What women do to hunt....

[Lilred]

Ya know...I got to thinkin...and I dont know if it's this way with Ice & Val er not...but for me...attemptin to do what I love the most is a big, fat pain in the ***.

First thing, I have younguns. My daughter is 3 which requires a babysitter. Think about it like this....nobody wants to watch a kid from 4am-8pm. The 4am and the 8pm thing really screws even a half day hunt up. Nobody wants to watch yer kid on Saturdays either. (Caint hunt Sundays, not that it would matter)

Of course there is the W word which always throws a kink in yer plow line. Then if you can defeat all that...us ladies have other responsibilities to attend to. What about supper? The dishes? The clothes that need warshin?

Oh, and the best...when yer kid calls ya from school and ya need to go pick em up early. What would happen if hubby caint find the checkbook? Cell phones....it is required by hubby to take with me just in case. It is also required that I get 15 calls with such questions like...."mama can I have 2 dollars to take to the book fair tomorrow?"

Well, I have learned the hard way...if I do get a babysitter...I try to prepare for the big day...git my gear ready, dogs ready, and then...make sure all the clothes are warshed, cook a roast to reheat, leave my pocketbook on the kitchen table (cash included) and all that happy jazz. Just to hunt fer one day...and most times it's a half day.
Me and hubby worked out Saturdays perty good...I hunt the mornins, he hunts the evenins. But..when I come home around lunch...the house looks like a tornado went through it, kids got more food on them then in their tummies and I spend the rest of the day workin my butt off cleanin it all up again.

This year however...I have vowed that things will be different. In a nutshell....the hubby, kids, house, dogs and the Jehovahs witness knockin on my door can all kiss it cause I'm huntin.
:D:D

[fabsroman]

Please, it doesn't just apply to women. Since my wife works at Target and I work at home, I get the honor of taking care of our daughter and our dog. Oh yeah, did I mention that I have to try and get my work done too.

I hunted 9/1 and 9/3 from noon to 6 on both days. With travel included, I probably spent 8 hours each day away from home, and was able to do so because my wife was off work. Got to hunt yesterday too. Left the house at 4:00 and got back at 7:30. Hunted for all of 3 1/2 hours. Big problem is that I have a ton of legal work to get caught up on.

Like I said, it doesn't just apply to women anymore. One of my buddies also works from home while his wife works for Lockheed Martin. He takes care of both of their kids, which makes his life tough.

[icequeen]

Yup I hear ya.

For the longest time I got out very little for hunting season. Hubby would pack up his gear and go but there I was stuck either with the kid or workin or both. The first 15 years I hunted I bet I only got in about a month or so in all that time. :(

Now the only thing I really have to worry bout is dog sitters cause most of the hunting we do the dogs stay home. They participate for the trackin/recovering process, except for deer where we hunt down south and the dogs stay home with a sitter.

It's great. I've hunted more in the last five years than I did in the entire 15 years before that. :D

I still gotta do the 'woman's work' before I can really get out but at least now I don't have to worry bout the kids. Even better two of the kids go with us sometimes. My daughter is on her own now but she still hunts with us, and now our niece who lives with us hunts also.

We're headed south for the deer hunt in a couple of weeks and none of the kids are going so I got built-in sitters for the dogs this time. :D

[BILLY D.]

Aw shucks fabs, much more of your tome and I'da been in tears. Try being widowed with four crumb snatchers at home plus working a 10 to 12 hour workday.

My a$$ was draggin' so far behind me on some Fridays it didn't arrive home till Monday reveille.

Even though I didn't do all the house work at home I had to supervise to make sure it did get done. Otherwise I would have had the tornado effect like Lilred.

But I'm glad I hung in like I did. The short time the kids are around is really a blessing in disguise. I look at kids in the super market and think to my self, I wish someone would invent a fluid you could dip the in and keep them little forever.

But then that wouldn't be right either, for them or us grown ups.

Best wishes, Bill

[Lilred]

Fabs, you got it good! That lil baby sleeps! Wait till that lil baby grows into a 2 year old....good lordy I can see the house now...LOL :P

Billy,
I looked at yer profile cause I got curious as to how old you are....you are 8 months older than my mama. Apparently that was a good year :D
Mama has not been doin well as of late, but she is recoverin from an intestinal infection and other ailments that dont go away.
One thing I'll give her tho....she dont quit fer nothin. God forbid she can still kick yer tail dead to rights iffin you make her mad too....good Lord that woman has got more spunk than geronimo on the warpath.

Kids are a blessin that is very true...I dont wanna rent em out er nothin...I just want some time to hunt without havin to worry bout all the other crap.
I cant wait till the lil lilred gits old enough to hunt...and she will...I'll have to post that story in anythin goes...ya'll will enjoy it.

[fabsroman]

Yeah, I read that story in AAG and it is pretty good. I hope my daughter has that kind of enthusiasm. Then again, your daughter has a mother and father that hunt. Here, it is just me.

