Wife hunting tomorrow...rain?

[Doc7]

Tomorrow is Apprentice and Youth day in Virginia (it's actually all weekend, but the morning is our only opportunity).

My wife has never hunted and seems relatively on-the-fence about it. We are planning on hunting whitetail deer tomorrow, though. I was hoping we would see some deer, have a fun time, and I would make a hunter (or an understanding wife) out of her. She practiced shooting, got her camo washed up, etc. Got a babysitter here already and everything for the 4 AM departure time.

Forecast has turned to a steady rain for the entire weekend.

Worth it to go? I would hate to turn her off to the sport completely sitting in a treestand in the rain.

It is a week before bow season starts and I thought this would be an awesome opportunity....

 

[nettlle]

Some of the best deer hunting I have done was on days with a light all day drizzle. In fact I prefer this condition.

 

[zb338]

Don't do it Doc7. Nothing will sour a woman more
than sitting in the rain doing what they didn't want
to do in the first place. Wait for a nice fall day when
being out in the woods is the important part and not
killing a deer.

 

[3212]

Don't do it.Wait for good conditions.The first experience can make or break the new hunter.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

I've been wife hunting for 58 years now. So far no luck

 

[dh1633pm]

Many years ago I went wife hunting. She is still with me today.

 

[MrBorland]

Looks like I'm too late, but before committing one way or the other, I'd ask her if she's still interested in going if it's raining. And even then, be prepared to bail in good cheer if she gets uncomfortable. Go have breakfast together instead. It's likely she'll enjoy the time together, and will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

 

[Patocazador]

Definitely take her .. especially if it rains. Don't bring rain gear or anything to eat or drink. Get into the woods an hour before daylight and walk through a flooded swamp to get to your stand.
For gosh sakes, don't bring a Thermacell or bug repellent.

If you don't follow my advice, she will want to go all the time, out shoot you, out-hunt you, tell you how and where to hunt, and not allow you to take her anywhere she could break a nail or muss her hair.

 

[Doc7]

I asked her this morning if she was up for it and she said she was. I said we will hunt as long as you are having fun. An hour after legal light she said, "it's becoming less fun". I was already soaked and uncomfortable and said "let's go!" She asked if she could carry the rifle on the way back in case we saw a deer on the walk back to the truck

She was all smiles on the way back and said she wants to come again on a dry day. She was really impressed with the Hunter safety system lifeline setup and said she felt the treestand was in a beautiful area and felt very safe climbing in with her harness on. Only the walk in in the morning was rough, as she wasn't fond of my using the flashlight to look ahead for my reflectors instead of at the brush and stumps that were tripping her up.

Guess what I remembered as we got ready to come down? I have a porta-potty enclosed stand with window cutouts on the other side of the property! I spent an entire day clearing a path to it and it would have been rain free. Now I know what to do next time, if somehow we planned to hunt on a rainy day again!

 

[jmr40]

I've been wife hunting for 58 years now. So far no luck

Filled my tag 32 years ago next week.

Sounds like all went well. My wife does not mind how much I hunt, shoot or how many guns I own. She just isn't into it. I've encouraged her to shoot some and she even got her carry permit and I let her pick out a S&W 642. At least with the permit she can legally keep a gun in her purse in situations where it'd be a lot harder for me to carry.

She just doesn't enjoy either. I took her hunting a few times right after we married. She never enjoyed it so I never pressed it.

 

[buck460XVR]

She asked if she could carry the rifle on the way back in case we saw a deer on the walk back to the truck

She was all smiles on the way back and said she wants to come again on a dry day.

Sounds like a successful day of hunting to me. Kudos for calling it a day when she first became uncomfortable and before she became miserable and lost her excitement. Her enthusiasm to go again is what really counts.

 

[Choctaw]

Yes sir, well done. I'm glad she wanted to go despite the rain and I'm equally glad you guys quit when her enthusiasm started to lag.

 

[hoghunting]

Maybe a pop-up blind might work in your area, at least you will stay dry.

 

[Snyper]

I made the mistake of taking my wife hunting.

I sat in the stand with her and even told her what time the deer would show up.

Right on time a buck came out and she killed it, and then she started calling some of my guns "hers".

I had to buy her a muzzle loader just to get mine back.

I never did get my Model 7 6mm back, but if I ask nice she will let me "borrow" it

Glad to hear she enjoyed herself