How ‘hunting’ a stuffed animal got my son in trouble at day care

At 2 ½ years old, our son Bridger is already well on his way to becoming a hunter.

He comes by it naturally, given the influence he receives from us and other family and friends.

As a newborn, he came home from the hospital to a log cabin at the end of a dirt road, where the walls were filled with antlers, mounts, traps and turkey fans. I’ll never forget the moment I heard him say his first word as he pointed to a mounted 8-point buck on the living room wall — “deer.”

This year, the Easter Bunny left him an overflowing basket of treats, goodies and toys, but when he spied the cheap, tiny bow with a foam-tipped arrow, nothing else mattered to him. Except for day care, it never leaves his side, even at bedtime, and he loves pretending to stalk his stuffed toy deer around the house.

Not only does Bridger love it, but we do too, and it warms our hearts to watch him take interest in our passions. But I was caught off guard recently while picking him up from day care when the provider looked at me with concern, and said “So, I’m in a really hard spot here.”

My heart sank when she explained that Bridger has begun “hunting” and “shooting” stuffed animals with his little friends. He’s also started yelling “Big Buck! Pew Pew! Got him!” as he points at wildlife he sees through the window. The provider said she wasn’t worried personally, but advised there were parents who likely would be horrified or extremely concerned if word got back to them.

Am I worried about our toddler’s actions at day care? No. But I can certainly see why others might be. Our world has changed, and with it, so have perceptions, perspectives, thoughts and opinions on subjects such as firearms, shooting sports and hunting.

As proud as Maine hunters and firearms owners are, we still need to be respectful of the views of others. We need to be understanding and offer empathy, especially now, during a time of grieving and remembrance for those who died and others affected so greatly by the tragic shootings in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023.

When the day care provider told me about Bridger’s behavior, several emotions immediately hit me. For starters, I had never felt more proud of my son. Internally, I smiled, fist-pumped and thought “atta boy!”

Next, I began to feel a bit defensive, and almost angry, about how silly it was to be making any sort of issue out of the situation.

Then oddly, I felt a sense of shame, as if his mother and I had done something wrong: that we were terrible, miscreant parents who imprinted violence and bloodlust on our son.

As all these thoughts rattled around, I knew the delicate situation called for a quick, appropriate response. So, as I held Bridger on my hip, I spoke from my heart: “I completely understand.”

I do genuinely understand. We’re very thankful that our provider appreciates and supports our love of hunting and the outdoors. Nevertheless, I reiterated to her that hunting is something we love, something we will always be proud of and something Bridger will always be very exposed to.

I explained that most of our meals include some type of wild game, and that Bridger is beginning to understand the connection between game animals and his plate. While I desperately wanted to remain on my soapbox and drive home that we were “right” and other parents were “wrong,” I hopped down.

I looked back at Bridger in his car seat on the ride home as he sat intently looking for the deer and turkeys we often see while driving. A snack cup in one hand, his toy bow in the other, he had no idea he would have to defend his budding passion for hunting and his love of the outdoors for the rest of his life.

As my blood pressure decreased, I could think a bit more realistically, and began to accept that maybe day care was an iffy place to be waving around finger guns, or bragging about hunting deer.

I love hunting. I love firearms. And apparently so does Bridger. We have rights that allow us to live our chosen lifestyle, and I will defend them to the very end. But I can appreciate the spirit of lobbying to take away those rights with hopes of preventing future loss of life due to gun violence.

That said, if the issue with Bridger’s “hunting” ever arises, I’ll happily invite a concerned parent to have an honest, open conversation with us. Although I might struggle to keep a straight face while listening to them explain what’s so horrifying about a 2 1/2-year-old putting a perfect stalk on a trophy teddy bear in the play room.