How do you guys manage your time?

[BlackFlag]

Brand new hunter here, looking to fill a tag in December. Being as I’ve never been, and I’m going solo, I do know scouting is important. I have an area I want to scout, that’s maybe an hour away from where I live.

The complication is that I work 5-6 days a week, have a six month old, and the Mrs. works part time. When the heck do I find time? Has anyone else ever been in a similar boat? How the heck do I manage the tiny amount of time that I can scrounge?


Thanks in advance


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[Gatorgrizz27]

Scouting matters more when you’re looking for trophy quality animals. If you’re looking to fill a tag with a legal animal, and know the area you’re hunting holds game, it’s not huge deal IMO. Stuff is going to move around between now and then anyways, just take the first day to glass a bunch and find fresh sign rather than burning up a bunch of ground.

On the kid/working wife front, just be there for them as much as you can and encourage her to take time for herself or with friends whenever possible. Keeps them from being pissed off when you’re gone for a week or two. Also, come back with some meat and a present.

If you haven’t harvested an animal yet, I would strongly encourage you to go with someone experienced, it will be a much better trip for you, even if they don’t have a tag. Skinning an animal in the backcountry, then packing it out solo shouldn’t be a first time deal. It will probably keep the wife’s nerves at ease a little more also.

 

[JWP58]

Just an hour away? Lol. That's like a hop and skip...

I have twins (2yr old) but only work 4 days a week (4/10hr), but watch them on 1 of my off days. The real answer is, do what you can do. If you cant fit in a scouting day, it is what it is. Your family and job are more important, just hunt your azz off when you can if you cant scout.

 

[topher89]

Brand new hunter here, looking to fill a tag in December. Being as I’ve never been, and I’m going solo, I do know scouting is important. I have an area I want to scout, that’s maybe an hour away from where I live.

The complication is that I work 5-6 days a week, have a six month old, and the Mrs. works part time. When the heck do I find time? Has anyone else ever been in a similar boat? How the heck do I manage the tiny amount of time that I can scrounge?


Thanks in advance


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Make scouting a team effort. My wife will come hiking with me in the summer and the fall. She will read a book while I look through the binos.

Take care of your shit while you are at home. Don't leave to go scouting/hunting if you have a list of things to do and take care of. Step up and help out while you are at home so that when you are gone, your wife has an easy time.

I have a buddy who gets to go elk hunting 3 days a year and he is always jealous that I go on multiple hunts a year. He does nothing to help out at home before and after hunting and he doesn't give his wife anytime off. Make the most of the time you are at home and you will get more time in the field

 

[Wrench]

I have 4 kids and work 13 hours 4 days a week. I have finally got the Mrs into the game and she dumped a decent buck, my oldest girl (11) just punched her tag too....getting them in on it made it WAAAAAAY easier to get scouting trips in and since they had me for their hunts...I get me for mine now.

It was tough when I had to run home to get a sick kid and my crew smoked a bull from my location 30 minutes after I left.....but, if that is the worst I cope with, I'll take it.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I have 4 kids and work 13 hours 4 days a week. I have finally got the Mrs into the game and she dumped a decent buck, my oldest girl (11) just punched her tag too....getting them in on it made it WAAAAAAY easier to get scouting trips in and since they had me for their hunts...I get me for mine now.

It was tough when I had to run home to get a sick kid and my crew smoked a bull from my location 30 minutes after I left.....but, if that is the worst I cope with, I'll take it.

It goes both ways. Obviously it’s amazing to share those experiences with your family, but for most the terms are a bit different. My wife loves fishing for a couple hours, but she’s not into it for a long hike and 8+ hours on the water like I enjoy.

I only say this to adjust expectations. Don’t take your wife and kids out on a 7 day backpack hunt with the goal of shooting a 380” bull unless they’ve been out there quite a bit. It can be absolutely maddening to cut an awesome opportunity short because everyone else is ready to go.

IMO there are family trips and there are hunting trips. Keeping them separate is usually best for everyone. This isn’t always the case for the hardcore wives, no offense intended.

 

[bbell]

Kelty kid carrier was my best friend. Not the most efficient scouting but was nice to get them out. 6 months is not to young depending on where you are scouting. Heck I even killed a coyote with my longbow while my 3 year old daughter one of my better accomplishments.

Yours is still young but if you get them used to it, it can surprise you what they can do. Take your time and bring a ton of snacks.Took my 5 year old boy scouting. Did about 3 miles and bushwhacked a clearcut that climb 300 feet in 400 yds. Quite the little trooper.
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Brandon


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[Burnt Reynolds]

All good advice... I'd also add that a conversation with your wife where you lay it out there, something along the lines of "...beautiful wife, this is something I really want to give an honest go which means hours, days, weeks in the field, at the range, training, etc. It will come at a cost to you and primarily benefit me until I bring home some meat. How can I make this equitable?" Two heads working to solve a time problem often yield the best results.

