Awe man! Hunting plans blew up in my face.

L

Lark Bunting

New member
Sep 14, 2016
710
I honestly feel like I\'ve been kicked square in the berries.

I was talking with the family last night about finalizing our plans for this hunting season. We are expecting to take off Aug 29 and return Sept 6. All of a sudden my wife says...\"The kids\' school won\'t allow him to miss that many days without a doctor\'s note.\" :help2: What the????? We\'ve only been talking about this for a year now! I jump on their website and sure enough... he can\'t miss that many days. Why, oh WHY does school begin before Labor Day?!

I\'ve been brainstorming all night trying to come up with a new plan which would allow him the opportunity to come with me for the first half of the week. My biggest dilemma is that this particular place is four hours away. Here\'s what I am thinking:

Aug 29: Drive to hunting camp/quietly scout for the afternoon (He misses school)
Aug 30: Hunt w/ my son
Aug 31: Hunt w/ my son
Sept 1: Hunt w/ my son
Sept 2: Drive him home then drive back up by myself that day (He misses school)
Sept 3: Hunt solo
Sept 4: Hunt solo
Sept 5: Hunt solo
Sept 6: Hunt solo
Sept 7: Pack up camp and head home

This plan could work but will cost me another $140 in gas and an entire 8 hour+ day of driving. (I know there are many people that drive out from all over the country to hunt elk in CO...I\'m just being a diva)

The only other thing I can think of is for him to skip this particular trip and join me on the remaining weekends in Sept in the unit where I drew my deer tag. It\'s also an OTC unit for elk.

My plan all along has been for the two of us to hunt as a team, with a caller/shooter setup. I can adapt to the solo hunting I suppose but it\'s not something I\'ve focused on. I feel bad for him as I know he\'s been really excited to experience a week in the woods with me.

Sorry for the rant, I just needed to vent.
 
Can your wife come and get him?

If not I like the plan. Take him back mid point. Good lesson not circumnavigating the rules.
 
Doesn\'t seem like there are many options for you. One other suggestion would be to go home with him on 9/2 and not go back - in order to take him again another long weekend, where you have him miss school on a Friday and Monday. For the second trip you can head up Thursday after he gets off of school, drive to and set up camp that night. Then you have another 3 days to hunt with him (Fri, Sat & Sun then drive home Mon) - instead of going solo on 9/3-9/7.
 
Lark
How many days CAN he miss?

My kids missed school for extended amounts of time, they have been to Italy twice, trips and other family functions.
The way I feel is that the little amount of time missed learning \'Real Life\' is much more valuable than a few days of school.

Or, take him to your Dr and discuss with him/her your predicament.
Im betting that a Dr note would be generated because it falls under family health.

Just saying...
 
Aug 29: Drive to hunting camp/quietly scout for the afternoon (He misses school)
Aug 30: Hunt w/ my son
Aug 31: Hunt w/ my son
Sept 1: Hunt w/ my son
Sept 2: Drive him home then drive back up by myself that day (He misses school)
Sept 3: Hunt solo
Sept 4: Hunt solo
Sept 5: Hunt solo
Sept 6: Hunt solo
Sept 7: Pack up camp and head home

How many days can he miss in a row?
If it is two or three bring him back to school on Wednesday, rest regroup refuel and head back up on thurs (or wed night) for another long weekend with him.
 
It\'s a shame that schools don\'t realize how valuable family time is, especially when 28 out of the 30 kids in my daughter\'s home room is from broken/blended families.

Sometimes priorities are messed up.

As long as I can remember, our schools are closed during our 9 day gun deer season. When I got to college I was like \"what the heck do you mean i have top come back for three days of classes?\" That sucked!
 
I have a new plan for you. Kill an elk the first two days. Then go home with your son. :D
 
That sounds odd. When I lived in Leadville, kids would miss a week of school for rifle season.

Generic rules are posted on web sites. A phone call to a real person may yield a better outcome.

For next year, there are closer OTCs that may work better for you.

In the meantime, call the principal or vice principal. Even a guidance counselor may come to your aid.
 
Lark, I like your plan except for September 7th. You can hunt that morning too. Leave your camp in your truck when you get home, and head back with your son for each weekend of hunting. I know it costs, but that is one of the reasons we work the remainder of the year.
 
\"mtnmutt\" said:
That sounds odd. When I lived in Leadville, kids would miss a week of school for rifle season.

Generic rules are posted on web sites. A phone call to a real person may yield a better outcome.

For next year, there are closer OTCs that may work better for you.

In the meantime, call the principal or vice principal. Even a guidance counselor may come to your aid.
Click to expand...

+1. (Also, what Cnelk said.) (Also Stillhunter!)

In the end, you may have to compromise. When we deal with our kids, the importance of events CAN be overstated. Next year exists. This year is important, but make it happen as best you can, and don\'t look back. Sometimes we get expectations that just can\'t be met. Try to meet them where you can, when you can, but if it doesn\'t happen, don\'t beat yourself up.

And +1 on Swede, too ... weekends work, although fuel isn\'t free. You\'ve got a year to make up the cost, though.
 
