Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Christ at the Campfire Explaining the desire to hunt

First things first.
I, my wife and in-laws are Christians and we have a 6 month old daughter.
I am so glad to see a Christian forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need help in explaining the desire to hunt to my inlaws that are mildly anti-hunting or anything that destracts the man of the house from the priority of taking care of his family. The normal arguments are:

1. Daughter will grow up thinking that the man of the house going away for days at a time is ok. Do you want your daughter marrying a man that leaves her alone or one that stays at home.
2. Time in the woods is time away from a wife and daughter who need you.
3. The animal population (deer and elk) is not going to overrun the state (Washington) if you don�t hunt.
4. You don�t need the meat and your wife doesn�t like venison.

Obviously the first two are the most important.

Daveh,
Glad to have you on board! First off let me say that I've been down almost the same road with my in-laws too; except it wasn't about hunting. (just LOTS of other things) Your in-laws desire to see the best possible life they can for their daughter, which is human nature to do so. However it gets to point where it becomes a CONTROL factor. My in-laws were almost control freaks! They literally made demands at times. When the two became one flesh it was out of their hands biblically and IMHO. So we butt heads more times than I like to count. After YEARS they finally took the hint and my wife and I are the better for it. Here's my HO on your four points.
1. Husbands and wives need some time away from each other, like a sabatical. You don't have to be home 100% of the time. That's almost an impossibility. Some times many things can take us away.(i.e. work) I personally know several ministers who hunt by the way.
2. A guilt trip. Don't let them put you on one. My in-laws used this ploy on my wife and it caused trouble between us. If something happened while you were at work, would that make you GUILTY ?
3. Hunting & trapping are the best(and most scientific) means of controlling animal populations; without which disease and starvation go wild. Nature is cruel. Better to eat them than to have them die off anyway.
4. Venison is healthier than beef and if you don't eat it there are feed the hungry programs set up to donate it.(That would be biblical if they have any questions)

Finally the two are made one flesh and cleave to each other, not the parents. Be nice about it, but be firm also. For the most part the decisions you and your wife are your business and not theirs. I'll pray that you don't go through what I did.

Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria
To God Alone Be The Glory

When my mother-in-law tried to point out the fact that the meat and fish I brought home cost much more than what I could buy from the store I agreed with her. Then I looked her in the eye and said "But it's much cheaper than therapy". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Dave,

Have you considered that eventually your daughter may be accompanying you on
you shooting and hunting trips?

My Dad took my sister and I. And so far my now five year old daughter helps me
reload and goes to the range with me. She is not always interested but she does
like it and we get some good time together to visit and talk. Everything from
what she is doing in school and church and her problems to talking about the Lord Jesus.

She started helping me reload (some things) at about three years old. She picked her
first offical shooting day to be her fifth BD herself.

Also my wife comes to the range with us sometimes. My mom shot and hunted with my
Dad a good bit too.

Though it might take you away sometimes....much need breaks of course ... it does
not have to separate you. It could just bring you closer together depending on how
you do it.

In His Grip,
DB

Well for me I am only "following the directions the Good Lord sent us to follow" as Duck Commader says or very similar to it. And it is in my blood. Don't let no body take away your God given rights unless God tells you not to do it!

Daveh,

I don't know Qtip, but I am a pastor of a small Baptist Church in Ontario. My in-laws live in Michigan. We don't have too many problems with them on a day to day basis. There have been a few times when they would have liked to intervene in the family. One was over Home Schooling. I just told them I appreciated their opinion, but it was THEIR opinion not mine. We have home schooled both our daughters now for 9 years. They say the proof is in the pudding. Now, they love the girls and they see what lovely, well rounded, young ladies they have developed into.

Another issue they had with us was over discipline. They were against spanking. I would be too, if it weren't biblical and worked so well. Again, the proof is in the pudding. They love their granddaughters and NOW they say that we did a good job raising them.

Just a suggestion for you. Their concern is that their daughter is going to be a weekend widow while you go off and galavant around the countryside. Show them, that you really look after your wife well when you are home. Treat her like the princess she really is. Let her go away for a weekend to do something shee likes, and she will rave to her parents what a wonderful husband you are.

