Hunting Families

Hunting Families bring a lot to the table!   When Scott and  I first married, I resented that he hunted SO much.  Seriously, when we were dating he hunted every morning before work and every evening after work.  After we married he cut back to only hunting Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons.

I still felt that was still too much.

I wanted to be first in his life and felt that I was playing second fiddle to this mistress of sorts.  How very foolish of me not to understand that he was wired to provide and protect and to live for adventure. He just seemed to have an extra dose of that special hormone.  One day as I was praying, it all of the sudden occurred to me that I was “bucking” my husband and choosing not to be happy when he didn’t bend to my wishes.  That day, I decided to trust Scott to care for me as he saw fit and that I was going to be happy no matter what.  That was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  He has loved me with the very core of his being and hunting is still just as much his passion as it ever has been.  The stories of my learning to “bend” with him instead of “buck” him are many indeed, but that is for another day.

               Scott is a faithful man in everything.  As soon as my kids could walk, he was taking them in the woods hunting with him.  This gave me a needed break from tending to the kids, usually a “catch up” time for me, or if I was caught up I would go with him and experience some fun together in his world.  Many wives choose to hunt with their husbands and many are much better shots and hunters than them.  I am sure that this makes for interesting conversation around the table!  How fun would that be?  The ties that are bound during these outings cannot be broken.  I have seen this  tradition and way of life for my family bring closeness that is unbelievable.  All 7 of our children look forward to hunting season.

  They all love taking turns sitting with their dad or a brother or sister and waiting for that big buck to come out of the woods at daybreak or just at sunset.  I can’t think of a better way to develop lifetime relationships.
                 Relationships not only grow in the woods during the hunt, they continue during the non-hunting season through discussing food plots, better green fields, the best tree stands, man drives,
and how to out-wit that “giant buck”! I find that my boys are happiest when they have just come in from a long day of discing fields, bush hogging, or planting.  Boys need to use their bodies and minds in hard work.  They become competent and smart.  It is not just about hunting; it is “keeping” of the land, protecting, feeding, and managing wildlife, studying and understanding genetics, foraging with confidence, building with skill, and observing nature and consequences.  Life experienced and learned this way teaches the children that they can survive.  They feel competent that under the worst of circumstances, they could eat, provide shelter for themselves, and survive.

 This makes them strong in life.  From the successes and failures, they discover an “I can do it” attitude in their souls. No fear can ever hold them back.
               Meals are always very special and extraordinary in a hunting family in that meals consist of animals harvested using skills acquired through the hard work of preparation of the land and much practice

shooting bows and rifles. The harvester knows he has made a contribution to the health of the family by providing hormone and antibiotic free protein that tastes better than any grocery store meat ever
could.  The family members that prepared  the meal feel they have contributed to the enjoyment and health of the family as well.  Everyone has belonging.  Everyone has used skill and intellect and has made a contribution.  That, after all, is what I want for my kids.  I pray daily that they will be contributors to society;competent, and able to help themselves and others.
                 I am so incredibly thankful that I married a husband who had a passion for the outdoors, hunting, fishing, gardening, and foraging.  My kid’s lives have been enriched far more than I can imagine or even think.  A family who hunts together stays together!  May God Bless You as you get that Monster Buck!!!.

Similar Posts

4 Comments

  1. Sharon Allen says:

    Just wanted to say you guys are awesome! My husband just left an event where he meet and talked with your husband, to which he found out we have quite a bit in common. Anyway just wondering if you also home school your children? This is an adventure we have recently undertaken and find it very gratifying.My husband bought your book I hope it will help me to prepare and cook venison in a way that makes it taste less gamely too us.Thanks for the book and all the uplifting you have given us letting us know we not the only ones who want to be self sufficient (as well as teaching that too our children) Your are an inspiration to us and more I hope
    Love in Christ
    The Allen’s

    1. Stacy Harris says:

      I am so happy that you have been encouraged. You have no idea how much that means to me. Yes, we do homeschool our children and have since they were born. Our oldest is in college and doing very well majoring in biology. Venison treated correctly will not taste gamey and quite the opposite. It is fantastic!!! It will have a flavor that is unlike grain fed beef in that deer forage on all kinds of wonderful greens and berries, but the flavor is awesome if the venison is prepared correctly. Grain fed beef, and chickens for that matter, have really no flavor at all. I will be posting many recipes and tips for sustainable living in the next few weeks and months before my next book and DVD are released. I am finished with the book, but am writing the introduction as we speak. I mention it because much of what you have said about teaching our children to be self sufficient is in the introduction. Thanks SO much for your comment!!! Please continue to read my blog. Hopefully, I can post more often.

  2. Juliea Huffaker says:

    I’ve said the sane things in the begging of your post over and over about my husband… Right down to the extra hormones. But I love this, so thank you for sharing your perspective!

    1. I knew I wasn’t alone! That’s part of the reason I wrote my first book! Thanks for being here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *