The Wives of TradGang

[David Mitchell]

Fifty years in now and never have I had an issue with my hunting or archery interests from my wife.  She is my treasure and never says "Don't you have enough bows?"  If she sees I have discovered one I really like she will encourage me to add it to my collection.  The only condition is...."You can have as many bows as you want as long as I'm the only woman in your life."  That is one easy set of terms to meet.  I couldn't find another like her if I searched the world over. Surely she has been one of God's greatest gifts to me.

[Izzy]

Im a lucky feller as well. 17 years, WOW!!!! can't believe its that long. Never a complaint when Im off to hunt or fish or throw money at equipment. Im am always there when needed and sometimes when Im not and that I think is what sells them on this lifestyle.

     Before we were married, she went to a hunting show with me. There were two bikini clad lasses there spouting off about PETA and vegetarianism to any who would listen. My wife politely and quite factually put it to them as to why hunting is good and why she supports it. She never ate game until she met me and supports my sons and I to the fullest in our outdoor pursuits. And she is Fiiiiiiine to boot. What more can a man ask for?    

[Rock 'N Bow]

My wife doesn't have a desire to hunt(yet),but we often have "date nights" at the archery range. I brought her to Denton Hill this year for the first time and she had a blast.

She is very supportive of hunting and the fact that I am willing to brave the elements to get meat for the freezer. She pushes me to get up and go to the woods when I think about sleeping in. Doesn't get much better than that.

[mangonboat]

My wife and I kayak and hike together, she is an amazing fabric artist and supervises the deer burger grinding with the Kitchenaid sausage attachment so I don't burn up the motor on her mixer. But she did give me the one raised eyebrow last night and ask me if I knew, off the top of my head, how much $$ I had spent on archery stuff in the past month . Busted.    

[MnFn]

Like some of you, I  have been greatly blessed in my marriage to a wonderful woman. She gets that I need to spend time in the woods. She also loves to see me spend time elk hunting with our son in Colorado.

When I have suggested that I could sell a gun or bow or even the hunting land for some other need,  SHE always says "no, don't do that."

We have been married for 41 years.  My best friend ever.

[Wandering Archer]

I'm also blessed with a fantastic woman. Not only did she buy me my first longbow and get me into trad archery in the first place, she also shoots with me. She also backpacks, fishes, and mountain bikes with me!

She's been real limited on how much she can participate in any of those hobbies for the last 2 years though, since we started our family, but she is encouraging me to get into hunting to help put food on the table.

She also takes care of our two kids and the house while I work 16 hour days, in other words, 2 kids under two without any help or support from me. I couldn't ask for a better wife or companion.

Here's to our great wives who make life that much more enjoyable!    

[wixwood]

I would bet that whoever coined the phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" was someone who was married for a long time. my wife does not hunt but will occasionally fish with me. Rarely does she eat what I bring home, but does love walleye. We have raised 2 grown sons who fish but not so much into hunting (both have recurves and will shoot with the old man now and then). I have been to Alaska twice (so far), and hunted most of the states near me for a variety of game and fished some all the way to FL.  When I start getting to be too much of a PITA for her she just says "don't you have somewhere to go hunt or fish?" (preferred response) or she heads off to see one of her old friends on the west coast for a few days and I get a bunch of stuff done around our place. All in all it has been a great 38+ years.

[awbowman]

My wife doesn't hunt with me but she does support my passion.  30 years this December and counting!

[Longbow58]

I'm good...my wife looks for snakes in 6" of snow! But last summer was the first outdoor vacation in the mountains of Lycoming and Tioga County's Pa. and she did great. She said I've always done the beach with the family so we'll try the mountains. She shoots but can't kill an animal. I'm a lucky guy.  

My wife has paddle thousands of miles of Canadian wilderness with me, shot a good number of deer with her recurves and longbows, is the sweetest woman I know and is the only woman I know that has punched a bear in the nose.

[elkken]

We married on Nov 26 th and I have never been home for an anniversary dinner, I am always hunting and with my wife's blessing.

[slowbowjoe]

Pavan… !
Any way we can hear a bit of that story?

[Duncan]

Pavan's wife wins this round!
 Been married 34 years.  Would be lost without Mary. She does not hunt or shoot but you know opposites attract right?

After a long, nasty portage in the middle of Quetico, we were camped on a no name lake. About an hour after we hit the sack. Me, my dog and my son in one tent and the three girls in another. I heard the definite quiet no sound step of a bear real close. I slight muffling thing that blocks the white noise in the pines. Then the shadow across the side of my white Baker tent. The bear went up to the other tent pushed his nose deep into the side wall and gave a big sniff. Pow, right in the kisser. It is amazing how many things a big bear can knock over in a simple canoe camp when making a hasty retreat. Anyway, it was my wife's fault, she left a roll of cherry Rolaids in the side pouch of the tent, leave a food smell that exposed, something is going to find it.

[Sixby]

I have so much to be thankful for. Marcy and I have been married almost 51 years. She has not only been supportive of my many hobbies , hunting, fishing, target shooting , building rifles , building bows, Painting western and wildlife art and on and on but has actively worked to support it. She loves to hunt and fish although before we met she had never done so. She ran our Construction co. office, Ran our bow shop when I was working and became an awesome shooter , winning the Western States IBOs. She still stump shoots with me but since and auto accident cannot pull a hunting weight bow any longer.
Yesterday she worked all day sewing me a ghillie suit. Said never again and I wouldn't do this for anyone else. LOL.
Key to our success. Madly in love since we first met plus God has always ironed out the rough spots. He gets the credit.
I believe if we put God first He truly changes our relationships with other and we come to understand what a wonderful thing marriage is and why Jesus typed marriage as the relationship here on earth to his relationship with His people.

God bless, Steve

[Sockrsblur]

Great thread idea! Needs more photos though guys!  

[centaur]

As directed, here is my sweetie enjoying some nice September weather on my last elk hunt. She loves camping and the outdoors, but leaves the hunting to me. Fair enough.
 

My wife is a total non hunter. She thinks I am kinda nuts, but she knows how much I love to hunt, and always gives me her blessings! I have.been married to her for 33 1/2yrs, and still love her like the day we were married!

 

Bisch

P.S. - I am typing this from my ground blind while she is at work!

[bigbadjon]

I have only been with my wife for 3 years. Year one she just listened to me talk about it. Year two she came with me a few times. This year she is hunting on her own. We'll see how it goes.

[Crittergetter]

Any time you can marry your best friend and she's an excellent cook it's a win win! That's exactly what I did. Best person I know ( would have to be to put up with me) and she even cleans her own game! Actually gets upset when I get in the way. Hasn't picked up the trad bug yet though. I am blessed beyond measure