Back in 91, when I first met my wife-to-be, she had never even fired a rifle (this despite her being in the USMC, but that's another story). Anyhow, I taught her to shoot, we went to Africa together and she began her hunting career. Since then, she has shot maybe a dozen plainsgame animals and another dozen or so deer, three with her bow. We are booked for the Luangwa valley this July, so she is going to have a go at buffalo this time.

I'd like to know how many others are fortunate enough to have a wife who actually ENJOYS hunting. Judging from the comments that I have seen on these boards over the years, I must be part of a lucky small minority. A lot of guys seem to have to negotiate with the little lady to go at all, and there are many who's wives accompany them and enjoy Africa, but do not hunt. Having a 'hunting wife' sure has made my live easier.

Steve,

My wife, and her introduction to hunting and shooting, is rather simular to yours. Her first animal was an Impala on our honeymoon with a 300Wby. She greatly enjoys hunting and shooting.

I'm pretty sure that we are as you say in a lucky minority.

But then I also have 2 aunts and a mother who hunt too (as did my long departed grandmother), so maybe I'm extra lucky!

I'm pretty much in the same boat. My wife is a Navy brat and I grew up on a farm, we didn't have much in common. We were married in 82 and in 92 she went deer hunting with me for the first time. Since then we hunt together a lot, most years I still manage one trip by myself and some times she goes deer hunting with her girlfriends without me, but most of the time we hunt together.

Steve,

"Having a hunting wife sure has made my life easier" Amen! Sadie my partner for 24 years is not a shooter but really enjoys every other aspect of the hunt. She's great with binos, can handle anything in camp, has great instincts, can take a moose apart and pack it out and just in general is a great huting partner.

The only negotiating I do with Sadie is about what we will hunt next within our budget. This next safari she is pretty insistent we should hunt lion again but I'm leaning toward elephant. I guess I know how it is going to turn out.

Regards,

Mark

I am also one of the lucky ones that has a hunting wife.

Holly had never shot anything until we were married and she started accompanying me in the field. She would take a book and read in the truck or on a stand. On our first African safari she rode along in the cruiser every day and watched as I hunted.

Everything changed when I booked us both on a Quebec spring bear hunt. She shot a 300 pound boar black bear on her first night in the stand and has been hooked on hunting ever since.

To date, she has shot 15 African animals, including a leopard; 6 North American animals; and a Gold Medal Mouflon in Spain!

In June we are going back to South Africa to hunt the Eastern Cape and Karoo regions with Coenraad Vermaak Safaris. She is already hard at work on the trophy list deciding what she wants to shoot and what she will let me shoot!

Hunting wives cost you twice as much, you need to wean them from hunting!

Just kidding guys, this old booking agent loves hunting wives it doubles my pleasure like double mint chewing gum, and my pocket book!!

Wives on Safari always add a touch of class to the Safari, at least most of the time..My wife doesn't go any more, she can't part from the grandkids that long, but she used to follow me around the world...

Camp is never the same when Pierres wife Annalie is absent, she runs a tight ship, and Mary Hoffman could run a camp with the best of them, and she was always right by Georges side...

We're not actually married but my partner is also a very keen and capable huntress. Add on the fact that she's also my business partner and absolutely brilliant at what she does makes me the luckiest man alive.......and as Ray say's having her in camp adds even more class to the safari.

Having your spouse along on safari is among the very best things that can happen to a hunter. It's almost as great to have family or close friends there as well.

The richness of the experience is tied to sharing with others that you value. When they're with you, it truly adds another dimension to the hunt.

In 39 days I will leave for South Africa. My 6th trip - I am a fortunate guy. This time I go to shoot bait for my wife's first leopard hunt. I am a VERY fortunate guy.

Her first trip was in 99, as a non-hunter. Last trip with that status. Because we've shared these adventures together, we continually relive them with each other. Nothing finer.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
this old booking agent loves hunting wives it doubles my pleasure like double mint chewing gum, and my pocket book!!

You, Cabelas, my gunsmith......... The up side is it's OK to buy new toys, the down side is I always have to buy 2.

I'll try this picture posting here.

My daughter Kate likes to say gee dad I am glad you like to go to Africa, we have someone to pay the bills.

I have friends I would go with but I don't think that will happen any time soon.

bach to the drawing board!!!
Dulcinea

Evenin' Folks,

Jane and I have been hunting together since before we were married, so she comes by her "She-Wolf" nickname honestly!

She's a trooper, a hard worker and cheerful in all weathers. Frankly, I can't imagine camp life (or any life for that matter) without her.

The other morning she called me at work and announced, "We need to make plans go back to Africa". Now, what are you gonna say to something like that besides "Yes, Ma'am!"

I reckon I'll keep her!