Thank you all for the support and suggestions. This is a private school and one which we were on a two year wait list prior to its opening. It is going into its second year and they are sticklers so far, ie; uniforms policy, attendance, etc. I\'m sure they will relax a bit in the future but being a new school in the area I think they are trying to abide by the rules they\'ve set. I am not upset at the school per say, they have really helped my son. He went from a solid C+ student to all A\'s and a couple B\'s on his last trimester.

I am leaning toward Still Hunter\'s suggestion. Kill an elk the first couple days and come home. I have been preparing myself mentally on enduring the entire week as needed. When the realization set in last night that he wouldn\'t be up there for the entire week I got bummed out, almost a deflated feeling.

There are so many variables.

After thinking about it a bit this morning I\'ve realized that this could be a good excuse to hunt as hard as necessary to achieve a goal. With that in mind though, I am trying to prepare myself for a few nights solo if necessary.

Like I said, I won\'t risk my kids\' opportunities at this school so will do my best to make the best of this situation.
 
The other thing to keep in mind is that your son is young ... and as such, he may welcome the chance to hunt hard for 3 days rather than with a decreased intensity for a week.

A week is a long time ... This way he can push it knowing that he doesn\'t have to have the endurance of someone with a few more years.

With dog training, I learned to quit throwing the dummy before the dog was tired of it ... \"Leave them wanting one more\" is the rule there ... and I\'ve found that kids are the same.
 
When I was a youngster going with my dad we would always get there early, and use the time to scout. Can you do that too? I\'m sure it\'s time with your son that will be part of the hunt, and you both will enjoy. Then the day the season starts you\'ll be more than ready to get the kill.
 
\"Deertick\" said:
The other thing to keep in mind is that your son is young ... and as such, he may welcome the chance to hunt hard for 3 days rather than with a decreased intensity for a week.

A week is a long time ... This way he can push it knowing that he doesn\'t have to have the endurance of someone with a few more years.

With dog training, I learned to quit throwing the dummy before the dog was tired of it ... \"Leave them wanting one more\" is the rule there ... and I\'ve found that kids are the same.
Click to expand...
Very true. I wonder if he is somewhat relieved. He\'s kept a pretty good poker face when I\'d ask him if he was ready for a week long hunt. His mother had indicated he was nervous he\'d get homesick.

\"Still Hunter\" said:
When I was a youngster going with my dad we would always get there early, and use the time to scout. Can you do that too? I\'m sure it\'s time with your son that will be part of the hunt, and you both will enjoy. Then the day the season starts you\'ll be more than ready to get the kill.
Click to expand...
We scouted this area a couple weeks ago. Granted, we don\'t live close enough to scout every day like you can, we feel pretty good about this area. This is the spot cnelk had turned us onto. I need to do well so he doesn\'t make fun of me. :eek:
 
Homesickness is tough ... and it literally is \"home\" the person wants, not familiar faces.

Why push a kid to the point that they don\'t like it? I know of what I speak! I\'ve done it myself, and in far less time than a week.

Much more fun to have them a bit, and leave them wanting more.
 
I concur with these gentleman. When my grandfather first started taking me to \"elk camp\" it was for a weekend at a time, and I LOVED it. It was all I could stand waiting an entire year until it would come again.
But I also remember the first \"extended\" trip, I believe it was roughly a week.....what a difference it makes at that age! :oops: I was home sick as could be and after a few days it just wasn\'t fun to me anymore.
Thankfully I quickly outgrew that stage and still love it more than ever. But man, elk hunting is now such a huge part of my life, its my passion, and I can\'t imagine what would have taken it\'s place IF that trip HAD ruined it for me.
Start em slow, keep it fun, and you\'ll have a hunting buddy for years to come.
 
I\'d say kick the school right in the berries. :D Is this a private or public school?

I work in education and I\'ve never seen a school rule prohibiting a parent from taking their kid out for a set amount of time. Doctors note is understandable if the child has been sick that many days. All you need to do is call the school and tell them that your child will be out of town during that time. If they give you trouble, kick\'em harder in the berries.
 
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
I\'d say kick the school right in the berries. :D Is this a private or public school?

I work in education and I\'ve never seen a school rule prohibiting a parent from taking their kid out for a set amount of time. Doctors note is understandable if the child has been sick that many days. All you need to do is call the school and tell them that your child will be out of town during that time. If they give you trouble, kick\'em harder in the berries.
Click to expand...

Update: I just talked to my wife who is also in the education system. If you call them in sick for so many days, a doctors note is required. But you can pre-excuse the child. We live in Oregon though.
 
Lark, I am sorry to hear this, but as Atfrith said, my first years elk hunting were long weekends. I would maybe miss school on Friday, but I would be home Sunday night. Your kid might enjoy not being out that long, as has been said by many. As a thought, here is what I would look at doing:

Aug 29-31, same as planned
Sept 1 - hunt the morning and bring your son back so he won\'t miss school Tues
Sept 2 - head back up solo and hunt through the afternoon of Sept 4
Sept 4 - head home in the late afternoon/evening and grab your son again
Sept 5 - head back up and hunt through the weekend with your son

I know this adds more gas to the equation, but then your son gets two weekends of hunting (if necessary) and still only misses one day of school. This cuts down on your individual time hunting as well, but it gets you more time in the woods together. I know this might have to be negotiated with Mom, but it might be worth the discussion and extra gas money...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 26 (members: 0, guests: 26)

Latest posts

Share this page

Back
Top