When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first things I worried about, quietly, was whether hunting season was about to become something I used to do. It isn’t an option for every family, and certain circumstances can change a lifestyle in a big way. But I always wanted to make sure that as a parent, I wouldn’t quit doing things I love just because I became one. It just takes an extra bag or two to get things done now. And a lot more time.
My first baby was born this summer in June. After a couple of months of getting my health back in order and learning how to care for her, hunting season came upon us. The last thing I wanted to do was stay home.
Before You Head Out With a Baby in Tow
I get asked a lot if this is even safe, and I think that’s a fair question to sit with before anything else. There’s no single right answer, and it depends a lot on the kind of hunting you’re doing and how comfortable you are managing a baby and a firearm or bow at the same time. Scouting, glassing from a distance, or calling with a friend nearby is a very different situation than being alone in a tree stand with a loaded bow at full draw.
Most of the hunting moms I know start bringing a baby along on scouting trips and calling setups long before they bring one on an actual harvest attempt. That gives you a season or two to work out feeding schedules, nap timing, and how a baby actually handles being outdoors, without the added pressure of also trying to close a shot.
Noise and scent matter more with a baby than most people plan for ahead of time. A crying baby will move animals off just as fast as a dog barking, so build hunts that can flex if things go sideways, and don’t count on one specific stand or setup working out. Scent control gets harder too, with diapers and bottles in the mix, so figure out that routine before the season starts instead of mid hunt.
If you are hunting with your baby in tow, there are a couple of products I have purchased and use that have made scouting and hunting in the summer in Arizona doable with a baby.
The stroller seat liner: Around $16 on Amazon, this can be folded, cut, or tied to fit the stroller or seat that the little one sits in or lays on. It helps keep airflow under or behind them to help them from overheating where they sit.
A portable fan: Thank goodness for great finds at Walmart. A couple of batteries and this thing will sit, prop, or hang anywhere to provide hours of airflow in three different settings.
A cooler lunch box for keeping a bottle at temp whether warm or cold: It has room for ice packs and two bottles or accessories. There are also plenty of options for attaching the pouch to anything you need, so it doesn’t tip or get lost. Plus, some fun patches can be added for conversion starters.
And that stack of koozies in the back of the junk drawer? Keep bottles from sweating while holding them and help insulate the contents on super-hot days.
What This Looks Like Outside of Heat
Everything above solves a heat problem, and if you’re hunting somewhere cold, the products and the problem flip completely. Keeping a baby warm outdoors means layers that come off easily, not gear built to move air, and the same rules about naps and feeding schedules still apply no matter the climate. If you’re hunting cold weather with a baby, look at gear built for winter stroller walks rather than anything on this list, and pack extra layers you can peel off fast the second you’re back in a warm vehicle or a heated blind.
Whatever your climate, if the little one cooperates, you might get some good hunting in. So far, my daughter has watched a deer jump the string when I flung an arrow at him. She’s called in a bull elk calf with her squeaks, and she’s helped a friend on an archery antelope hunt. So far, when she’s in the woods, arrows are flying.
Let’s hope her good luck stays with us. I know I’m looking forward to many years to come of taking her on adventures with us.
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