Adventure Outdoors Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 106

& AO: What is your favorite hunting memory? Why was it so special? TN: I think back fondly to our annual family bowhunting excursions in Northern Michigan for opening day of bow season every October. My mind reels with graphic, stim- ulating details of the gas stations with bows and arrows and guns and ammo on display. The firestorm of colors in those Michigan hardwoods is as if they are silkscreened on my soul. I can see my hero, Fred Baer, sitting next to me at the counter of the Grayling restau- rant, eating our cherry pie and sipping big glasses of milk together; incredible memories overall. But every hunt is indescribably thrilling, no matter where, what, or when. It is always about the “who,” and I've shared so many very special campfires with so many special peo- ple, that my glowing memory cup runneth over! AO: How did the idea and concept of Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild come about? TN: Hunting and all things outdoors are our cherished lifestyle, so we knew that an honest documentary pres- entation of how the majority of American hunting families celebrate this hands-on conservation lifestyle would be entertaining, fun, educational, and most importantly, a dynamic sucker punch to the soulless guts of the anti- hunting animal rights loony fringe freaks out there. Talk about win, win, win!! We don’t produce our show per se, but rather simply push the record button and document the honest, down to earth, pragmatic, natural lifestyle of hunting, fishing, trapping, resource stewardship, and ul- timate accountable environmentalism. We are the tooth, fang, and claw truth family. AO: What is your go-to bow of choice? What makes it the best? TN: I shoot, test, abuse, and experiment with every bow out there, and I fell in love with the feel and efficiency of my Mathews. I’ve got my amazing Mathews Halon bow on the road with me, and as the ultimate warmup for the ultimate rock-n-roll outrage every night, there is nothing that can compare with the aim small, miss small, mystical flight of the arrow from this great piece of equipment. AO: You’ve been inducted into the National Bowhunters Hall of Fame. Are there any tips you can give out to those who may just be starting to use a bow? TN: Guide the youngsters slow and easy into the sport, and give them a helping hand. But guide them to do everything themselves, so that they feel a sense of be- longing, and the joys of struggle, along with the gratifi- cation of individual accomplishment. Dedication and practice, practice, practice is still the guiding force to be- coming proficient. 104 | Fall 2017 | Adventure Outdoors