Of course, they have a saying - the best way to hide your new motorcycle is to park it right next to her new bmw. Your true cost might be in the form of a shiny metal object lol.

 

[AKBorn]

If you’re never been hunting before, I would encourage you to hunt with a partner the first few times, to eliminate a ton of potential mistakes and to build up some knowledge. In addition, if you have never field dressed a big game animal, doing it solo the first time will be quite a challenge, and being compliant with local game and harvest regulations may be confusing.

As for scouting – I am 57, and have been hunting since I started going on week-long trips with my father in Alaska, when I was 4 years old. I’ve never “scouted” a day in my life. There is nothing wrong with learning where the animals might be, and finding better spots, on your first several actual hunting trips.

In my opinion, the concept of scouting might lead one to perceive that to a large degree the success of a hunting trip is based on harvesting an animal or not. I consider that assumption to degrade the whole hunting experience. What’s wrong with spending a great day in the outdoors, whether or not you harvest an animal? I’ve had great days in the wild, where I never even saw the species I was hunting that day. No knock to guys who scout, just saying that you can have a great time hunting, without doing any scouting, if you focus on the experience and not on a harvest.

As for finding the time – you’re a young family man with a young family. Enjoy the time you have with your family, while you have it. Fit hunting in when you can, and don’t stress about it when you can’t. Look at your future hunts as one part of a rich and full life.

 

[303TrophyHusband]

Kelty kid carrier was my best friend. Not the most efficient scouting but was nice to get them out. 6 months is not to young depending on where you are scouting. Heck I even killed a coyote with my longbow while my 3 year old daughter one of my better accomplishments.

Yours is still young but if you get them used to it, it can surprise you what they can do. Take your time and bring a ton of snacks.Took my 5 year old boy scouting. Did about 3 miles and bushwhacked a clearcut that climb 300 feet in 400 yds. Quite the little trooper.
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Brandon


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Kid carriers are the way to go, much nicer ones out there than when I was strapping kids into them. We hiked miles and miles with a kid on each of our backs. I did everything from snagging paddlefish to fly fishing for trout to "scouting" hiking trips. My biggest thing was just getting them out with me and doing it. Success was, and still is, secondary to me. I just want the family out there. Success will come along later, start creating the bonds and culture first. Good luck!

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

Kid carriers are the way to go, much nicer ones out there than when I was strapping kids into them. We hiked miles and miles with a kid on each of our backs. I did everything from snagging paddlefish to fly fishing for trout to "scouting" hiking trips. My biggest thing was just getting them out with me and doing it. Success was, and still is, secondary to me. I just want the family out there. Success will come along later, start creating the bonds and culture first. Good luck!

This too. I have fond memories of racing my wife out snow shoeing with kids strapped to each of us during a snow storm. Now mine are 3 & 5 and routinely talk about the big bull elk they saw at school or the ram they hunted in the back yard. My kids are always asking to "go out into the trees" or to shoot our bows or bb guns. Fact is, in my mind being a hunter who craves the chase, the mountains, the challenges and frankly - being a bit of a gear slut; it's a way of life and colors how I see the rest of the world. It's an entirely constructive personality trait and something I hope my kids have the same zest for. Everyone grows together participating.

They have another saying: the family the slay's together stay's together

 

[robby denning]

Scouting matters more when you’re looking for trophy quality animals. If you’re looking to fill a tag with a legal animal, and know the area you’re hunting holds game, it’s not huge deal IMO. Stuff is going to move around between now and then anyways, just take the first day to glass a bunch and find fresh sign rather than burning up a bunch of ground.

good advice, don't over-emphasize scouting at this point in your life. hunting is scouting.

 

[Murdy]

Have a real good idea of the area you want to hunt before your first trip there via internet scouting, maps, google earth, etc.

 

[Takem]

Good points already made here. I wouldn't worry too much about the scouting at this point. If you've never been in the area I would take your kid for a ride over there one day either when your wife is working or to give her a break. You will at least be familiar with the roads and get a good picture of what the area looks like.

As mentioned the kid carrier is the best. Between my two kids I walked hundreds of miles with that thing on my back. When they got too heavy for me in that pack I would strap it into my Nomad and keep going. My kids are both big into the outdoors and I think that got them on the right path.

