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.
 
Go hunting. It’s two weeks at most. Women have been dealing with far longer absences over history and it’s only recently that it became less of the norm. There are single moms that work full time with 4 kids. So much whining these days.

After the second year the kid will be harder to leave. Babies suck. Go now while you can because it really will be tough to leave the little rascal when he/she has some personality.
 
I drew a desert sheep tag when my son was deep into the terrible two’s and my wife was pregnant with my daughter and throwing up every day. Took me 16 days to kill my ram. Somehow, we made it work.


Does she have a sister? I don’t run out of slots for previous spouse on SC marriage license til #8.
 
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?
Really young is fine. Then after 4 or around 5 is fine for leaving for a bit. In my experience crawling stage until 3 or 4 is just brutal to be alone 24/7 on. They just need so much direct supervision and depending on the kid might still be waking up multiple times a night. That’s a lot to put on your partner. One option is to pay for a sitter or a family member to fly in and help but all families are different and I thought my folks would be more interested in one on one time with the kids.
 
I’d wait. The first few years are magical, I wouldn’t want to miss a week of it.
It’s interesting how parenting is different for everyone. I’d say the first couple years are brutal but I think that depends on if they sleep or not. Mine absolutely did not. I’ve found them getting older being more and more magical.
 
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.
Delete this before my wife sees it please, thank you.
 
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