I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Ted Nugent at the SHOT Show yesterday. Nugent hosts the very popular Spirit of Wild show on the Outdoor Channel–he is undoubtedly SHOT show royalty. I asked Nugent if he thought the great American outdoor tradition was in jeopardy as the left continues on it’s crusade against firearms and hunting. As you can imagine, he had some choice thoughts on the issue.
Nugent explained that outdoorsmanship is on the rise: “no question it’s growing” especially since it was traditionally associated with a more upper-crust segment of society, he described it as flaccid with a certain feebleness.
“It’s very, very challenging, requiring discipline and stealth, hand eye coordination. Deer Hunting is the ultimate sport, much more of a sport than football or baseball. In football and baseball you can strike out or miss a catch, if you miss in deer hunting you buy a chicken for dinner.”
Nugent went on to say, “Enthusiasm is contagious to a demographic that lives to be enthused. There was a time when being a hunter was so hokey, plaid jacket BORING until they heard it coming from the Motor City madmen and it ain’t boring at all.”