It’s that special time of year when my dining room becomes a dumping ground for all things camo, the muddy boots take up residence on the front porch and my husband does laundry (gasp!) with scent eliminating detergent. It’s his thing, I get that and I am glad he has a hobby that allows him to (literally) blow off steam in the great outdoors. It’s something he is passionate about and we all need an outlet like that.
However, for me, and the other women out there who love hunters, hunting season evokes a different meaning, giving way to our own set of hunting rituals. Left to our own devices, we find some pretty creative ways to stay busy while our hunters are out gathering and when they return, we are faced with the challenge of what to do with their loot. Today’s post will explore women’s hunting rituals, with some help from my research team, and tomorrow I will try and help you make sense of the carcasses, antlers and mounts in your home.
Muddy waders on my front porch
So, I will go first. When my husband, Pearse, is out of town hunting, I like to catch an early morning yoga class, do brunch or a movie with girlfriends, stay in my pjs, watch HGTV, flip through magazines, shop, rearrange the house, paint my toenails, put masks on my face and inspect my pores.
Yoga is one of my rituals
Christina Morris:
“I enjoy a Starbucks latte and listening to MY songs on the iPod while taking a bubble bath… Before the muddy waders come home and football is turned on! That’s what I did last hunting season at least. This one has been kind of hard to fit that in my schedule :)”
Christina and her husband, Cannon, welcomed their first child, daughter Marion, on Halloween!
caffeine fix
Bubble Bath time! image from the beehiveblog.net
Jo Ann Moss:
“I rearrange furniture and redecorate the house during Denny’s hunts. When I try to explain my vision, I don’t always get a positive reaction from him (I think it’s because he fears I might put him to the task). Denny also usually gets stressed when he sees the beginning and mid points of the process. Books, lamps and vases all over the floor do not seem very comforting to him for some reason. Therefore, I have more success in showing him the finished product.”
Rearranging the house is a common theme (image from Pintrest)
Martha Claybrook:
“Lots of girls’ nights!! I also enjoy quiet nights at home where I can watch cheesy chick flicks or listen to music and rearrange things in the house.”
Girl time AND pampering!
Chick Flicks
Alison Henneberger:
While she loves spending time with the hubs, she really enjoys her solo weekends; without little ones, she is footloose and fancy free often taking her show on the road!
“Each January brings weekend road trips to visit friends who live out of town. I typically go to Nashville two weekends in January to visit friends then I visit my college roommate in Missouri one weekend, and that pretty much closes out hunting season!
Road Trips Abound for Alison!
When she is in town, she tries to organize a dinner with other hunting wives. “One year, I even shared a Google calendar with a few hunting wives and we would note the nights each of our husbands were hunting, which made it super easy to know who was available for movie dates, lunches, etc. I always have lofty ambitions of cleaning out closets, etc, but I would much rather spend quality time with friends. Those house projects will be there later in the year.”
Cleaning out the closet isn’t all that much fun (image from olivecocomag.com)
Rearranging the house, pampering and much-needed girl time seem to be common themes here. However you chose to use this time, whether it’s with your kiddos, friends, or your pores, make the most of the remainder of this hunting season, ladies. We’d love to hear about your hunting rituals, too!
Cheers to Girl time
