CREDIT : COURTESY OF TED NUGENT & TEDNUGENT . COM
TED NUGENT
Hunter and regular columnist for Fish , Hunt & Ride Magazine Ted Nugent & TedNugent . com ®
Don ’ t let the magic of the hunting season get away from you
HAPPYHAPPPY DEER HUNTING WITH UNCLE TED
AHHHHHHH ……! SMELL THAT ? Hear that ? See that ? Feel that ? Sense that ? Does your spiritual radar pick up the dynamo of Ma Nature in her finest moment like mine does ?
There ’ s a ringing in my ears and I think it ’ s the call of the wild !
It ’ s fall baby , and the effervescent Spirit of the Wild is in full bloom and coming on strong , and she calls our name loud and clear . Nature is as nature does and we are but her humble servants of the miraculous annual harvest .
TizThe Season , so don ’ t let one magical , mystical , miraculous moment get away from you . I sure know I won ’ t . Never have , never will ! Won ’ t , can ’ t ! Unleash the beast and let the predator / prey games begin ! Ain ’ t it wonderful to be a hands-on player in God ’ s tooth , fang and claw perfection ! What exactly is it we want out of our annual sacred hunting season ? Backstraps ? Fun ? Adventure ? Challenge ? Sport ? A trophy ? Escape ? Quiet ? That special campfire with family and friends ? The healing powers of nature ? Filling the memory bank with over-glow ? Defying political correctness ? Or just flexing that pure , natural , instinctive predator muscle because we must ?
All of the above ? All the above for me that ’ s for darn sure .
Many , many years ago back in the roaring 1970s , after more than a dozen years of nonstop touring , performing more than 300 concerts each year with my band The Amboy Dukes , I was getting more and more antsy every October . Something was missing . We didn ’ t sell that many records at the time but we were making a pretty decent living performing killer high energy rockin ’ concerts all across North America , which didn ’ t leave me much time for my beloved bowhunting .
Sneaking in a couple of days here and there during the fall wasn ’ t exactly filling my predator cup to overflow , and I was finding myself obsessed with getting out there for a genuine extended hunt .
I do not believe it to be a coincidence that the year I decided to take a month off to really hunt was the year my career exploded .
By the fall of 1975 I had backed down my concert schedule to the point where I could really apply myself to killing a deer , and most importantly , recharging my batteries and coordinating quality time with my growing family and friends .
The immediate and powerful boost that my mind , body , soul and spirit received from such quality time pursuing my deepest hunting passions , equal to my deepest musical passions , further cleared my already cleared head and set me on an upgraded course in quality of life where deeply craved priorities would never again take a backseat to anything .
Amazingly , in that fall 1975 , with my trusty Bear recurve I arrowed my 1st antlered mule deer in Colorado on September 10 , my 1st antlered whitetail on October 10 , and I killed my 1st firearm buck on the Michigan gun opener on November 15 .
Right on the heels of that mega-accomplishment , my brand new 1st solo album skyrocketed to a million seller . In the next few years I would become the highest grossing touring artist in the world , selling many millions of records each year .
Eventually I would sell more than 40 million records and I just wrapped up my Sonic Baptizm2016 tour , the greatest , most intense and gratifying tour of my life , selling out shows all across America 50 wild years later with the greatest band and crew a guitar player could ever dream of . Lord have mercy ! My point is that man does not live by bread alone , or rock-n-roll alone , or backstraps alone , or any one thing alone !
As I approach my 68th birthday ( are you kidding me !! And everyone should respect their elders ) I guess I qualify to some degree to pass on some meaningful advice after a long , wonderful , passion driven , ultra-aware , adventurous American Dream .
My hunting seasons are sacred time and while cleansing my soul , must bring FUN , SPORT , MEAT and TROPHY ! FUN is inescapable because I love it so much . SPORT is inescapable because killing a deer with a bow and arrow , or any outdoor sporting activity for that matter , is an ultimate life challenge everytime .
MEAT is the prize for gungho dedication , sacrifice and diligence and a job well done .
TROPHY is every good arrow , well placed bullet , successful stalk , landed fish or bagged fowl , regardless of whether it ’ s a small doe , a giant buck , a brace of grouse or a yummy trout .
I assure you that what works for an old roustabout backstrapping guitar-slayer will work for pretty much all humans who seek health , balance , adventure , conservation , individual fulfillment and genuine happiness .
So whip out your intellectual crystal ball my Spirit BloodBrothers , dream big , control your destiny and be sure you take charge of your dreams . Our beloved huntseason is coming on strong . We should come on strong too ! Prioritize like you mean it !
Maximize this special time of year with family and friends . Get out there as often as you possibly can . Spring is special , summer is wonderful , but the fall and winter hunting season is surely the best time of year .
Fish , hunt and ride like you mean it ! Happy Happy Fall 2016 to everyone !
04 | FISH , HUNT RIDE www . fishhuntandride . ca