Mark

damn thing

My wife grew up in a very anti gun family. Let me tell you that made for an interesting time with the in-laws to be. But after 10 years of marraige my wife has come to love shooting and hunting. She especially likes reloading. She has taken over a dozen deer but that is it so far. But she still leaves the cleaning of the animal to me. having a wife that supports my hobbies and participates in them makes it even more fun.

I guess this photo says it all. Doris doesn't kill, but she loves the hunt.

buff me n wife

You guys really shit me.

But really I'm only jealous.

My wife will not miss a hunting trip. She does not hunt herself but she do participate on shooting days. Both my children daughter 18 and son 15 are hunters. My hunting trips are ussually quite costly.

My wife cart us around and brings the vehicle to pick up animals. She also helps with the meat processing. When I take out clients she is sometimes by my side helping in the camp.

What a wonderful life I have.

lucky here as well! My wife grew up in a house that hunted but not girls. When I took her skeet shooting it was all over. She has braved a 70 mph wind storm in AK on a caribou hunt and took her first animal on her own there while I was out chaising a bear. She has taken several animals since and I can't imagine hunting for me could ever be the same without her, except for the double tap on the bill !

I'm one of the lucky ones too.

My wife has been to Africa with me 10 times, and she does not count my guns or bullets, and I don't count her pairs of shoes.

She will ask, "how much money do we need this year?" and I reply, "It's how much you got that counts".

She scrimps and saves every dime to stay another day.

My wife has always supported my spending the time and money for shooting sports and hunting. She enjoys preparing and eating the wild game. When "you guys" influenced me to the point I had to hunt Africa, she was 100% supportive and is helping financially.

Even though she doesn't hunt she purchased a new digital camera and is planning on making it a photographic safari. She has just started shooting with me at the range this year and is enjoying it. I will welcome any further purchases of firearms to keep her interest continuing in the sport.

I'm the wife who loves hunting more than her husband does. However, he loves investigating new guns, shooting gadgets and gear much more than I do. His sentiments are those expressed here... when his friends tell him he is lucky, he tells them how expensive it is to indulge my "huntaholicism"!

I'm the one plans, books, and organizes our hunts. He frequently asks me where we are going next!!! He is my armorer and manages all of our guns, ammo and gear. Great partnership which has endured 37 years!

Glad to hear that there are lots of women out there hunting!

Regards, D. Nelson

Count me in as one of the lucky ones also!!
My little bride likes to hunt, but doesn't feel the need to do "my thing" if she has other things that are higher on her list of priorities for that day.

She pouted for weeks when she wasn't able to go with me to zim the first time, she says that won't happen again!

I am going to be the designated picture taker for her in 2006 hunting Gobi Ibex in Mongolia.

I don't understand how a woman whose butt is cold in 100 degree heat can love alaska as much as she does, but she does!

She has now expressed an interest in shooting trap along with me, as previously noted we get to buy more goodies, the downside is someone is gonna have to pay for it all!!

Mike

My wife hunts, she has killed two doe white-tails, and often goes with me to our hunting club. I guarantee you that a long weekend at the club with the wive is much more pleasant than one with just the guys . I've even had her in the duck blind once or twice - got skunked those days however. She likes to get out, ride the ATV, etc. and she loves to hunt squirrels for some reason. However, she is definitely not into the details of equipment. She says if I start trying to explain how this or that bullet works, she's going to start telling me about tampons. I provide the sighted in rifle with a little lesson on its operation, appropriate ammo, warm clothes, and transportation. When she does not sit with me she is often accompanied to the stand/blind by a 7lb. Maltese tracking dog

.

To the wives

My wife doesn't hunt, but she enthusiasticly supports my hunting endeavors, so I can't complain.
It would be neat thought, if she were inclined to go along on hunting trips. Perhaps if she actually tried it and shot something, she might grow to like it ? I'm open to ideas.
Best, Starcharvski.

My wife grew up on a homestead in Alaska and hunting/fishing where a part of life. She killed her first Black Bear at the age of 9(it was after their cows). She loves to hunt as much as I do. But I have an added question that I believe can be answered by those here. When booking a safari and your wife is going along should you book it as a 2 on 1 or 1 on 1? Lawdog

quote:

Originally posted by Lawdog_Gary:
When booking a safari and your wife is going along should you book it as a 2 on 1 or 1 on 1? Lawdog

The first time my wife hunted in africa, we did 2:1. The second time, she wanted her own PH and was very glad that we did it that way. She felt it was then her own hunt, and that she wasn't just "tagging along with me". She said wants to continue having her own PH next time she hunts in africa too.

My ex would start a fight every time just before I left on a hunting trip. Just one of the reasons she's ex. If I EVER find a woman who will accompany me on a hunting trip (doesn't have to hunt), I'll probably marry her. Now that is getting desperate!

