Couples That Hunt Together, Stay Together

By Sarah Honadel

We’ve all seen the memes that joke about husbands and wives at conflict over hunting, whether it’s a picture of a couple embracing each other compared to a man bowhunting with the words “This could be us. But it’s hunting season.” Or a picture of a man with a big buck and the words “Killed the buck of a lifetime. Can’t post a picture because my wife thinks I’m at work.” Hunting has traditionally been something that men did alone, with friends or with their sons, but never with their wife/girlfriend.

Well, times have changed and more couples are hunting together now than ever! Members of the Huntress View team explain how hunting with their partner has had a positive effect on their relationship and provides them with the opportunity to spend quality time together, share lots laughs while enjoying the outdoors, and make memories and fill the freezer.

Cortnie Been

When I picture the man that I’ll marry, there are a few things that that I look for: He must love God, have a sense of humor, get along with my family, and of course, be a hunter! Hunting is something that will never not be a part of who I am. When I was first getting to know Dalton, we were in college and one of our favorite things to do to escape the stress of school was to shoot our bows or find some coons to hunt. We’ve been together for just over a year, but have made so many memories in that time—most of them with a gun or bow in our hands, chasing whatever game was in season. One of my favorite things about our relationship is getting to share something with each other that we are both so passionate about. He always encourages me when I am having an off day shooting my bow or when I can’t seem to get on a deer. Hunting definitely has its frustrations, but having someone to lift you up or help you figure out a different approach makes even the toughest situations easier and more enjoyable. It’s also nice to always have someone that is as eager to be in the blind or stand as you are! I have learned a lot from him about ducks, geese, deer and more—and I can’t wait to continue sharing our passion from season to season.

Cortnie Been

Jenny Burden

I think my husband may have decided I was the one when he watched me skin a deer by myself. It wasn't that he couldn’t do it or didn't want to help; it was, of course, that I had grown exasperated at him and his cousin doing it "the slow way" and had demanded the knife. Not all men will look at their girlfriend elbow deep in blood and see wedding bells, but for us, hunting has always been the hobby that has brought us closer than anything else.

We each have different things about hunting that are important to us—I enjoy bow hunting and am very serious about my camouflage and scent control, while he typically hunts in jeans and a t-shirt because he likes testing his skills on long-range shots with his rifle. Different methods don't matter, because there is nothing better than hunting season for us every year. Waking up and driving to the land, a quick kiss goodbye before we head to our separate spots, quick texts when we see deer heading in the other person's direction, and the joy of a message that says "I got one!" are what fill our fall and winter seasons with quality time as a couple. We fill our freezer together with shared pride, and spend countless weekends in the outdoors learning more about each other with each trip. Although our anniversary is in April, I think we look forward to Opening Day as our most exciting day of the year! 

Jenny Burden

Erin Hall Diegel

We pulled into our new deer camp house on a Friday evening and the temperature was 22 below zero with 25 mph winds.  I slept poorly as the wind lashed the house. I was anxious and wondering how I was going to survive being in a rocking tree stand with a wind chill temperature way below zero. Would the deer even move when it is this nasty?  We decided against going out Saturday morning and spent time doing something we rarely do. We slept in, drank coffee, talked about our hunt plans and relaxed.  

Eric and I have dated for three years.  We are both divorced parents with 5 kids between us, so the time we spend together is treasured. Hunting and spending time outdoors has feathered solid attributes to our relationship: teamwork, patience, communication and a deeper appreciation of each other.  Another win for hunting!

Erin Hall Diegel

Kinsey Edmunds

Although I have only been with my boyfriend for a few months, we've shared quite a few hunts together already. In fact, one of our first dates was deer hunting. Although we shared more laughs during our hunt than we saw deer, that's what makes it fun and special! Hunting is one thing that really bonds us together and something we both truly love. I think it really makes a difference to have someone in your life that understands, and is on the same level of love and commitment for the sport. 

