I guess I'm lucky. It hasn't always been as easy as it is now, but she's always done her best to be supportive. Today was supposed to be the first day since the bow hunt opened that I didn't make it out to hunt, I was supposed to watch the kids so she could have one of her girl parties. (Still don't understand how inviting your friends over to sell them ##### is a "party", you don't see me inviting over a bunch of buddies to sell them camo) Anyway, I got home from work and started getting the kids their dinner and she said, "you better get going if your going to get any hunting done". She then proceeded to tell me that there was going to be enough women around to help with the kids. By the time I got ready and left, there wasnt enough time to go to any of my good spots, but I got to go regardless.
She's always buying me hunting stuff for holidays, she reminds me about draw dates, etc. and puts in for hunts herself. All of that and we have 4 kids, the oldest being five and a half years old. She came from a non hunting family and was actually borderline tree hugger when we started dating. I hunt from the time the bow hunt opens, till the duck hunt ends. Then, I hunt yote's in the late winter, bears starting in april, and by the time the bear hunt is over its time to start scouting for the bowhunt. The key is to make the time you spend as a family count, involve them in your hunting as much as possible and make her see that she matters to you as much as hunting does. If you don't understand why you hunting is hard on her, then your not seeing the whole picture and your being selfish. If you don't have money for gas, what kind of money does she have to spend while your gone? I have spent most of my marrage being flat ass'd broke, but when I go hunting, I try to make sure she has as much money to spend as I do. That way, instead of having ot make dinner, she can order pizza. Instead of having to be at home with the kids non stop, she can get a babysitter and go to a movie with a girlfriend. You get the picture.