Happy Wife, Happy Life.
By Simon Guild.
First of all, apologies for the somewhat chauvanistic title to this post – I mean no disrespect to our dedicated female hunters out there, it’s just that the line has a nice snappy rhyme and well, it gets the point across.
Maybe a better title would be happy spouse, happy house. Either way, you get the point – in the context of going to far flung places to hunt, if your better half can join you on the trip and enjoy him or herself in the process, you win both ways. Here’s the how and why, as we see it at High Peak.
For those lucky enough to be in a position to consider it, the prospect of an overseas hunting trip demands of them their most scarce resource – time. The hunting trip may come at the cost of another holiday, or, heaven forbid, may be postponed in place of that holiday.
A Hunting Holiday That’s Also An Incredible Family Vacation – Maybe in New Zealand?
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to combine the annual vacation and hunting trip into one – avoiding any conflict about where the precious time is spent – effectively having your cake and eating it too?
There are hunting destinations out there that deliver just that (and I unashamedly put our own New Zealand hunting operation in that category). The best are in spectacular locations, have comfortable lodges and offer old-fashioned hospitality that makes them a perfect base for exploring a new region or country. For those couples out there that both hunt – what can we say – you have life well sorted. But for those where one hunts while the other does not, there are many outstanding destinations around the world that pride themselves on looking after non-hunters as much as those with rifle in hand.
Offering A Hunting Experience For Both Hunters and Non-Hunters
The trick is to sort out those operations that really do deliver to hunters and non-hunters alike from those who merely pay lip service to the idea. It’s easy to say you provide for non-hunters but it pays to look for the evidence; Do they supply non-hunting guides? A list of lodge activities and nearby attractions that aren’t 300 miles away? Is the environment conducive to bringing your spouse or will they be subjected to boorish behaviour and dirty jokes for the whole trip? Are families welcome? Ask the outfitter to provide a comprehensive list of what’s on offer, make sure you ask for testimonials and references and trust your instincts.
From our perspective, it appears that there is a growing trend of hunters involving their spouses and families in their hunting activities. It’s a trend we wholeheartedly embrace and encourage at High Peak and in today’s time-poor world, we see it as the perfect solution to much-needed family bonding time where everyone has a great time.
Go forth and hunt – and bring the family with you.