Adulting

[browningguy18]

This year has been a year of little hunting due to having young kids (4th on the way in Feb too) and starting a new company. I won't lie I always think it won't be that bad, I will see if I can drive around with the kids a few times to scout and find a good couple of hunts and I can look forward to the years to come. Well, reading and seeing all the people out after them is getting the best of me this year and its eating at me a little. Any of you guys had to slow it down for a few years? How did you get through it? Good scotch? Did start a new tradition this year for early goose opener of going with family. This year had my father, father in law, pregnant wife, and daughter go. A little different than hunting with the buddies but makes a slow day seem fun. Good to take all those people when its still warm. My oldest (6) loved it. She also went turkey hunting with me last spring. On the way home I got the, can I not play sports so we can go hunting more. Let's hope that idea stays in her head. My father is also getting older and I'm starting to cherish our hunting adventures more and more every year. I hope he can stay in good health to be able to hunt with his grand kids. Alright sorry for the rant. It is starting to hit me today as I am realizing my season this year is over, as I just do not have time to scout and just blindly trying a spot, while getting out is great doesn't lead to much success. I can't believe I am saying this but I am seriously considering saving a little money and trying to buy a small piece of land within an hour of my house just to have a place to go for a few years. Maybe fix it up a little as time goes on. Hard to pick a location though. Why does this stuff have to be so addicting?

[Hansen]

Things change as your kids get older. Mine are 15 and 13, I'm quickly becoming an old man. That said I've been out a bunch this year. The kids are self sustaining at this point, cooking, cleaning, can be trusted alone for hours etc. I take them with as well. Enjoy it, I wish I could go back when my kids were little.

[Fish Felon]

I wouldn't know anything about adulting....unfortunately.

[9manfan]

I hear ya Browning, there was a few years I slowed it down on the hunting part, never gave it up completely, have a VERY understanding wife, I have 3 boys and when they turned 11-12, I always took them duck hunting and fishing and deer hunting as much as they wanted to go, had alot of good hunting partners for many years and still do at times, we always do opening weekend together yet. But they're all married with kids now, and 2 of them are in the Ag Agronomy business and they don't get out hunting as much as they once did, the other is in law enforcement and with that schedule it's hard to get out, I guess that's why I was by myself last Sunday morning with just my lab, but being 60 now it's not as easy to hunt as it once was, seems like yesterday I was trudging thru the slough waiting for the 3 boys to catch up, now it's the opposite, time we get back to the truck I'm 100 yds or more behind them....haha...Fun Times though thru the years......

[JayRo]

I have spent my adult life trying to avoid any real responsibility and I must say I am getting pretty good at it. With no kids, no pets, a flexible job and a very understanding wife I get 4 weeks to roam during waterfowl season...………….the nicest thing about it is rarely having to hunt Saturday or Sunday and fight the crowds.

[lanyard]

The sports and the dance are killers. Then if they end up in any way competitive coaching and volunteering increase. Just the way it is.

For me, "freedom" starts to return when the youngest was old enough that mom didn't "own" him being unprepared for a practice: nut cup, water bottle, uniform, etc. That was scout 10 years old.

With 4 kids though, guessing you might be clear that first day based on friends that have 3 or more. Also, 6 years between oldest and youngest will help your time-out.

At some point I'll post a 38 hour run I made this season. It was freaking awesome.

More than anything, it's simply adjusting perspectives. I don't hunt with a lot of guys anymore due to the kids/family/etc. The adventure level is low, but I've got spots that my wife is familiar with the area, knows where I'm staying, and knows exactly how long it takes me to get home. For some reason these things matter. To me "home by 4:00 on Sunday" shouldn't matter if I go to Carlos Avery or ND. But whatever, it gets me hunting and I've adapted.

Where are you located?

[HnkrCrash]

I’ve been out twice this season, the first 2 days of early goose. We had an awesome field and killed a ton of birds, so if that’s it for this year, so be it.

My wife is wrapping up a year long process of studying for her CFP exam and we have 2 young kids at home. My weekends have been spent watching them so she can study. Being a female, millennial, and with the CFP designation makes her an anomaly in the industry and this year off will be well worth it for our family in the long run.

Came to the realization many months ago that one waterfowl season to help support a lifelong career trajectory is a small sacrifice to make. 5 years ago I probably woulda told her to figure it out and went hunting.

[browningguy18]

I am trying to enjoy my kids as much as I can. That is easier some days than others, I am sure we all know that, most days are good though. I hate to wish time away but I do look forward to them getting older get excited to take them with on some of these adventures. It has started a little already has my older 2 both really enjoy driving around, talking with some farmer friends etc. 9man, my dad and I that way. He is in pretty good health for being in his upper 60s but I try and do all the "heavy lifting" when it comes to hiking into some of the spots we hunt. Lanyard, I am in Chisago. We have a small acreage lot so I can keep busy with projects there while the kids are running around. I know what you mean with the home by 4 on Sunday. Hardest part is planning something. It is a lot of, with this wind that spot should be ok drive out and hope for the best or quick drive with the gear and hope you can find a couple. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to complain too much. I went to Nodak last year and I still get out a little here and there, and I know that it will continue to increase as the years go on.

[browningguy18]

I’ve been out twice this season, the first 2 days of early goose. We had an awesome field and killed a ton of birds, so if that’s it for this year, so be it.

My wife is wrapping up a year long process of studying for her CFP exam and we have 2 young kids at home. My weekends have been spent watching them so she can study. Being a female, millennial, and with the CFP designation makes her an anomaly in the industry and this year off will be well worth it for our family in the long run.

Came to the realization many months ago that one waterfowl season to help support a lifelong career trajectory is a small sacrifice to make. 5 years ago I probably woulda told her to figure it out and went hunting.

I tip my cap to you. My wife has supported me these past 7 years as I was in school working on my MSEE. I actually used night classes to my advantage these past few years. When I am going to be gone until 10 pm anyway, she didn't mind if I drove out Thurs night after class hunted Friday morning and then be home earlier than I would be if I were working on Friday. I also had one good hunt for early goose season. Wish it would have been opener with the fam but didn't have a great spot. Most of the time, I do not mind missing out on some hunting but when the weather gets like this and you see the pictures of guys starting to do well and you can't get out to find a good hunt, I start twitching a little.

[Fish Felon]

I'm going to Eau Claire this weekend to bang my twenty year old girlfriend....

...this is the level of "adulting" I have = zero

I wish I could post a pic, but she's ridiculously cute/hot. I literally could bounce a quarter off her ass, and might try to this weekend.

This is a chick I worked with all summer, even had talks with a friend about how much I liked her and how well we connected....what I felt for her, and my buddy told me to just go for it....that age is just a number, and I didn't have the balls to do anything about it....she graduated high school nearby, was home for the summer staying with her parents, and didn't want to get myself and her into any trouble "adulting" the situation.

Then she text me out of the blue a little over a month ago telling me how much she had a crush on me and loved me and I was like, "Fukc It," game on....