Men, do you want your wife or girlfriend accompanying you on hunts? Women, do you want to be out on your own, without your husband or boyfriend tagging along? Can happy couples co-exist in the woods and fields of the hunt?
Wired To Hunt’s Aaron Farley never thought so. For him, hunting was an opportunity to commune with nature, a reflective time in which he could be alone with his thoughts, away from the pressures of everyday life. Still, thought Farley, bringing his wife on hunts would have its advantages: “I figured I may rather spend an afternoon in a blind looking at her, than some dude.”
Find out what happened when this avid hunter brought his non-hunting wife into the field with him. Did two worlds collide in a catastrophic manner? Did the Mrs. realize that she, too, loved the thrill of the hunt? Read on:
We often talked about deer, turkey, and squirrel hunting, the recoil from different guns, and the discipline needed to bow hunt. Acquiring the skill and stamina to properly and effectively use the weapons was a little intimidating to her; and at 5’3” and 105 lbs, even my .243 produces enough blowback to give her reservations. Shooting a .22 at squirrels was a more appealing style of hunting for her due to the light recoil and report of the .22 lr cartridge.
I arranged to give her a double barreled 20 gauge for Mother’s Day one year. With a Limbsaver pad on the back, light recoil shells, and some target practice, she was able to shoot her new shotgun easily enough and, in return, build confidence with a firearm. Later, we got her a bow so she could try her hand at archery. She is much more comfortable shooting the bow without the “bang” of a rifle, and it is something we can do for fun together in the yard anytime.
Photo (top): NCHuntandFish.com
