wants & kids were always included. We had kids in deer blinds when babies. Sure, it took a little adjusting ,but we had a great time & raised 2 great kids! I had one gal tell me one night if I left her party to go fish with my dad it was over. Told her bye & never looked back. Too many guys wear the panties nowadays & wives the big boy pants!! LOL!!

[diamond10x]

I’m in the age range you referred to above and of all my buddies I spend more time in the field hunting and fishing than all of them combined and often ponder this exact same thing myself. Granted I’m not married yet, but my girlfriend knew when we met that time in the outdoors is one of the most important things in life and if she didn’t like it we didn’t need to be together. Most my buddies are married and have little ones and always have excuses why they don’t have time to hunt but yet I work on average 50 hours a week but still have time with family and friends as well as be in the outdoors.

I think there are two reasons as to why this seems to be so common these days. One is my upbringing was a little bit different than my buddies. I was born in the middle of elk/mule deer season and mom said go hunting and bring home meat for the freezer. Dad gave mom a kiss and said hold out til I get back. Luckily it worked out and I was born 2 days after he got back home from his annual trip with my grandfather and uncles. From the time I was born I was in a car seat in the deer blind or on the boat with my parents or grandpa.

The other reason is their wives are either too needy or demanding and they can’t put their foot down. I think some of this has to do with the fact their priorities change after marriage and kids and they don’t have the drive or desire to be in the outdoors as much as they used to. Just my .02 cents on the situation.

[Trevor73402]

So here is another question. For you guys that don’t get outdoors because your wife/kids are not into it really, what do you spend your free time, either alone or with them, doing? How are you making memories with your kids? Sporting events? Trips? Just curious.

[lodgepole]

All about priority.

I don’t hunt near as much now as I did when I was young, single, with no kids. I used to hunt almost every weekend between dove opener to last weekend of duck. Then get in a few weekends of Spring Turkey. Then on to fishing until dove opener.

Now I hunt a couple of times during deer season, no turkey, maybe a duck hunt or two, and haven’t dove hunted in years. I CHOSE to spend my time with my wife and kids. My kids love to hunt but my oldest have either started their own families or are in school. My son loves the outdoors like his dad but also gets neck deep in baseball in the spring and early summer. Which I love as well.

For me hunting/fishing is not a priority. It is something I like to do but not something I feel I have to do. There have been a few years the I didn’t hunt at all, and I am ok with that. For me hunting is a hobby not a lifestyle.


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[Traildust]

You married with any kids?

[Tex21]

Im 30 and will not get married if she wants me to give up hunting. I will lay that down early in a relationship and its cost me a couple of gfs because they say I should rather be spending time with them or at least texting every 5 seconds with them. My kids will start going with me around 4 and start shooting deer at age 5. In return if my wife has a hobby or passion I wont stand in her way to do it.

The younger generation thinks they have to be glued to each other 24/7

[aac_shooter]

I was given advice by an old man. He told me, "son, when you are seriously dating someone, you should hunt twice as much as you usually do. When you marry, cut back to what you considered normal and she will think you made a sacrifice." I never cut back, and was never asked to. My wife understands that it is a lifestyle and not a hobby. I take my boys as often as they will join me, and I invite my wife as well. She doesn't care to hunt, but will cook anything I kill. Setting expectations prior to getting married is the key.

[tx_basser]

I have a understanding wife, a 23 year old daughter, and a 21 year old son.. I cannot begin to tell you how many diapers that I changed in the stand..
My wife and kids never slowed me down.. Not even a little....

This is exactly how I handled it.. both of my kids were raised in the rod locker of my bass boat.

[Trevor73402]

You married with any kids?

I’m 39, was married for 10yrs. I do not have any kids by choice. I’ve been very much into bodybuilding/fitness since I was 20. My ex-wife was the very same way. Neither of us wanted to give up any part of our lives to make the sacrifices that a child requires. Do I regret it now? No....not really. I think it would be nice to have a son now to spend time with and do the things that my dad and I did, but I do not look back on my choice with regret.

