Kids

[SaskHunter]

I hunt more now than before I had kids.

Took my oldest hunting a lot last year. I'd be a happy man if all I did was walk around the bush with them, not shooting anything, for the rest of my days.

 

[Dfuller]

Lots of good input here. Wife and I have 6 kids. Oldest is 13 youngest is 7 weeks. All in all I have done more hunting in last 3 years than the last 10 combined. 4 oldest are all into it now.

I would go so far as to say I’m spoiled. We do a western big game diy every year, I always take 1 kid with on rotation. 4 oldest get youth deer and turkey tags here in Iowa. In pairs they come with me and friends chasing the bird dogs for pheasants. We night hunt coyotes year around and do a trip to shoot prairie dogs each summer. They are starting to like fishing and we try to get out 2x a week after week as well as a 3-4day family ice fishing trip. Going to Lake Michigan this summer for some charter fishing where all kids will be along. And hoping the 2 oldest daughters will draw antelope tags this year fro shoot their first non Iowa big game.

I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and as others have said if all I did was follow them around rest of my life it would be a blast.

 

[Hunt&FishCO]

We have 1; my hobbies have dwindled - but the overall amount of time that I hunt is likely higher (because I’ve prioritized hunting)

 

[Irrelevant]

Lol, no. This would be a really bad way of broadcasting it.

The TLDR is that my wife and I are very undecided on having kids 5 years into our marriage, and 14 years of being together. We both have agreed that we really enjoy our freedom but we still kind of want one.

There’s way more to this obviously but that’s a lot to type..

I tell people, when you decide to have kids, write off a decade of your life. You won't sleep, won't ever enjoy a clean house, or unfilled laundry basket. Everything you know about life will change and you'll never get it back. You will be so much more stressed about parts of life you don't even have to think about now. Kiss goodbye to any semblance of monetary freedom, you will be poor, very poor, for a long time. Every time you get a bonus or a raise it will disappear before you can even think about what you want to do with it. It will test your marriage in ways you didn't think were possible. It will take years off your life. Hair will fall out, what remains will turn grey. Grocery shopping will become your "escape". I could go on... and on... and on.


I stand by all of that, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

[Nick87]

I tell people, when you decide to have kids, write off a decade of your life. You won't sleep, won't ever enjoy a clean house, or unfilled laundry basket. Everything you know about life will change and you'll never get it back. You will be so much more stressed about parts of life you don't even have to think about now. Kiss goodbye to any semblance of monetary freedom, you will be poor, very poor, for a long time. Every time you get a bonus or a raise it will disappear before you can even think about what you want to do with it. It will test your marriage in ways you didn't think were possible. It will take years off your life. Hair will fall out, what remains will turn grey. Grocery shopping will become your "escape". I could go on... and on... and on.


I stand by all of that, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Pretty fair description IMHO.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I took my 7-year-old fishing Friday night. Bites were few and far between, but we got spoiled by being the only people there. As the sun set on the glassy lake we took the canoe out and shuffled our gear back up to the truck. The empty boat was last, and my daughter insisted on helping me drag it uphill 75 yards. On the drive home: “Dad, we have the same brain. You know, hunting and fishing.” That was well worth all the time I missed afield since becoming a parent.

 

[Nick87]

I took my 7-year-old fishing Friday night. Bites were few and far between, but we got spoiled by being the only people there. As the sun set on the glassy lake we took the canoe out and shuffled our gear back up to the truck. The empty boat was last, and my daughter insisted on helping me drag it uphill 75 yards. On the drive home: “Dad, we have the same brain. You know, hunting and fishing.” That was well worth all the time I missed afield since becoming a parent.

That's awesome.

 

[perma]

Thanks for the bump @Pucky Freak. Clearly I forgot about this thread, and should do it some justice with an update. Ironically, it’s funny this came up today.

Wife and I decided that we’re leaning towards going for it. But we want a house first. We had a scare about being evicted due to some conflicts from the renter and landlord (none of which were our fault, we’re just the bystanders). That made me realize that my wife and I were on the verge of being homeless. Can’t have that happen again so we’re getting a house first and foremost. With some prayer and careful discussions, we have a place to shack up in WY until the end of next year.

Without going into details, we decided that we’re looking into it because of some good fortunes that will come in our future.

The other issue, besides a home, is that my wife suffers from a lot of medical conditions that require drugs to take the edge off. Her being pregnant would force her to be off those drugs which is my biggest worry. She’s tough but I hate when she’s in pain. She took the first step and had talked with one of her doctors about a pregnancy safe prescription that he had endorsed for her migraines so we will be trying that first to see if it works.

We have some other medical obstacles that we have to burn through but we’re gonna check em off the list as they come.

 

[Jphunt44]

Lol, no. This would be a really bad way of broadcasting it.

The TLDR is that my wife and I are very undecided on having kids 5 years into our marriage, and 14 years of being together. We both have agreed that we really enjoy our freedom but we still kind of want one.

There’s way more to this obviously but that’s a lot to type..