Billy,

You know what I say, "People just like to complain, me included." I didn't want Lilred to be the only one complaining on this board. In about an hour I'll be heading over my parents so my mom can watch my daughter and I can get some work done. Thank God for laptops and portable hard drives.

[BILLY D.]

Lilred

That was a good year. The first Model 70 Winchester hit the streets and the DC-3 was first flown commercially. The super dog of airliners. We were just overcoming the Depression and building somewhat for WW2. It was somewhat a time of new prorperity.

The one problem or should I say regret is that I didn't help my wife more than I did. Of course sometimes I was more of a hindrance than a help. I did the regular stuff, kept the car running, doorknobs tightened and worked. But I could have done more in my mind. But she never complained so it must have been OK.

I don't envy women at all when it comes to home life. And especially if they have another job outside the house. Another problem is the "fetch my pipe and slippers" type of hubby. I can see why the divorce rate is so high nowadays. I always told everyone that my wife had the difficult job during the Vietnam War. All I had to do was stay alive. She was back home ramroddig youngins and all the things that I did were now done by her. Like the song says "There ought to be a Hall of Fame for Mommas."

When my Grandmother first uttered the phrase "A womans work is never done" I had no clue what she meant. Later on I found out.

I don't envy you ladies at all and all I can say is thanks for what you do. You keep the family and the world glued together.

All I can say also, you hubbies get off your dead a$$ and help Momma out. She needs, deserves and would appreciate your help. And no I'm not butt kissin' here or trying to score any points. Just presenting facts. I realize there are two sides to this street. So you can flame me if you want, but my minds already made up. :D

Best wishes, Bill

P.S. Lilred, now I can't put the hit on you no more now that you know how ancient I am. :p
Actually I have Grandchildren almost as old as you. As I said before, you can send Lilred Jr. up here anytime. If I lived closer I'd be glad to baby sit so you could get some quality time. That youngin' just stole my heart. She reminds me so much of another Lil red head that stole my heart about 47 years ago.

[fabsroman]

Billy,

Things ain't like they were when you were raising kids. Because of WWII, women went to work and that is why we currently need a 2 income household. I could get into my theory on that one, but it would take forever and I need to get some work done.

I know some guys that are staying home nowadays and taking care of the children because their wives work and make more money than they can. Me, I take care of my daughter on the days my wife works, and I still have to try and get my work done on those days too. I also cannot stand a dirty house, so I am always cleaning up too. My wife isn't quite as anal as I am about the cleanliness of the house. Me, if I cannot find something within 30 seconds of needing it, I am not a happy guy. My father in-law was visiting once and he needed a screwdriver. I was out of the house at the time, so he asked Lynne and Lynne told him they were in my tool cabinet, but he had to make sure he put it back exactly where he found it. He didn't quite understand what she was talking about until he opened up the tool cabinet, found the screwdriver door, and noticed that they were arranged with the phillips ones on the right side, the flat head one on the left side, and the mini ones right in the middle, with all the Craftman labels pointing up. In the morning, I cannot start working unless the sink in the kitchen is clean and all the dirty dishes are in the dishwasher. I hate seeing filing in my office.

Oh yeah, as far as your wife being okay with everything just because she didn't complain about it, trust me, that ain't true. Sometimes, people just don't complain about the little things because it just isn't worth it. It is easier for me to take care of things than it is to complain about them.

Simply put, life is a lot more complicated nowadays than it was during the caveman era. Back then, the women took care of the kids and the men went out hunting and gathering.

[BILLY D.]

fabs

As I used to tell my cohorts "our marriage was a 50/50 proposition", she gave the orders and I carried them out. If anything was not up to snuff I would have damned sure known about it. I could probably count the number of arguments we had on two fingers in over 20 years of marriage. If she really got bent out of shape she clammed up and looked like an upside down thermometer and to get me going I have to be needled. So we got along great.

Most of the events I'm relating here happened in the '70s although you were probably still peeing in your diddie it really wasn't that long ago.

Life is a lot more complicated nowadays because we made it that way. You can't leave the house without a cellphone and a laptop. Pray tell, you might miss something. I'll take life in the 50's anyday over the goat rope we have now. Constant self induced pressure.

Well I got to go, I don't want to miss my appointment at the wellness center, the pressure of the day has just gotten to me and I need a hot sauna. :rolleyes:

Bill

[fabsroman]

Billy,

I'll agree with you about making life too fast paced. Those damn engineers that invented computers, cell phones, PDA's, etc. I would like to kick them good. I tried really hard not to buy a cell phone. In fact, I was the only attorney at the last law firm I worked at that didn't have a cell phone. I finally broke down and got one because I was dating a woman and telephone calls to her were long distance. Cell phone plans had free long distance and for what I was paying in a long distance bill I could easily afford a cell phone. It just made economic sense. The other day while dove hunting, I got at least 3 calls on it, and it bugged the heck out of me. However, since I now have a 5 month old daughter and my mom was watching her, I kept it on.

