MAY YOUR SPIRIT OF THE WILD
RUN STRONG AND FREE
And fully armed
ALL ABOARD FOR THE UNCLE TED Fish , Hunt and Ride back strap boogie # 2 ya ’ all ! Strap in tight my friends , I ’ m betting this could be one insane , fun , occasionally bumpy ride . Who could want it any other way ?
Are we having SpiritWild fun yet or what ? I sure hope everyone is patient and understanding with the old guitar-playing back strapper , for spinning wildly as I am from the highest of highs coming straight out of the greatest hunting season of my life , the Herculean effort I am painstakingly putting forth to type potentially coherent misgivings for my second column is truly miraculous to say the least . So let us start there , shall we . My 67th autumn in life was indeed a spectacle to behold . The terminal gaga I experienced day-in and day-out for more than 300 days in 2015 from always spinetingling encounters with majestic critters , the effervescence of many mystical flights of my arrows , many rock-steady sniper crosshairs , and the amazing campfire celebrations of hard-won sacred back straps is not only how I get high , it is surely how I live .
The sunrises and sunsets , the sounds , smells , pulsations , the electrical physics of spirituality from every day afield , the happy , happy dogs in the pheasant fields , the duck marshes , the woodcock coverts , the titillating approaches of many deer , bear and elk , and of course the often resulting perfect meals of super protein pretty much defines my life .
Sure , my priorities are crystal clear with God , family and country at the top of the list , but my phenomenal year-round outdoor lifestyle runs right up there with my beloved rock ’ n ’ roll and all those important things , for an ultimate quality of life and pursuit of breathtaking runaway happiness .
Again I thank my Canadian bloodbrothers here at Fish , Hunt and Ride , including my fellow writers , editors , publishers , readers and fellow SpiritWild enthusiasts . Have we lucked out with choosing and living the greatest lifestyle available to mankind or what ?
I love my small game , big game , exotic game , varmints of every species , archery , firearms , fishing , trapping and everything that maximizes my cravings for simply getting out there dreams .
Though 90 per cent of my hunting is dedicated to gung ho stealthy bow hunting , I also love my long range centerfire rifle sniper fun . My favorite long guns are some amazingly accurate bolt rifles in . 243 and . 270 calibres and numerous ARs in . 223 and . 308 , all with crystal clear Bushnell scopes .
Having my own line of Ted Nugent Ammo doesn ’ t hurt when it comes time for extended shoot-me-up practice and training fun . Here on our Texas home SpiritWild Ranch , we have some full auto machine-guns that we train religiously with , and a normal supply of ammo simply would not be enough when you ’ re hosing such quantities of hot lead downrange on 750 rounds per minute full auto .
We do not hunt indigenous game with machine-guns , but full auto certainly comes in handy when reducing the dangerously overpopulated wild pig and coyote populations from a helicopter .
And Lord have mercy , it ’ s legal in Texas ! God bless Texas !
I know my Canadian friends have some phenomenal hunting opportunities up there , but I ’ m afraid you haven ’ t lived ’ til you hunt feral hogs and coyotes from a wildly manoeuvering helicopter with a machine-gun knee-deep in brass .
Can we please have a moment of silence for legally owned machine-guns ? Thank you . As a sworn sheriff deputy for more than 34 years , I am obligated to train diligently with my various firearms and in fact must qualify at the range each year with my daily carry handgun .
I own more than 100 wonderful handguns to choose from , but my usual choice for daily carry and big game hunting is my custom Glock Model 20 chambered in 10mm .
As much as I love Canada , I am totally let down by the absurd gun laws that Canadians have to put up with . Handgun hunting is one of the most enjoyable , challenging , fun sports there is . And of course the right to individual self-defence and the natural right to keep and bear arms are only argued against by illogical , weird people .
There is no logic , common sense or
TED NUGENT
Hunter and regular columnist for
Fish , Hunt & Ride Magazine anything approaching any sense whatsoever to believe society could benefit in any way from denying law-abiding Canadians to carry a handgun for hunting or backup when hunting bear with the bow and arrow .
Who could possibly argue that the good Canadian hunting families would be inclined to commit crimes or do harm with a handgun when they have unlimited access to 12 gauge shotguns ? Damn shame isn ’ t it ? There is no question that the outdoor lifestyle is alive and well all across Ontario and North America . Each year it appears that the deer hunting gets better , the bear hunting gets better , the moose and turkey hunting is getting better , the small game and waterfowl hunting is truly spectacular , the fishing is world-class and the Spirit of the Wild runs strong and free .
My killer band and I are gearing up for our 2016 Sonic Baptizm summer tour July and August , and as much as I connect with my Canadian hunting and fishing BloodBrothers , surely our rock ’ n ’ roll bond is just as powerful if not a little more !
I ’ ve been celebrating my outdoor life and my musical life across Canada for more than 50 years , and I sure hope we get to jam up your way on this tour .
One thing I am sure of is that I will again return to Rick Dickson ’ s bear camp in Wawa , Ont . come the fall bear season . I am here to tell you that there is nothing on God ’ s good green earth to better bring a crazed Motor City Madman guitar maniac back to earth like the soul-cleansing serenity of sitting quietly on a bear stand with my bow and arrow in the Ontario wilderness waiting for that dynamo encounter with our brother the black bear .
I wish you all a very happy springtime in Canada and beyond , and hope your lines are tight , your gobblers are strutting wildly and the warming days of a new season charge your Fish Hunt and Ride spirit batteries to maximum overload .
May our spirits be fortified with non-stop fish fillets and wild turkey drumsticks for the greatest spring of our lives .
Fish , hunt and ride like you mean it !
04 | FISH , HUNT RIDE www . fishhuntandride . ca
PHOTO BY DUANE SYCZ