[mmlreiner]

I’m 37, married with a 6 year old and a 1 year old. I suppose when my wife and I met I was just as much of an avid hunter as I am now. I guess my wife just understands this is my thing. I’m not running around on her and heck, last trip I took my 6 year old for the first time. (That didn’t turn out as I had planned but we will keep trying)

I think she sees it’s my way of stress relief. As long as my bills are paid and I’m not neglecting my duties as the other half of the marriage I think she’s happy. She was SUPER happy when I took Kenley lol. I think she also knows she’s welcome every single time and if she just wants to go and shop in town that’s just fine. I don’t go to get away from her, I go because I love it. I fall in to the age range you’re referring to but I don’t fall into that trap lol. I’ll be ecstatic when my kids can go each time and then she will get the house to herself.


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[Chew]

As long as the wife gets equal time to enjoy her hobbies, friends, and get a break, all should be good. But as mentioned in previous posts, nothing beats hunting/fishing with the family.

[panhandlehunter]

I hunt more now than I did before a wife and kid. Mainly because I got more money now. Lol. My wife understands, I do make time for her and our little girl. My little girl was at the lease with me every weekend last year and can’t wait to start taking her fishing this summer.

[tfrye]

All about priority.

I don’t hunt near as much now as I did when I was young, single, with no kids. I used to hunt almost every weekend between dove opener to last weekend of duck. Then get in a few weekends of Spring Turkey. Then on to fishing until dove opener.

Now I hunt a couple of times during deer season, no turkey, maybe a duck hunt or two, and haven’t dove hunted in years. I CHOSE to spend my time with my wife and kids. My kids love to hunt but my oldest have either started their own families or are in school. My son loves the outdoors like his dad but also gets neck deep in baseball in the spring and early summer. Which I love as well.

For me hunting/fishing is not a priority. It is something I like to do but not something I feel I have to do. There have been a few years the I didn’t hunt at all, and I am ok with that. For me hunting is a hobby not a lifestyle.


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It's interesting to read everyone's posts, you can scroll up and see what I wrote earlier but this is what I relate to the most. I love to hunt and be outdoors and would love to live on some acreage some day but as far as priorities go, my family will always be first. For the ones that say "I told her", "this is how its going to be", "come with or stay home", in my opinion that's putting hunting first and if that's the case why get married?

What legacy do you want to be remembered, your family or your animals on the wall? I don't say this as harsh as it sounds but I would rather make sure my kids are raised then raising a good buck.

Not trying to stir anything up as I love the outdoors as much as anyone on here but I think priorities is a good word for this thread. Not trying to make me seem like a better husband or dad or judge anyone, just conversation.

[Cullbuck]

i know some guys that are the same way, but there wives were not brought up in a outdoors family. I dont think they truely understand the whole fishing and hunting thing. im 28 and and met my wife when i was 21 i was a pretty avid duck hunter at the time (hunting 3-4 days a week while i was in college) and i told her if she made it through duck season that i would be impressed, 5 seasons later i married her. She has no problem with me hunting or fishing anytime unless i need to get something done around the house. Her father is an avid bowhunter and fishes all the time so she knows that its a part of life. I will say i have canceled a few hunts this year because we have a baby girl coming January 4th due to lack of cell service and being 5+ hours away but i wouldnt want to miss that for the world.

[Quackerbox]

Like a few others here its a non issue for me. My wife loves to fish and hunt just as much as I do. Shes there from cuttin shooting lanes to filling feeders. She was raised in a hunting family.

On the other side my brother was raised hunting and fishing. Then he married a cee you next tuesday that carries his boys in her purse (to put it nicely). Now his boat hasnt seen the water in close to 10 years and he prolly dont even know what caliber his rifle is. His over 50 and his kid is in his first year at TAMU. He swore he was gonna get out more when kiddo left for college. Nope. Aint. Happened. Once. flippin sissy