 

[loggerchas]

I work a full time job and another 1/2 time job in ministry, a couple of side ventures, plus family chores and the regular busyness of life. I invested in some cheaper game cameras that have worked very well for my purposes and let them do a lot of patterning and scouting when I am not in captivity to do it myself. The cameras I will check this weekend have been out running since August, and I've only been there to check them 2 times. But, I am getting information about population, patterning, and herd movements. Better yet, this area has a variety of hunts from August through December, so the information I gather can be parsed to help in any number of opportunities depending on my luck in the draw. Primarily a meat hunter myself, but there are a couple of dandy critters there I keep particular tabs on and after 6 years of data you definitely begin to see definitive patterns and movements.

 

[timekiller13]

It is a delicate balance. As my kids have gotten older and more involved in sports and other activities, time for hunting shrinks yearly. I have two kids, a full time job, wife works full time, both active in church and volunteer in community. My kids do dance, gymnastics, swim and basketball. My wife and I coach the basketball team. So finding time to hunt is tough. I just make sure I make the most of what time that I have. When I go deer hunting, I hunt all day. No getting down at 930 for breakfast and getting back in at 1430 after a nap. I hunt daylight to dark. I also try to plan ahead as much as possible. When I see a time frame where I may be able to get 2-3 days in a row to hunt, I go ahead and let the wife know my plans well ahead of time, so that way there are no surprises when I take off. Of course, sick kids/family emergencies can change all well laid plans. When it comes to out of state hunting, these are planned a year (or more) in advance. That gives plenty of time for all preparations to be made for getting the kids to and from school and other activities while I am gone. When I am hunting out of state, I bust my ass during the hunt and utilize every second I have. No "taking an easy day" or sitting out due to bad weather. I got 6-7 days to make it happen, I am hunting.

Another important tool is utilizing online scouting. Study aerial photos and topo maps of the area you want to hunt before hand. You can eliminate a lot of areas and save many miles by doing that. Pick out 8-10 spots that "look good" and then hit those spots first and confirm your initial thoughts.

Finally, make sure to balance your hobbies/needs with the significant others as well. Don't be one sided. If the wife wants to take a 3 day weekend with the girlfriends and leave you with the kids, you better let her do it. You better not burn all your vacation time during hunting season either. Make sure to leave some for summer vacation with the family.

I used to hunt 50+ days a year. Now, it's about 20 days I get out. But, I still kill as many deer as I used to, and I kill bigger deer. I hunt smarter and I am more prepared.

 

[topher89]

Finally, make sure to balance your hobbies/needs with the significant others as well. Don't be one sided. If the wife wants to take a 3 day weekend with the girlfriends and leave you with the kids, you better let her do it. You better not burn all your vacation time during hunting season either. Make sure to leave some for summer vacation with the family.

This is perfect. Marriage is a partnership.

 

[Ashy Larry]

Im going throught the exact same thing. I have an 8 month old, and he is a pile of fun right now. i didnt do any scounting. Didnt run any trail cams. Didnt hang any stands. Didnt fish much at all this summer. I have hunted a little bit with a bow, but im saving up my efforts for more high efficiency gun hunts. Im working two jobs, trying to stay in shape, meanwhile the wife is just as busy so its been a tough row. I dont even feel like hunting most days bc the young one is such a handful i dont wanna leave the wife to do everything. Hes fun right now and he seems to pick up a new trait daily so i have just as much fun rolling around on the carpet with him than i would draggin out a buck. Me and him have the rest of our lives to hunt and fish so i guess if i have to take it easy for this season ill be ok in the long run.

 

[silverbullet555]

Its tough. Depends on your wife and how she feels.

I did more short trips as 2 nights away is about as much as she can handle as I travel for work, she works and we have 2 kids. I also made sure she was set for success by pre cooking some meals, doing extra chores and taking the family put to dinner before leaving.

It kept me more tethered to home which was tough. But it's a tradeoff. Next year I'll be much more strategic in my timing and hopefully things will be a bit more calm.

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[jsb]

All good advice here. My two cents is hire babysitters too. My wife loves to come along elk hunting and help spot animals. She does not carry a gun. But two or three times a fall when the kids were little we went all out and hired a sitter for 8-10 hours so we could hunt. I guess it's an expense but you would spend the same on a sitter for an evening and dinner/drinks. We would rather go hiking in the mountains looking for elk and deer. She spotted a couple deer for me to shoot and once a cow elk. We packed it out in two trips under a full moon and were home by 9 to pay the sitter. To this day we laugh and think of it as one of the greatest experiences we've had together. So as soon as the kid is done breast feeding find a good sitter who is willing to do a long day. It is totally worth it.