So yea I’m The Hunter’s Wife living in my outdoor world with a bunch a critters taking up space on my walls and tables where I should have pictures and vases and flowers. You’d think after 10 years, I would be use to this jungle. On the days I am alright with it, those are the days I don’t actually think about it. I’m not a hunter.
If you follow me on Twitter, you knew what happen to my duck eggs as it unfolded. My Twitter friends were all, “So sorry, that’s life”, “Sorry to hear that, that’s the circle of life” and I was all, “WTH some mean old hairy damn critter got my duck eggs.”
I didn’t say that on Twitter because there are things you just shouldn’t say. Because if you ever say certain things about creepy stalker guys they will call you things like, “old hag lady” or “ugly old crab lady hunters wife thing”. So I didn’t say it. And as I write this, I just noticed he called me lady hunters wife thing? He sounds an awful lot like me. Grunt thingies. Ah yep he’s a reader.
But the funny thing about my Twitter followers and those that I mostly communicate with are hunters. Yes, this is an outdoor site and I talk a lot about hunting, but I don’t hunt peoples. So when my twitter friends talk about 22’s, magnums, 12 gauge and shots at 200 yards, except my 200 yards doesn’t come close to their 200 yards, I go do dishes.
When my outdoor Twitter friends say things like, “That’s the circle of life” I feel obligated to write my post as the supportive hunter’s wife and be all understanding to life and death. I try to be the better person and understand that the fox has to eat too.
Except in my non-understanding hunting mind, I’m all crying and cussing a hairy beast of a fox chomping on my poor little ducklings. I’m more sympathetic to the ducklings rather than sympathetic to the hungry furry dirty fox that ate my ducklings. I don’t care how hungry he was, he ate my ducklings.
And when your husband says things like, “When is the memorial?”, you smack him and remind him his @$$ sits in a tree stand for 3 months straight so if he knows what’s good for him he better put his tree stand up in the backyard and not come in until his camouflage-wearin’ huntin’ @$$ comes in carrying a hat made from a foxes tail.
Have a good day all!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t think you should ever feel pressured to please one certain group of people. That’s why us hunters like you. You bring a fresh perspective without putting us in a negative light. Even though sometimes you may not understand or even agree.
oops. guilty of the whole “circle of life comment” You could have just put my name up there you know (wink) I am sorry you lost your ducks. I am a hunter, I also rehab wounded and orphaned animals. I am a falconer, I am very aware of the circle of life and mother natures beauty and wrath, but when I lose an animal that I have become attached to, be it falconry bird, or duck eggs. I also get upset..Even when people tell me that it is part of working with nature, I hear you, does’t make it any easier..for a while anyway.. later i realize that they were right..so sorry about your duck eggs, and good luck to your hubby..((hugs)) and by the way… he’s following your posts? creep! “HIM”, I have no tolerance for.
We love you on twitter! And we all feel bad about the eggs. We know how excited you were. I am so sorry for your loss. It is kind of like when you go to a funeral and don’t know what to say to the person left behind. Usually something stupid like at least they are not suffering comes out. Just like the circle of life stuff.
When I am hunting, I can’t shoot a doe if she has her fawns with. I am a mom too.
Wow. Now I feel bad,’cause I was one of guys you said it was the circle of life. I can understand being upset, and I don’t blame you for wanting Mark to embark on a fox hunt; that would be fun.
Jody, I’m a female hunter (came to it late in life), and there are certain pressures, especially when your husband is die-hard, to say things like – “It’s Ok, I know I’m in labor, but I don’t want you to miss deer season.” I’m kidding, but only kind of. I get the whole circle of life thing, too, but I still want to kill the stupid damn feral cat that killed my chickens. Predators suck. Sometimes I’m a predator (um, not a great one, but still a predator), but that doesn’t mean that I can’t want to be a protector, too. Nothing says that you have to be tough all the time just because you hunt and/or support a hunter. Have a good cry. I cried for your ducks yesterday, too. Julia
I’m a hunter, but I’m a total softie about the little critters in our yard. We have birds’ nests in some vines on a pergola right outside our kitchen window, so we get a good view of the birds building the nests and feeding their babies without alarming them. Last year we tried to do a little grooming on the vines, thinking we were far enough away not to cause a problem. Unfortunately, we caused a real fiasco that ended with our setter eating daddy bird. We were totally distraught. This year, we’ve let those vines practically crawl over the house to keep from bothering the birds, and even with that, one of the babies fell out. Yes, the setter was waiting. We don’t have the hearts to keep watching these bird mamas and daddies go crazy looking for their babies. It’s heart-breaking. I felt sick when I saw your photos, especially the mama looking for her eggs. Circle of life or not, nature is cruel.
I think Mark better hurry up and get that tree stand set up in the yard to bring you a fox tail hat soon. It sounds like exactly the kind of thing my Hubby would say…
Oh, and I’ve been mad at that fox all day long.
First I would like to say sorry about the duck eggs. I don’t know what happened but I missed that news.
Second I would like to say that I am not making excuses but some of us hunters who have spouses that don’t hunt tend to forget how the other feels about certain things and that goes for me as well.
I hope that makes some sense.
Cory, You are all such a great group to be around. I don’t think a non-hunter will ever completely understand hunting unless faced in that moment.
Stacey, Thanks for sharing who you are and what you do to my readers. I thought about linking to you. I should have. lol For the love of my “circle of twitter friends.”
Terri, You are so cute about my ducklings. Thank you.
Arthur, You’ve been reading my blog pretty much from the start. You get it. And you know Mark would love it.
henhousepottery, Birthday, anniversaries, labor, it’s all the same. When it’s during hunting season we are in trouble. There is something to be said about being tough. I think it takes a very strong person to face any kind of death.
Sherry, He ate papa bird? Oh my. I don’t know what I would do. I’d have an attack if I saw that. And nature can be very cruel.
Blessed, I was sick when I saw the Mother duck with her head down.
Rick, Thank you. I’m perfectly alright with lots of things. The circle of life is very true. But for me, I just don’t connect to it like a hunter would.
I am so very grateful for all the wonderful comments. Thank you all so much.
I am so sorry about the ducks, and just an fyi I am a hunter and I feel the same way about those ducklings as you do. He needs to get that tree stand up.
Jody, sorry I missed all of this. I’m very sorry about the ducklings. Those are heartbreaking photos. And while it IS the circle of life, it’s OK to take sides sometimes. The confusing thing about being a hunter is that I play both sides all the time – nurturing animals one day (or crying over your pictures), then going out hunting ducks the next (though not literally.
Nobody likes to see bad things happen to babies.
Sorry to hear that your babies didn’t make it this year. Maybe the momma duck will be back next year to bring you another chance to watch over them.
Foxes aren’t dirty.
Jody!!! I have been out of the loop!! OH NO!! The eggs!! That DAMN fox!! I soooo wanted to see those eggs hatch!!! You have the proof on film, how crazy that was to watch the fox go right up to the nest leaving NO proof behind that he had ever been there! I am sooo sorry we did not get to see those hatch!! I was looking forward to it! Next time you will have to put up an electric fence!!!