If you are in the fence. Have a kid. You’ll never look back and wish you didn’t, whereas you will probably look back and wish you did.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I hunt less for myself now that I have a child (now a young lady). Last year, I canceled a trip for an Idaho elk hunt the morning I was to fly out because I didn’t want to miss any games in my daughter’s undefeated middle school volleyball season. Do I regret it? Not one bit.

Fortunately, she likes to hunt. I have been more excited about the whitetails she has shot (including does) than I have been with anything I have shot myself. I don’t think anything I might shoot will top her first elk.

 

[NearerTheBone]

Looking at what you give up because of kids is the wrong way to look at it…it’s hard to put into words, but having a family is far more fulfilling than any hobby or possession.

This is 100% true. Don't get me wrong, I'm fortunate to have some things in life I am passionate about, but being a father and seeing my kids grow is the most significant thing I've ever been part of. Bar none.

My wife and I were in similar shoes - together for nearly a decade and on the fence about having kids. Truth is, you'll never be "ready." One day we just decided that "maybe" might as well be a "yes". Fast forward - I've never looked back on life before my two little girls.

Interestingly, I didn't really start hunting until I had kids - so I can't tell you what I "lost" in that arrangement lol but I still find time to hunt and have great support from my wife. I haven't been able to commit, financially or temporally, to any major hunts because it definitely puts a burden on my wife (our girls are going on 2 and 4, so that tells you all you need to know...). But I can begin to see how it's becoming easier for me to commit to more time away from home. Best part of it is, it won't be long before our oldest can join me.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

How much hunting did you have to give up, if any, once your kid(s) were born?

Lots. Still

 

[grizzly_]

We were together 17 years and married 14 when we had our daughter. We didn't know if we wanted kids and DINKWAD (Dual Income, No Kids, With A Dog) is a good life.

We finally decided to have a kid almost more because we wanted grandkids when we were older and didn't want to wonder what we missed by not having a child.

To answer your question... My hunting and fishing is probably down 50-70% since she was born, but I don't regret it one second.

If you decide to go for it, you'll know what I mean one day, but there's a level of love in you that you didn't know you had. You'd 100% save you child before your wife in a fire, and your wife would demand it too. You think you love your spouse/parents/siblings, etc .. but it's nothing like your love for your child. I get emotional just thinking about parents who lose a child, it's a pain I can't comprehend.

I feel like if I didn't have my daughter, that the largest part of the Book Of Me would never have been opened. It's so unbelievably rewarding.

I still look at my friends without kids and wonder about the Road Less Traveled, but then I go for a walk with my favorite little person in the world and hold her hand and talk about our day. And it's worth every second of my life. Plus, one day, your child may be your favorite hunting buddy.

Warning: the Gary Allan song, "Tough Little Boys" is true. You'll become a softy, especially if you're a Girl Dad, like me. But that's a good thing, IMO.

Also, there's never a perfect time for a baby. They're hard and expensive. We waited a long time and have benefited from more financial security and emotional maturity, but I'm also 40 with a pre-K child. So there are tradeoffs. Whatever you decide, good luck. It's your life, live the best of it

 

[Shed God]

None, they always welcome with me. Sometimes they choose not to go.

 

[hank4elk]

None.
But I've hunted them...

...as a Park Ranger. Damn things get lost a lot.

Helped raise some. Just talked to Britta.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

None.
But I've hunted them...

...as a Park Ranger. Damn things get lost a lot.

Helped raise some. Just talked to Britta.

I’ve heard that story before! California joggers get lost, break something or et up by mountain lion. Kids get lost overnight with all the perils of the forest, come out fine after a great adventure.

 

[Bighorner]

I'll take 3 or 4 small bookies with my kids over golden trout in the backcountry. I don't hunt and fish quite as much as used to, but I enjoy it a whole lot more.

 

[wolfpup]

Priorities change is all. I schedule shorter hunts so I can go to my daughter's volleyball games. Now she plays for the school and a club team so will she miss me for a few games for the course of the year... no, but I don't want to miss them!

Kids are the most frustrating and most rewarding things you will have in your life.... sometimes in the same day!

After you figure out your medical situation, go for it. Don't overthink the rest of it. You will figure it out on the fly because well frankly you have no other choice. There is never a perfect time and most of your plans go out the window once you have kids (sometimes good sometimes not).

 

[JustinsDad]

I had to sell my ocean boat when Justin was born because Mama’s metabolism changed and she started getting seasick plus Justin had no fear of water and on overnight trips he’d start crawling right into the water. We couldn’t relax and fish or dive. Hunting slowed down too but once he was about 12 he was one of my hunting partners so we hunt more now than ever.

 

[SaskHunter]

My oldest daughter changed her mind and wants to come to Wyoming in two weeks with me. She asked if we would sleep in a tent or hotel. She seemed a little anxious about sleeping in a tent in October for a week, so I asked her what she wanted us to do. She said she'd like to stay in hotels so I started booking rooms and won't be packing the wall tent after all.

I made a deal with her, we do hotels this year but wall tent the next, she said it was a deal! So now I'm changing my plans to include a 10yo and I so freaking excited about it, you guys have no freaking idea!

I won't go as hard as I originally planned and probably won't hike as deep as I wanted, but it's all good, my girl and I will be hunting elk and pronghorns!