Sunday, February 08, 2009

Women should hunt, just not my wife

I believe love of the outdoors has nothing to do with your chromosomes because I have known many whiny men who can't stand to be in the woods for more than a few minutes.

It was 24 degrees and had just gotten dark. I could see my breath and frequent trips to the fire to re-warm the hands were necessary while we sat up camp on a poplar/hickory ridge near the big south fork river. The group of campers were diverse but experienced with the exception of one couple, Dave and Mary (I have changed their names to protect the innocent). The entire time we all worked in sub-freezing temperatures to make the camp comfortable Dave stayed by the fire whining and complaining about how awful this was and he was miserable and how is he supposed to sleep when he is this cold and on and on. I had bitten my tongue since I did not know Dave well but his girlfriend Mary had finally had enough and basically told him to man up or go home. She was tough and loved the adventure of being out of doors. I would share a duck blind with her any day if my wife didn't mind. I don't think Dave lasted very long, the last time I saw her, the wife and I had ran into her with a different guy at the Outback steakhouse where she immediately showed me pictures of the first buck she had killed on her cell phone. I think she found a guy she could leave at home while she brings home the back straps.

I recently read an article on the American spectator site about hunting. The author dogged women and basically said they should leave hunting to men for several ridiculous reasons. I say women should hunt if the want to and I would be glad to go hunting with a female, my daughter for instance. I think retrieving your protein from the wilds and cutting it up is a valuable lessen for any body, male or female. However I am glad that my wife has no desire to go hunting because we spend every waking moment working in concert to keep the train on the tracks any given day. It is not that she would be a bad hunting partner, its just she is already my partner in everything else. I think it is healthy for us to have some separate hobbies and interests which we do without one another.

I will give you an example. When I leave for a day of hunting we are excited, but we are also glad to see each other when I get home. She likes to go to fancy restaurants with her friends drink over priced fruity martini's and watch movies that end with a loved one dying, I don't go, that would ruin it for her, not because I don't know how to properly drink a martini, but she needs a break from me sometimes. I know it is hard to believe.

7 comments:

  1. Godd rambleings!

    You're a far more patient man than I. I'm pretty good, polite and well mannered. But if there is one thing I can't stand is a whiny guy out in the field.

    I'm lucky, my wife knows I love to hunt and is willing to let me do it my way. Sometimes I want her to come along, most times I'm off by myself.

    Glad to find your site, and I'm looking forward to reading it regularly.

    Regards,
    Albert A Rasch
    The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
    Proud Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit
    Southeast Regional OBS Coordinator

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  2. I think everyone should do what they want to do. Some couples will want to hunt together, some won't, and some halves of a couple won't want to hunt at all. It's a personal decision and that's fine.

    To say women shouldn't hunt because they're whiny and can't handle it is a whole different kettle of fish. That's what bothered me about the American Spectator article.

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  3. thank you for linking me, I like the cut of your jib and your blog too. good to see a neighbor (tennessee) blogging. will add you to my blogroll, write a post about your site and check up on you frequently.
    Rex

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  4. Great post! And although I do hunt (and fish) with my husband I know exactly what you are talking about on occasionally needing a break from each other - that's why I don't go on every hunting and fishing trip and it's also why he doesn't go shopping with me :)

    I agree that the part of the article on American Spectator that really irritated me was the part about women not being able to hunt because they are "whiny"... it was just too much!

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  5. I love it, you're so funny! Doesn't everyone need a break sometimes? On my first deer hunt, I told my husband I needed to take one the first day (I was mostly joking, but I had been invited to a night out with the girls party). As luck would have it, I took my deer opening morning and my husband spent the rest of the hunt with the boys.

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  6. Great post.

    Everyone involved in the OBS Challenge didn't seem to be very challenged. They all knew, and know, what they love. Their partners, hunting and the freedom to choose. TTFN

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  7. Good fresh take on the OBS Challenge. I sort of wish my wife would try hunting but value the time alone or with the boys as well.

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