I learn something new every time I go hunting. It’s a wild adventure, filled with the unexpected. Four Jeub kids and I ventured out to Nebraska for a whitetail hunt that we’ll never forget. Here’s the story…
First, I have to tell you about my good friend Phil. He brought his son elk hunting with him a couple years ago. A herd of elk ran out into an open field before the two of them. Phil was so excited he started unloading commands to his son, one of which was, “Don’t shoot into the herd!” His son mistook that as “Don’t shoot,” which he dutifully obeyed. The herd ran by, and Phil’s son missed his opportunity. I recall telling Phil, “You shouldn’t have said anything,” and he agreed. I also told Matthew, “You are a very obedient child,” and he sighed and agreed.
Now let me tell you about our exciting hunt in Nebraska, specifically 12-year-old Noah’s harvest of his 10-point buck. We were sitting together at the foot of a butte when this beautiful buck spooked over the summit down into the valley where we were sitting. Noah saw it first, “Dad, a deer!” and we both prepared our rifles.
Guess what I started doing? I started unloading a bunch of commands, just like Phil! “Wait till it comes out into the open!” “Make sure you have it in your sites!” “Shoot…wait, wait, it’s coming closer…”
Noah acted like a pro, responding exactly as he had trained. He dropped to the ground and set his .243 on his knee, one of the best positions to shoot. The buck ran further down the hill toward us, then turned parallel with the butte: a perfect broadside shot. Noah let one go, then quickly reloaded. The deer ran another 20 yards and Noah let another bullet go, the deer dropped. One bullet hole to the lung. One clean, humane shot.
In the few seconds, I think I rattled off more no-brainer commands. “Reload!” “Shoot!” “Get it!” In my excitement, I was trying to guide Noah, but I sounded like an idiot!
We tend to parent exactly the same way, don’t we? The children are taught, trained, and prepped to behave in a certain way. We rehearse dozens of different scenarios. We school them till their brains are mush. In our excitement (or, perhaps, fear?) we rattle off commands when they they have their first shot.
Maybe I’m making more of it than it is, but it sure makes sense. Staying silent, letting them do what they were trained to do, I think is the better parenting model. Like I said, I learn something new every time I go out. Especially when I bring my children.
Personally, I think this should go on the cover of Nebraska’s hunting journal.
About Chris & Wendy Jeub
