Elk Hunting with Newborn Baby?

[Wrench]

BTW, don't load whole bulls on said SxS while hauling the baby. It's really top heavy.

 

[540-Virginian]

For the love of god… you will have a newborn, not to mention your first. As another father of two, there are way more important things in life than hunting. Yes I love it and have plenty of time to go now that they are older.

My marraige and relationship with my kids are amazing becuase I prioritize them. My buddies who prioritize hunting over their families are either divorced or in need of a marraige counselor and are always complaining.

If you can hunt as a family one day that will be and amazing experience.

My advice, don’t be selfish. Your kid needs you more than you you’ll realize.

 

[ChileVerde]

Very personal decision with a lot of unknown variables. If you’re wife and you both think it’s a good idea, I would plan to hunt and keep in mind that you may need to bail. You may be able to do more than you think… or the opposite could be true depending on your situation.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Yep, be flexible. It would be hard to leave with the possibility of so many unforeseen circumstances for me, but who knows.

HOWEVER, communication has to be open and HONEST. If your wife says go, and you feel she’s setting you up, you have bigger issues than killing elk. My wife and I have worked hard to get to the point where she feels comfortable saying “I need this” Or “ that doesn’t bother me” and I know both are truthful. Work on your communication so that when the time to hunt comes, you’re not trying to see if she’s honest. It’ll help tremendously with your new family. If you think communication is big in hunting trips, wait till you’re raising that child together, lol
Y’all have to be honest with each other about what y’all need in the partnership.

 

[westslopelaker]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago. I drew a bighorn sheep ram tag after 17 years of applying and we just had our first child 2.5 months before the season started. I ended up going hunting but in hindsight I wish I would have turned the tag in and tried to draw another year. I couldn't fully enjoy the experience.

If I could go back in time I would 100% have stayed home and been with my wife and newborn, regardless of the draw odds of getting the tag again.

 

[william schmaltz]

A forum full of super duper badass internet tough guy hunters is the last place you should look for advice on this. There is only one person you should be discussing this with.

I would take the year off. And with 3 kids, I have.

 

[displacedtexan]

Only you and your wife know what's right for your family.

I don't have kids... But a good friend of mine went to Canada for a week on an annual trip with a 3 month old firstborn, and then again with a barely 2 year old and a 1 month old. His wife wasn't unhappy at all.

Other friends have taken the entire first season completely off hunting. Even at home.

 

[jfs82]

Had my second 3 days after opener out here. Took a fall/winter off of any hunts more than a day trip and am laying groundwork for more time out next year instead.

 

[jayhawk]

Stay home. One year off won’t kill you and your wife and kid should always come before hunting.

Maybe get a local tag or go hunt squirrels for a morning or something. Family first

 

[OrangeMan73]

Just go hunt. Unless you were planning on going to Idaho. Then stay home.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I guess I'll be the jerk here. To preserve the natural order of things you NEED to go hunting.

Do you think early man stayed in the cave for a month after childbirth? Hell no, he had to provide. Now we have grocery stores and stuff but the primal urge to provide is alive in us and shouldn't be snuffed out.

 

[packer58]

You might need to borrow a SxS until they're past the bottle phase.View attachment 486614....but whatever.

I like your style .......

 

[menhaden_man]

So my wife and I recently got married. We had planned to wait until the spring to start trying for kids as to avoid hunting season, but this week we found out that she is pregnant and due in August. I absolutely love to be in the mountains, but unfortunately live in a state that has none! My week vacation chasing elk is something I look forward to all year. This year in particular my best friend and I planned to go, for which he is also very excited. However, it would be crazy to leave my wife for a week with a 1 or 2 month old baby at home right? We both have family within 5 min of home that I know would help, but it still wouldn’t seem right. She told me it was ok if I went, but it feels like a trap lol! Just looking for opinions on what everyone’s thoughts are on it, and before anyone goes and jumps my case for even thinking like this I would never leave my wife unless I knew she was 100% on board.


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Three kids here and I don’t miss hunting season. Save up some extra dough and get your MIL over for the week you are gone. I’ve done it for years.

Pretty soon you’ll be taking that kid along with you and they’ll understand.

Good luck either way -

 

[derrick454@]

Elk hunting is a commitment like a job. Take a year or two off and hunt/fish locally

I quit elk for quit a few years dealing with divorce and kids schedules

It sucked and I missed being out in the woods but I just salmon fished more. Definitely a easier way to fill the freezer and get home easily


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[PNW bow hunter]

I was in this exact scenario in 2020. Daughter was born early July. I went elk hunting.

I missed my new daughter while I was gone for sure. My wife was honestly mad about it for at least a year even though she said to go!

Hunting is a huge part of who I am. Since day one I have my daughter participate in hiking, shooting, butchering ect.

Her first meal of real food was elk spaghetti. She eats elk,bear, and deer. She request elk to eat often.

Hunting is part of who we are, and she gets it. This year, now that she is 2 she begged to go with me deer and elk hunting. She got to do some scouting, no hunting yet!

On me and my wife’s first date I told her hunting is a huge part of my life, and it will never change. Literally laid out how much I scout and hunt during elk and deer season on day one.

I really felt like not going would set a precedent for every year, or anytime there could be an excuse to cancel.

Don’t know if I was right or wrong, but I’m a man of my word

 

[WeiserBucks]

I was in this exact scenario in 2020. Daughter was born early July. I went elk hunting.

I missed my new daughter while I was gone for sure. My wife was honestly mad about it for at least a year even though she said to go!

Hunting is a huge part of who I am. Since day one I have my daughter participate in hiking, shooting, butchering ect.

Her first meal of real food was elk spaghetti. She eats elk,bear, and deer. She request elk to eat often.

Hunting is part of who we are, and she gets it. This year, now that she is 2 she begged to go with me deer and elk hunting. She got to do some scouting, no hunting yet!

On me and my wife’s first date I told her hunting is a huge part of my life, and it will never change. Literally laid out how much I scout and hunt during elk and deer season on day one.

I really felt like not going would set a precedent for every year, or anytime there could be an excuse to cancel.

Don’t know if I was right or wrong, but I’m a man of my word

Word up.

 

[cjdewese]

I'd say that you should just take a year off the mountains. That time goes by way too fast and you'll want to be there for that. Congrats, life is about to get a little different in the best way.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Diapers vs elk hunting?

 

[Pony Soldier]

The term here is planning. We abstain from sex during moths that the kids would interfer with hunting. Both were born in late feb and march. Had them on a horse at two weeks.

You have to decide and live with it.

 

[The_Jim]

With an August baby you might be good to hunt in November, but I would definitely skip the September/October seasons. I've had 4 kids - some babies are hard, some are easy.

Your family is far more important than a hunting season so make sure you take care of that first!