My wife is not interested in shooting but very much looks forward to going in the field with me. She does on the otherhand love to shoot paper and can clean the bullseye with her EDC gun a SIG P239.

Alsas she is still a woman and it took forever to get her to pick a color of holdtrt that would match her attire.. sigh

My wife is a veternarian an animal lover and one of the fastest and most accurate critter gutters/skiners you've ever seen. Not only that but she can tell you the exact cause of death "Usually gun shot wound but at times an arrow wound."

She's got my two girls to where they love to dig in as well.

Here is a picture of us when we were newly weds in hunting oryx White Sands New Mexico.




We also spent our first anniversary in a tent hunting pronghorn in New Mexico. I'll never forget my loving bride gazing at me with love struck eyes on that first anniversary night in the pup tent as the candle lantern cast soft light on her face. Right before she zipped her sleeping bag she she kind of snickered and said "and some people think romance is dead !"

I think she may have a point there..

Yes, take your wife on safari. It makes it a lot easier to get approval when she is coming along Actually, my wife was the one who asked me to go to Africa.

Here we are on our first day after flying from California to Atlanta to Joberg to Vic Falls, all back to back flights!!! We were smiles all the way. Oh yeah, this photo was taken only a few hours after the airlines told us they lost our luggage (including my guns). Didn't matter, we were in Africa



During the "hunting" portion of our trip, my wife went fishing most of the time while I was out hunting. It was about 85 to 90 degrees along the river and over 105 degrees inland where I was crawling through the bush trying to find a buffalo. Zim in late October is really HOT!

My wife is not big into hunting actually not at all, but I have tought my children(Carmen 9, Shani 7 and Arno 6) to shoot from a young age. I had my 22 Hornet cut shorter for them and have also taken them hunting with me. Carmen has taken a feasant with it.
They love it, problem solved when Ma says no to hunting I say tell the kids.
I am going bow hunting with the family this weekend. Hope to get a Blue wildebeest with the kids in the hide.
It will be their first time in a hide, hope they will be quit.

Wimpie
Africa is great if you know how to enjoy it

My wife doesn't hunt, but she's always supported my hunting 100%. Before we were married, she flatly stated that she didn't care how much I hunted, nor did she care how much I invested of my time and resources in hunting. She's been true to her word ever since, which showcases her true character. I give her back the same amount of trust, respect, and freedom that she's always given me as well. Good relationships are always give and take.

Later, when the girls are a bit older (one is nearly 20 and a junior in college, while the other is nearly in college), my wife intends to accompany me on some hunts, especially to Africa. That time hasn't arrived for us just yet...........

AD

My wife doesn't hunt, fact is, she's a borderline anti-hunter. BUT! she supports my hunting affliction 100%no questions asked (well, maybe a couple), but the fact is, she's coming to africa with me this June. I'll report back how she does. jorge

PS: Shumba did you ever get your guns and luggage during your hunt? jorge

My wife is hell on wheels when it comes to shooting P dogs, rabbits, squirrels. She took a beautiful male oryx last time in Namibia but it may have been just because I wanted her too.
She loves to shoot but not so much the big game hunter.
Never has said much about the hundreds of thousands of dollars I have spent buying / selling gun toys thru the years or what I spent on hunting trips.
I don't asked about the hair dresser, clothes, etc. Has worked out fine for 45 years to date.
Guess I will keep her...I am too damn old and lazy to break in another...or how ever that goes!

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:

PS: Shumba did you ever get your guns and luggage during your hunt? jorge

Yes! We spent our first two days in Victoria Falls sight seeing. In fact, we went whitewater rafting the next day and by the time we got back to the hotel in the late afternoon, they had collected our bags from the airport.

Having the two days before the hunt really helped with the jet lag as well. I felt pretty good by the time I arrived in camp on our 3rd day. It was also nice to have this cushion for the lost luggage. Had we elected to fly into the hunting camp on the day of our arrival, it would have been a big pain in the A__!

When packing for our trip, we did take everyones advice and packed our toiletries, an extra change of clothes, underwear, meds, etc. in our carry-on. Definitely made life easier on us in this situation.

Tim

quote:

Originally posted by ErikD:

quote:

Originally posted by Lawdog_Gary:
When booking a safari and your wife is going along should you book it as a 2 on 1 or 1 on 1? Lawdog

The first time my wife hunted in africa, we did 2:1. The second time, she wanted her own PH and was very glad that we did it that way. She felt it was then her own hunt, and that she wasn't just "tagging along with me". She said wants to continue having her own PH next time she hunts in africa too.

Thank you Erik. That sounds more like what my wife. I have believe the 1 on 1 would be best for us too. Lawdog

Thanks, Shumba. We're staying the night at our PH's house in Bulawayo or if the same problem befalls us, we can wait until the bags arrive. I'm also going to split the ammo up into my wife's bags and mine just to have a bit of an edge built in! jorge