mello_collins

I'm not sure if this is the right forum or not, but I’m in a bind. I posted this as a response to a thread over in the gun forum. I really could use the help.

Please keep the info coming! I’m 31 and divorced so I have been around a little. I’m dealing with a new girl friend of about 4 months now. We have known each other about 3 years but she did not realize what went into hunting. She is a NJ boardwalk girl that loves the beach. It has been a little hard for her to understand my love of the outdoors and hunting. She had never even touched a gun until dating me, never slept in a tent (we are still working on using the bathroom in the woods), been off roading in a 4wheel drive truck, or realized how expensive a past time hunting is. She knew about my hunting addiction before she started dating me. Her idea is for me to, “shoot it, clean it, cook it, and feed it to me now.” We are now into the third week of a 2 and a half-month rifle season and she does not like it a bit. I’m back in school for a second degree, so I’m able to hunt every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Of course she thinks that is enough. She is a schoolteacher and wants to spend the weekends with me. How do I explain Friday evening and all day Saturday hunting to her? Oh, sometimes on Sunday as well? The Rut is about to start, HELP PLEASE!

bruce_smith60

TAKE HER WITH YOU, THAN SHE'LL SEE WHAT YOU SEE AND SHE CAN MAKE UP HER OWN MIND. mY WIFE DOESN'T LIKE ME GONE EVERY WEEKEND, BUT ENJOYS BEING ABLE TO DO HER THING TOO. I AINT INTO MALL WALKING AND SHOPING!
tHE BEACH IS OUT DOORS, AND LAYNG OUT GETTING HOT IS DULL, BUT YOU DEAL WITH THAT, SO SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH WATCHING THE SUN COME UP AND THE WOODS COME ALIVE. TELL HER DON'T NOCK IT TILL YA TRY IT!

Hurry up and wait.

SW Iowa Hunter

Sounds like you will have to compromise if this relationship is going to work out. You may have to split time with your hunting and her. If you are going to hunt hard during the rut then plan a weekend with her before or after. I have been married for 7 years now and been with my wife for 11 years and the one thing she knows she is in competition with is hunting. I have never been able to get her interested in it but have come to a compromise. Sometimes it means not always doing what I want but she is worth it. If this is the one for you then you must learn to compromise. This doesn't always mean less hunting. Just that sometimes it has to be on her terms. She also has to realize that this is a big part of your life as well. Like my wife says it could be worse I could be out to the bar until 2:00 every morning. At least she knows where I am. Good Luck!!!

" Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Dad"

jred

Mello,

I aked a simular question on this and got some good answers!

I'll bump it up so you can read some of the posts.

Happy Hunting!

KEEP HUNTING THE GREAT OUTDOORS & GOD ALIVE, PASS IT ON!

burniegoeasily

If she cant understand or learn to love it, youll do better to find another (girl or hobbie, that is depending on how much you care for her). My wife doesnt care for the outdoors. Her Idea of camping is to stay in the camper and watch t.v. under the A.C.. She knows how important it is to me and insists that I go out and hunt or fish from time to time. She believes it helps me reduce stress. She doesnt like to go but supports me doing so. She is also fond of the meat it brings. She doesnt care to do it with me but has never once complained about me going out. Its kinda like how she likes to go to movies and watch chick flicks, I dont care to go but am more than willing to keep the kids while her an a friend go. If a comprimise is posible it can work out well. Some people just dont like the outdoors. My experience with taking people like this out is two fold; They either fall in love with it and go all out or they dont like it and reluctantly try to understand. Its better not to force something on someone, instead respect there views and come to a comprimise.

Lifes a garden, dig it.

Tazman

You need to put it into terms she will understand, just tell her that hunting to you is like shopping at the mall is to her.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

SMITTY03

You're 31. the relationship has been 4 months. i'm sure that the relationship and the hunting did not start at the same time. especially if you call it an "addiction". you're probably like myself and every other hunter and started around the tender age of 6 or 7 years old. you need to cut you losses now and make the beginning of the rut. not only does my wife agree with my hunting, she comes with me. she killed her first deer last year. hunting is not for everyone, but it is for you. if she can't comprimise with letting you go hunting, then let her go walking.

RYAN SMITH

TxCowboy

Best bet is to take her with you on a beautiful day of hunting. Hopefully she is rational enough to see the beauty and peacefulness of the outdoors.

As for the amount of time you get to hunt, I think you are going to have to compromise. If you are at school on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, hunt Tuesday and Thursaday morning, also hunt Friday evening, Saturday and sometimes Sunday, when do you have any time for her? I'll be honest, that is alot of hunting, probably 2 or 3 times as much as most folks get to do. I can see where she might be a little upset and at the same time I can seee why you want to be in the woods. You will just have to compromise if you want to stay with her. If hunting is more important than her, tell her and let her get on with her life.

My advice would be to hunt on Tues. and Thurs. mornings (she's working at the time) then hunt on Saturday morning and maybe Sunday morning OR evening. That will give you 4 good hunts in a week and still leave you with alot of spare time to spend with her. Good luck!

--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.

tyler121982

I have faced the same problem. I'm 20 years old, and my current girlfriend and I have been together for a little over two years. When we first started going out, I just straight up told her, "I was raised in the woods, hunting is a huge part of my life and you can either deal with it or go on your way!" If the girl really cares about you, she will deal with it. If that sends her on her way then stay single the rest of season and find another girl after you kill the big one.

silentassassin

You will have to compromise but so will she. I will give you an example. I explained to my wife from the first night that I ever met her that I hunted and how much time I spent doing it and that I wasn't quitting or becoming a part-timer for her or anyone else. I love my wife dearly and would do anything for including giving my own life if need be but I ain't gonna quit hunting. I make some sacrificies miss a few more days than I use too. Do some things to let her know I haven't forgotten her, but I hunt quite a bit(the off season we do whatever she wants). If she loves you then she should understand how much it means to you. If not you may not have as much in common as you think you do. A relationship is supposed to make both people happy and if you quit or cut your hunting in 1/2 you'll just wind up resenting her for it and you won't be happy anyway. So my advice is make some concessions and if that don't work then find a woman that accepts you and your hunting.


Protect your hunting rights, "Spay or neuter a liberal."