life of a hunter's wife

rifles & carharts, cabelas & camo,

waders & antlers, duck calls & ammo,

a day's limit of waterfowl tied up with string,

these are a few of my husband's favorite things

the first time dustin took me hunting was while we were dating. i may or may not have shown up to his parent's house bright & early, fresh from the shower. his response was "what is that smell!? are you wearing perfume!?" well duh. what girlfriend doesn't want to smell good for their boyfriend!? how was i supposed to know that you should either be odorless or smell like deer urine while hunting?! nevertheless, we trekked over to the deer stand & proceeded to wait for a few hours with no luck. apparently deer don't find vanilla body lotion an attractive or natural scent. i also have yet to receive another invitation to go hunting.

i've always admired my husband's love for the outdoors, despite the hard time i give him for leaving me early in the morning. i may not fully grasp the thrill of waking before dawn to spend hours outside in the cold and sometimes wet conditions but i appreciate the fact that he, along with many others in our neck of the woods, do. i've learned that the hunting seasons go quickly so it's important for him to take advantage of the time, even if it means him being gone for days. what i haven't convinced him of yet is that i need to plan a spa getaway with the girls that coincides with his week long hunting excursions. he can hunt for the perfect buck or duck; i will hunt for the perfect nail color.

since dating & marrying dustin i have definitely expanded my palate & culinary abilities. growing up my meme prepared fried venison occasionally but only a handful of times that i recall. my mom could easily be a vegetarian & the thought of bambi or daisy duck being on her plate could bring her to tears. she struggles with beef & chicken too! i, on the other hand, need my meat sources of protein, which has now expanded to include deer, duck, and the occasional quail/pheasant/dove. deer stew, deer chili, & deer meatloaf have all been somewhat mastered. ground deer meat is pretty versatile and can be used for just about any recipe calling for ground beef. duck is still in the works. our favorite ways to prepare it: wrapped in bacon & covered in brown sugar or stuffed with cream cheese & jalepenos. seriously, what wouldn't be enjoyable with those ingredients?! i'm hoping to branch out a bit, though. his uncle makes a delicious duck stew & while in san antonio this past january we had some wonderful duck gumbo. i've learned that brining & marinading are absolutely essential. one time i skipped that step when attempting to prepare pheasant, or maybe it was quail. it was so bad, the dogs wouldn't even touch it.

being a hunter's wife is pretty awesome. if a situation ever arose where we had to fend for ourselves, i'm confident & glad he could do it. while i don't deck out in camo on a regular basis (ok ever), i do keep a pair of his hunting gloves in my coat for those super cold mornings. sure i miss him during the long hunts, but i think there's some truth to that old saying: absence makes the heart grow fonder. i also think it's important for both spouses to have their own hobbies & interests. last, but certainly not least, it's nice that he puts food on the table, both figuratively & literally.

are you married to a hunter? or maybe you are a huntress yourself! what are your favorite aspects of this role? any favorite recipes?