Every year at deer season, my wife says, "You're not leaving me & the kids to go hunting", so I get to go 1 day tops.
How about building a family resort near the hunting area so your kids can use the indoor water slide (or whatever) all day while you're out hunting? You'd still see your spouse & kids in the evenings, especially since most hunting seasons require you to quit at dusk.
Would also work well if there were other tourist attractions nearby so that people would come outside of popular hunting seasons (I'm thinking of Amish country as an example).-- miles, Feb 05 2002 Surely this is (reasonably) baked. There must be campgrounds near many hunt areas. Wouldn't want them to be too close as someone might confuse Junior with Bambi.-- phoenix, Feb 05 2002 "Game preserve" surely an oxymoron in this context.-- bristolz, Feb 05 2002 Baked. I guess. Lots of large hotels in huntin' country around here. They have indoor pools, waterslides, etc. And the hunting is only minutes away. But, most of the time, guys who go hunting away from home don't want the wife and kids along. They want to stay up late getting drunk, wear the same clothes for days on end, not shave, etc. If a couple can't handle time apart comfortably, something is wrong. Have your wife and kids go on their own vacation while you're hunting.-- quarterbaker, Feb 05 2002 quarterbaker, where is "around here"? Specific hotel names? Not a rhetorical question; I may plan my next vacation there. And actually, my family likes being together. I don't think that indicates that something's wrong.-- miles, Feb 05 2002 Sioux Falls, Huron, Mitchell, Pierre, Aberdeen, or Watertown, South Dakota. Hunting and fishing abound, though you'll have to travel a couple of hours from Sioux Falls for either. Missouri River area is excellent for both hunting and fishing. The Ramkota Inn in Sioux Falls has quite a nice indoor water park setup. I was a bit snarky there. I just fail to understand arguments/fights/etc. about one member of a couple wanting to do something the other isn't interested in. What's wrong with having separate interests?-- quarterbaker, Feb 05 2002 Separate interests, respected by each other, is a goodly part of the elixir of a good union, imho. As long as common interests share an equal platform.-- bristolz, Feb 05 2002 The constraints of time and place make taking the family hunting sub-optimal vacation making. It would also be rather unequal if one party is left to take care of the children, either in a nearby hotel or on a separate holiday of their own. Send them to a camp, textile factory or boarding school. Or trade vacations: After the hunter returns, their spouse gets to go off and pursue their own interest in bear-baiting or mudflat walking or whatever.-- Monkfish, Feb 05 2002 random, halfbakery