Too late to start?

[kwcoop]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

There comes a time where you have to grow a set and say I am going hunting with a couple of buddies, I do not nag at you or your friends when you do something I am not interested in, I do my share and deserve to have some fun with my friends now and again.....I am lucky my wife is 58 yr's old and still hunts with me until her allergies kick her butt.
Think about it marriage should be 50/50 give and take, sounds a little like you are henpecked.....

 

[mike06]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

James I am 69 soon to be 70 and started deer hunting about 7 years ago here in Louisiana. Nothing like being out there sitting in the stand with all that peace and quite. I really like to sit and watch for what comes along. We have a very liberal season here with a 6 deer limit. I am happy with one that is all my wife and I need per year so I am very selective of what I shoot. But I shoot every hog and coyote I see and a bobcat if one comes along. You have to be comfortable or you will not sit long. I have spent as much as 8 hours in my stand but not often. Try it you will like it good luck. Forgot married 50 years this July.

 

[nocannons]

Thank you for your most helpful replies, I appreciate them, I am not giving up, & will let you know how it turns out....

Guess I have been lucky in this department. when my then future wife and I were dating she finally after about a week called my friend and asked of my whereabouts he informed her that I was in Colorado deer hunting. The opportunity to go came as a last minute thing and I was so excited to go I forgot to call her. 18 yrs. old going on first out of state hunt. When we returned I just explained how things happened and I was sorry but that when opportunity knocks you have to answer the door. That was 1969 and we are still together today. Many hunting trips since and always planned ahead of time. never a disagreement about going. Try explaining to her that this is a once in a lifetime experience and an opportunity to make new friends. Good luck and hope you can agree that this is a good thing.

 

[ELR_Shooter]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Sir , your wife obviously loves you to hang around 35 years. Go hunting and enjoy yourself.

 

[thwatson2]

Getting into marital fights can be exhausting. But regretting missed opportunities can be miserable. I'd suggest you give it a try, let wife know it's important to you. I don't think a spouse would ever neglect their significant other, a once in life time opportunity. You may hate it and it will never be an issue, but I'm guessing it will be your new addiction. 60 years old is not old, if you think so, then you really need to get out of the house. I'm gonna suggest your wife will appreciate the free time. My wife asks me why I'm not hunting during the season.

 

[PAGSDIII701]

It isn't too late to start (try) hunting OR find a new wife...Trade her in for two 25 year-olds(?)

 

[arch408]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

dump her

 

[shane holt]

do you tell her what to do also? sheesh

 

[340Wby-4-everything]

Tell her you miss your friends and the comradery of your fishing buddies and you want to try this. Age is only a number. I know many in their 60s and 70s that still hunt every year, a handful in their 80s and a couple 90+ At this age, do what you want, unless it is really going to explode the house. I don't believe it will if you have been together this long. As several said, if you are lucky enough to harvest one or more, there are plenty of people that would love to have it and need it. I donate mule deer most every year - I keep the elk and antelope and the ducks and pheasants. Nothing better than eating something you took and on top, way more healthy than ANYTHING you can get in Any grocery store. Best of luck and God Bless!

 

[arch408]

Life is short, go hunting. The time you spend in the field can never be taken away from you and you will have that for the rest of your life.
If you are going to suffer from the wife wrath, you might as well have some fun.

just

 

[basinman]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Try it and you will be hooked. It gets in your soul.

 

[Chap Pops]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I am not only a hunter, I am also a pastor and a married man (36 years in August). For what it is worth, I will give you the same advice that I have given myself and others. In any situation where there is a conflict of opinions between you and your wife, especially if she is concerned about your safety, it is a very good idea to ask yourself, "Is this worth offending her or causing he to fear for my safety." When my wife and I disagree, she is always willing to give in to my desire. That puts a lot of pressure on me to consider her feelings very carefully. In most cases I either decide that she either has a better picture of the question than I do, or it is not that big of a deal and we go with her way. When I have to say, "I feel strongly about this," she accepts my decision. I believe this is the best way to handle these situations. By the way, before we even met, I rode motorcycles. Because of her fear of me riding, I have not touched one other than a dirt bike because she is afraid of me getting hurt. I pray for your wisdom in this matter.

 

[bigstickjrock]

Forgive me if this has been covered, but what did her dad and uncles do that gave her such negative impressions? Is that the real reason, or an excuse for a lack of information? I haven't heard of many people who came from hunting families and were turned off this way - unless of course there was taunting and forced exposure to something that made her uncomfortable. A bad dad maybe, a bad uncle maybe, but bad dad and uncles is unlikely and throwing me off the trail. I say that if you were married any length of time, your marriage will survive you trying hunting camp. Her plethora of excuses sounded like fear. Maybe she is intimidated by you having a new interest without her? A good heart to heart might get to the root of the problem. Somehow I think it isn't what it seems like on the surface. Good luck brother, relationships can be hard to relate to.

 

[bigstickjrock]

35 years is a real good length of time! I read it, but didn't remember.