Does your wife begrudge you your time in the field? Where are the parents coming up with the big arguement?

I have a gem of a wife. She decided to come hunting with me because she loves the meat. That lady is a real killer! She has shot and cleaned her own moose. If you have never gutted a moose, take your hat off to her. It ain't easy. She is my hunting partner, as well as my partner in life. My two teen daughters are also hunters now. Initially, they love the meat, the taste, the price, and now the outdoor experience and the family time of the actual hunt. We hunt moose, deer, and grouse and rabbits. Last fall we put away a moose, a deer and numerous head of small game. My meat bill for the year consists of a few chickens, period. We started the winter with close to 500 pounds of meat in the freezer.

The next thing I did was take some moose meat home with us and put on a feast of the best cuts of the meat. The proof ws in the steaks and roasts that we did for them. They were not game meat eaters before. They are now.

They never gave me a rough time over hunting, but they did over other things, like raising the girls. Their argument was that they never spanked their kids and they all turned out okay. I pointed out that 4 of their 6 kids had been divorced, so they really weren't that great.

Matt 19:5 "And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"

Eph 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."

Now, when you quote that portion of scripture, make sure that your wife is looked after better than anyone else's, or you will get accused of, charged with, and convicted of chauvinism. And if the in-laws are planning to visit, cancel your hunting trip for that weekend, if you can. Give a little - earn a lot!

Hi all. I'm new here, but like what I see so far. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

A little tongue in cheek: of those who eat meat, there are two categories. Preditors eat meat that they kill. Scavengers eat meat that something else killed.
What are you??

Seriously, I explain about the ethics in hunting and I practice them.
One shot kills as much as possible:
Don't take a shot I'm not sure about:
Eat what I kill: (except for pairie dogs, which were put here for target practice so I could make those one shot kills)

Things like that. You know the drill and what to say.

The topic has been discussed at work, and I am the only hunter there- my response? I encourage folks to visit a corporate chicken farm, or go to a slaughter house, and watch how the animals are in an area where members of their own species are continuously being killed- animals smell and sense the death of those other animals, while they are unable to escape their confines- what is more unethical? A death arena with confined animals that wait up to a week to be slaughtered, or a free ranging animal that lives in its own natural environment right up to the moment it is shot? I take full responsibility for the animals I use for food, and end their lives in a much more humane fashion. Someone else kills the food of an anti hunter.

Hunting is a natural desire of an apex species. Don't conform to "Christians" who put their noses into other people's business. They are not being a true "Christian" when they do. By acknowleging their behavior you give them satisfaction. Be a good human by treating other people the way you would want to be treated. If they can't do the same to you then turn the other cheek.

MarlinMark

MM - Pretty good advice.

Regards, sse

Dave,



You did not weigh in on where your wife was with this, seems like this would be a key point. As the bible explains that 2 become 1, so must your decision be as 1 to hunt. Your wife needs to back you up on this. If she does not, then it will be difficult with your in-laws and I suggest you need to seriously discuss it with your wife. Don't do it until she is on your side, loving and sacrificing for her as Jesus did for the church.



I normally hunt solo, more than once when the plane or train left, I could be found on my knees with tears in my eyes giving thanks to my Lord and Saviour for being so fortunate to have the ability to make these kinds of hunts. Same is true when the animal is down, and also when the Lord blesses me with another wonder of His creation. For me it is a spiritual retreat, Heaven on earth. I come back refreshed and my heart is much softer to God's touch.



The bible says that man and wife should never deny each other except for a short time to be with the Lord, Lest the devil tempt you, this could be your short time alone. If you are not hunting alone and your friends are Christians, then it can be a time of fellowship, much like a men's meeting at the church. If some are not Christians, then this can be a ministry opportunity for you.



Even the Lord went into the wilderness for 40 days and nights to be alone and pray.



If all fails, you could lovingly and respectfully tell your in-laws that the bible teaches that some believe this way and some believe that way. Tell them your wife and you believe that in the long run, this will be a positive thing for your marriage and your walk with Christ.



God Bless and let us know the outcome.