Hunts for new Dads

First of all, it's nobody's responsibility but you and your wife's to take care of your kids. You may not get to hunt as much as you want at first, that comes later.

Only you and your wife can decide.

Everyone's arrangement is different.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but reality is.
 
Glad some other guys pointed out post-partum. It hit my wife like a truck and I was seriously wondering if we were going to make it. Child birth is much easier for some women than others; it took me a long time to figure that out and I'm ashamed to admit I resented her for a bit, because all of my friends were back to doing their hobbies after a few weeks and I was still in the trenches with her nearly a year later.
 
Really just depends on your wife and situation. I'd be hunting. I didn't start western trips til my kids were already a little bit older, but not because of the kids, I still took my 4-5 day fishing trips after the kids were born. My wife is great and doesn't mind me getting my time in to do what I love. She also has family in town if there were an issue so that helps ease concerns. She didn't hunt much while the kids were younger, but now that they're older, she'shunting alot more herself. Now I just wish she could draw a good tag.
 
One more tip… when you go away, do all the forward planning for her. Stock the fridge with food. Make some meals she can just reheat. Do the laundry and all the dishes. Leave the house clean. Schedule the babysitter so she can have a break. Schedule whatever needs to be booked. Plan it all out so that she doesn’t have to and it will go much smoother. And then the day before you get back, have flowers delivered to the house. You’ll be golden.
 
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.
I think my first wife killed almost as many deer as I did from me being 18 to 23. Usually around 20 between us each year. My Mama would almost fight us when we went to repo the kid.
 
One more tip… when you go away, do all the forward planning for her. Stock the fridge with food. Make some meals she can just reheat. Do the laundry and all the dishes. Leave the house clean. Schedule the babysitter so she can have a break. Schedule whatever needs to be booked. Plan it all out so that she doesn’t have to and it will go much smoother. And then the day before you get back, have flowers delivered to the house. You’ll be golden.
Smart man
 
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.
Mine is a year and 7 months. Him and I did a good bit of hunting this year with him in the fancy ($400 effing dollars) osprey backpack carrier.

He’s good for 4-5 miles. More if he falls asleep. He likes guns and isn’t afraid of the shooting. With a suppressor I am not concerned with him having hearing damage. I was a lot worse off his age in a pack-n-play 10 feet from my dad cutting wood with a stihl 044 for hours on end.
 
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