Turning Shed Hunting Into an Activity for Two
OutdoorHub Social 04.28.16
Now that weather is finally warming up for most of the country, there is no time like the present to enjoy time spent in the great outdoors. With hunting season behind us for now, pursuing large game isn’t currently an option, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still get out there and look for sheds. Antlers have most definitely been dropped by now and all that remains is for you to go and find them, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Shed hunting is a great activity if you’re seeking to get busy moving about in the wilderness. Not only is it enjoyable for you, but it can also be turned into an activity that includes others as well. Specifically shed hunting is a good way to share something you love with someone you love.
We’ve all been in a relationship that has fallen into a rut. Since we can all too easily become creatures of habit, things can become boring and go stale before you know it. The same old dinner and a movie date is nice, but it loses its luster upon being repeated too many times. Instead of spending your time together repeating the same old same old, take your partner on an outdoor shed hunting adventure instead.
Hunting for sheds does not have to be just a walk in the woods as you scan the ground for discarded antlers. Although looking about for sheds may be a primary goal, so too can be good conversation. As you both trek through the woods, have a talk, updating one another on the details of life as you each know it. In a woodland environment there is less distraction, so it will give you a unique opportunity to reconnect. After all, the sound of whispering wind and birds singing makes a better soundtrack rather than ringing cell phones and obnoxious conversations you’re forced to overhear in public places.
Take the time to get close again. It may occur to you to split up and cover more ground in your shed search, but resist that idea and instead cover ground together. Hold hands as you traverse tough terrain in order to keep one another safe, but also to regain a sense of closeness than one or both of you may be craving. Help each other up and down hills and over obstacles, but also stay close when covering easy ground as well.
Since searching for sheds can work up an appetite, stop and have lunch in between periods of exertion. A picnic in nature is something easy to plan and prepare, plus it is makes for an intimate, enjoyable experience. Rekindle a little romance by stopping your shed hunting, spreading out a blanket, and having some sandwiches and snacks. Maybe even pop the cork on a bottle of wine while you’re at it. Take some time to lie on your blanket and watch the clouds move by, enjoying nature and one another’s company.
After your period of lunch is over, you can return to the shed hunt or even do some scouting in preparation for next hunting season. With a little luck, you’ll find a shed to bring home, but finding that you’re able to make your partner as well as yourself happy with a shed hunting outing is also a victory. Since it is sometimes true that people in relationships lack certain similar interests, this is one way to create a date that can be enjoyed on multiple levels. Plus you both get the benefit of being active in nature at the same time.
You may also find that in addition to such activities fostering your relationship with as a whole, a fondness for time spent in the outdoors beings to grow. This could open up a world of possibilities for future excursions, up to and including you having a new hunting buddy. Then, with a little luck, at the end of the each day spent in the wilderness, you’ll be able to have a whole other kind of fun as you check each other for ticks.