I just bought a 2.5" portable hard drive so that I can take it and the baby over to my parents' place and do work. Technology sucks. I even have a PDA that I could take into the field with me, and I have thought about it too. I could be working and billing clients while waiting for waterfowl, doves, or deer to come by. Somehow, I just don't see it happening when it gets really cold (i.e., I don't want to take my fingers out of the gloves).

[Dom]

Hang in there Lil Red, I know it's tough all the way around for a lot of hunters, a lot of committments, young families, etc. But I think you will find as you get older you will have more opportunities to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. I know I missed many years worth, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[Lilred]

Things are right fast paced these days...ya'll are right...I was raised that the women do women work and do men work. So, doin the housework is a normal part of livin to me. I REALLY aint posed to be huntin...that's mans work...but I tell ya...iffin the men bring the meat home, and the women skin it, clean & cook it...then I dam straight am gonna hunt it too LOL :p

Another problem is the "fetch my pipe and slippers" type of hubby. I can see why the divorce rate is so high nowadays.

Billy, iffin my hubby ever told me to fetch his pipe & slippers, he'd git em both square up his ...ahem....lol ;)
Marriage is sure nuff a 2 way street...which brings up another huntin/family problem.
When there is 2 of ya that loves to hunt, it's alot of shuckin & jivin to work out schedules. We do enjoy huntin together alot but it's rare when we git to go together. I do have some freinds that hunt...and their husband is in constant competition with em.
Dont get me wrong, I dont expect no man to treat me as a "woman" doin a "man's thing." But there is a difference tween not helpin me drag a deer out of the woods and hatin yer wife cause she hunts too.
If she is good at it...all hell breaks loose then....lol
A co worker almost got a divorce from her husband over the fact that they contstantly fought over who was better at huntin, fishin and the like. I fault both of em to be honest...that's just silly on both their parts.
My hubby aint like that...it's a good thing too cause ya'll would see the dust flyin all the way to californie ;)

[fabsroman]

I cannot believe that people, in general, even argue about who is the better hunter. Luck and money spent are a big part of hunting, so it just seems plain weird to argue over who is better.

[Dom]

You got that right Fabs, couldn't agree with you more. I always said, the day hunting becomes compeition or work for me, than I'm done. I don't see that happening though, I enjoy it too much. A trophy is in the eye of the beholder, often just enjoying the great outdoors is trophy enough. If you were guaranteed to shoot an animal every time you went out, than they wouldn't call it hunting.

P.S. And Lilred, I'd gladly help ya drag your deer outa da woods ;)

[Valigator]

Just found this thread, this is what I did, when I interviewed for my job, I told that boy that we hunt, we hunt hard, early on we did but not so much in these last couple of years. Anyway it was understood, I was takin lotsd of time off...kid has been grown a while now...he will be 32 in April, damn I am old...anyway we set up leases in quite a few places to be able to load the car with immediates and have all when we get there...I am not as young as you Lilred.....so I dont have the "luxury" of little ones and a very understanding boss.....

[Jonesy]

I've had the full custody of my kids for 4 years now. You just make things work. Responsibility doesn't always come with choices. Priorities do change things. Kids, work, household chores come first......then hunting. I bring my children hunting with me much more then i don't. Sometimes we won't go because they really don't want to go hunting or fishing that particular day. So i honor that, don't want to force them to, want them to enjoy it. I have pretty much mastered this part of my life. Now the dating thing is what's the hard part. Balancing everything has made life an adventure. I've learned how precious my time is and not to take a moment of it for granted.

Life's good, it's shed antler hunting time! Here's my 8 year old. She wore her swimming suit under her clothes just in case she had to cross any creeks. It's not that warm out. I'll keep you posted and get some more pictures up over the weeks to come.

[Valigator]

she is precious Jonesy, you are blessed I know sometimes it is hard, but you will gain so much in this time that you and your kids will never forget....my heart is with you...

[Mil Dot]

My daughter's about to turn 16 next month and I raised her alone since about 4 yrs old. I was fortunate to have some hunting buddies whose wives would help out during the early years, but as soon as she was about 8 or so she would get wrapped up like a camoflaged michelon woman and sleep on the trip out, spot for us. These days I have to work hard to get her up and out (she's become kind of a fair weather outdoorsperson) for the hunting and her tastes have gone more towards fishing, trap, target shooting and golf. She has become quite the academic and a young lady folks give me positive comments about on a regular basis.

Raising kids today or in the past isn't/wasn't easy, especially for city folks. You just have to make time for 'em, make them try new things and make the new endeavors fun as well as educational. They're sponges and will suck up anything you lay on their plate, just keep in mind they usually have the attention span of a knat, so do yourself a favor and bring some puzzles and snacks for between flights, keep 'em warm, dry and comfortable.

Mil

PS: Crock Pots are a wonderful thing.