Kinsey Edmunds

Emily Worthy Edwards 

I adore that my husband took the time to introduce me to the world of hunting and feeds my love of fishing. He has to suffer through a lot of wintertime complaining that I’m cold, always makes sure I get something to eat before we head out and we usually share some ridiculous texts throughout the day. Some days, he doesn’t feel up to going, mostly because he has already gone a couple of times during the week, but because I’m a weekend warrior, he goes anyway. I prefer to be in the woods or on the water fishing, and he’s always there to enhance my love of the outdoors and help pass it on to our children. 

Emily Worth Edwards

Amelia Farrar

Many people do not get the opportunity to say their hunting partner and life partner are one in the same. It is such a wonderful feeling to know I married someone who truly supports my outdoor lifestyle. Though my husband and I lead busy lives, we never have to compromise or sacrifice our free time since we share the same passion for the outdoors. I appreciate even the smallest pieces of advice, like when he reminds me to relax and take a breath before a shot. We truly enjoy hunting together because we share the same excitement with every harvest. Even during tough times, we are there to remind each other that it is never a failure but always a learning experience. My outdoor journey has been much sweeter having married someone who finds joy in my success. 

Amelia Farrar

Andrea Haas

My husband Jared introduced me to hunting when we first started dating 12 years ago. I'll never forget our second hunt together. We were in the stand no longer than 30 minutes when he dropped a nice 10 point buck that he called in. That hunt was the one that got me hooked for life and I'll be forever grateful that he cared enough to let me tag along with him and to introduce me to the hunting lifestyle. From that point on he took the time to teach me what I needed to know to start hunting on my own and has always been more concerned with me getting a deer than he is getting one for himself. When we do hunt together, we always enjoy each others company and definitely don't fit the common stereotype that you often see surrounding couples hunting together. 

Andrea Haas

Sarah Honadel

Before I met John almost 9 years ago, I never dreamed that I’d be hiking mountains in search of an elk, cleaning and butchering a deer or be happy about sitting in the cold waiting for a turkey to gobble. But today, I can’t imagine not doing those things, and I’m so thankful that he introduced me to a whole new way of life. Hunting is such a huge part of our relationship; it’s something we enjoy spending time together doing, whether we’re prepping for season by putting up blinds and stands, practicing our bows in the backyard, hunting our farm, road tripping across the country to hunt, or processing our meat after a harvest. We always celebrate each others successes and encourage each other when hunting isn’t going as planned. We share stories, laugh a lot and make tons of memories when we’re hunting together. 

Sarah Honadel

Chloe King 

For us, hunting is always something we do together. It means we always have a hunting partner, and being in the backcountry together means we see a whole different side of each other. Seeing Scotty push his boundaries, as well as encouraging me to learn and grow as a both person and a hunter, has been a great experience. There is nothing better than sitting in the most amazing backcountry, looking out to the hills in silence. And there is nothing more romantic than some of the places we have had a 'picnic' (lunch or dinner in the bush!), or sitting in a hut with rain pouring on the roof, or even just our own space, in our own world, in a tent in the middle of nowhere. 

Chloe King

Courtney Riser

I am so glad that I decided to join the hunting world when Tyler and I first started dating. At first, it was a way to spend more time together, because between his farming and school work, it was hard to find any time with him unless it was in the woods hunting. Not only has it helped bring us closer together as a couple, it has also helped us communicate better. I consider him to be my best friend and some of my favorite times together have been spent in a ground blind or tree stand. That doesn’t mean there won’t be times when I want pull my hair out when hunting with him—because I have definitely had my fair share of those days! But I wouldn’t take back the bad days for anything, because it has taught us to communicate and work together as a team. The best times are those when we’re supposed to be quiet but we can’t stop laughing at one of our inside jokes. Those are the memories that I love to look back on, and look forward to making in our future. 

Courtney Riser

Hunting with your partner definitely has plenty of benefits. Share your favorite memory of hunting with your spouse/partner in the comments, and be sure to follow the Huntress View Team Members to see their adventures.