Hunts for new Dads

[stoneag]

First post so thanks in advance.

Expecting my first child this year, and I am curious on how guys manage family and hunting goals. I have 5+ points built up in a few states. Would you burn them now or wait till kiddo is a few years old?

 

[TNHunter18]

Last year we had a baby in March and I went on a week long Elk hunt in October. I’m from the east so one trip out west is about all I can do now per year. I flew her and the kids to her families for the week. Win win for both of us. Will probably continue that for future trips as well.

The biggest thing is to prioritize family time when you’re not hunting. Take care of the honey do’s and keep the kids and give her some alone time throughout the year really helps as well in my experience.

 

[Jimmy]

It all depends on your wife! Do you live with family or close friends nearby she can rely on?

You probably won't know how she will do until after the baby is born. To not waste your points, I'd advise saving them 1 more year and hunt something otc.

 

[WSMHNTR]

Everyone's situation is different and what one may be ok with another may not. With that said my wife is a saint in putting up with my hunting habits. She knew this before we got married and even went out west on a mule deer hunt with me so that helped set the stage. That's not to say that there haven't been some disagreements along the way but it's all worked out.

I have two young kids and will say the first year can be pretty demanding from a parenting side and it may be best to push it off a year. But that also depends on what kind of support system she would have at home while you're gone.

It's definitely easier with one so if a second is on the table I think you'd want to pick a year between now and then. I was gone for 12 consecutive days this fall and that was pushing my wifes sanity by the time I came home.

 

[voltage]

I have a 1.5 year old. Last fall (the potato phase) was much easier to get away than this fall. Just know if you skip 2026, 2027 won't be all sunshine and rainbows.

 

[ShakoMako]

My wife accompanied me hunting this year, grandparents were glad to stay the week with the kids. My first elk hunt, the kids and mama went with grandma to Disney. Bonus: kids got to go to Disney; I did not have to go to Disney.

It gets easier as they get a little older.

 

[intunegp]

You need to figure this out with the mother, not Rokslide. The initial questions that come to mind:

Is she okay with you being gone? If so, do you need to limit the length of the trip or distance from home? Do either of you feel good about you disappearing into the backcountry for a week or would it be peace of mind to know you could answer the phone and be on the way back home as fast as you could pack up camp in case of emergency? Would she feel better staying with family or having family stay with her? Will she need to arrange for childcare at any time that you are gone and do you have a plan for that? Will the answers to any of the prior questions cause you to spend your time in the woods wishing you were just home instead?

 

[cnelk]

I went through this 30+ years ago. I told the wifey I’m going hunting in the fall. She stayed home with the kids

In the spring she told me she was going on ‘Mommy Break’ with her friends. I stayed home with the kids.

We did that for along time. I’m sure that would still work these days.

 

[Kurts86]

The first year didn’t work out well for a western trip, I did it but it was cursed. After that it was back to business as usual and I didn’t even blink on the 2nd kid because we had the system sorted out.

Everyone has different issues, if you are both working the childcare arrangements are 90% of the problem.

It’s a tight rope to walk between blatantly continuing as before you had kids and not just giving it up for 20 years.

I would not burn significant points the first year of the first kid. I would do something more like a 3-4 day deer/pronghorn hunt. Going on some sort of trip will help you plan for the future but don’t make it a 2 week expedition on a decade’s worth of points.

 

[ianpadron]

Our first was born 2 days before the rifle opener last season. Made sure momma was settled in for a couple weeks and then was back to business as usual in the mountains.

I ended up hunting way less by my own volition, because babies are awesome and are only babies once. They completely steal your heart, and one day you'll blink and they're walking. It goes fast, can't reiterate that enough.

Soak it all in, plan some fun day hunts locally, and build the bond early with a human that has the highest chance of being your best hunting buddy for life in a few years.

I've essentially got a permanent greenlight from the wife to hunt whenever, wherever...yet season number 2 with a kiddo I was always most pumped about getting home from a trip to see my lil buddy

You just wait n see.

 

[TopherDave]

We just had our first in September. I commercial fish for a living and had to leave 4 days after she was born. Breaks my heart just thinking about it. I did go on a bison hunt for a week, because it’s a once in a lifetime draw for non res and once every 10 years for Res. I still got out and sat for a whitetail a little.

We’ll see what I draw in 2026. But I’m not putting in anywhere else but my home state. I’m going to give my wife the opportunity to hunt whitetails next year and I’m planning on staying home with the kid.
If I don’t draw, I’m going to maybe try to sneak in a registration goat hunt.

Unbiasedly speaking, my kid is pretty awesome! I’ve been very blessed in life and I’m planning on soaking up as much of this kid as I can for the next few years. Maybe 1 big hunt, 10 days or so a year. She’s changed so much in the past 3 months. Driving next week I keep telling everyone!

Good luck my guy! It’s a heck of an awesome ride!

 

[TaperPin]

Congrats! Parents have less time than they think they will, especially new first time parents that have a hard time letting friends and family help out.

You will be the bad guy leaving for a full week, no doubt about that, but it’s a perfect time for a mother in law, your mom, other family members she’s comfortable with, or even her own out of town friends to spend the week with her just to hang out for company and give mom the luxury of relaxing. We have a ton of southwest points and can help our kids swing a spare plane ticket once in a while for such things.

Heck, leave the kiddo with the grandparents for the week and you both can goof off and have a break, even if it’s a staycation for mom if she likes time alone. That’s better to work up to gradually, but even a single night at Meemaw’s can be a nice way to break up a week.

We have a young mom that has a long list off of instagram or some weird podcast of things baby sitters in the family must or must not do, so nobody wants to help her out or we’ll surely get in trouble. Other moms are just the opposite and they try to be too nice about it. Grandparents normally enjoy watching kids and helping with the logistics of making that happen.

Hopefully the other 51 weeks of the year there are play dates with other kids and the moms find ways to help each other out. Loneliness is common when dad is away, with or without help, so friends and play dates are important.

Then many parents enjoy taking their kiddos everywhere and that’s great as well. One of our young dads hung out with their 9 month old in the sxs this fall while mom snuck over the hill and clobbered a cow. Again, grandparents are often game to go along for moral support and help out as needed.

A lot of moms with small kids get what’s like during hunting seasons and seem to band together, which is great. Grandparents can also help make things like kid play dates happen by helping set up, getting lunch/snacks for everyone, and help watching kids while moms socialize so parties aren’t just nonstop work for the moms.

You’ll figure out what works for your family, just don’t be shy about throwing ideas out of how family can help.