Mike Jaicomo ’ s first hunt was for pheasants at the invitation of friends . Since then he has traveled the world in pursuit of hunting and fishing adventure , never forgetting the vital role of mentors .
Those hunters who invited Mike into the pheasant fields might have started him on the hunting path , but it was Gert who pulled the family into the fold and kept him in the fields pursuing a newfound passion and a life filled with adventure .
As a hunter , shooter and conservationist , Mike is an all-around sportsman . After 27 years of consecutive membership , he can ’ t quite put his finger on what exactly made him support Sportsmen ’ s Alliance , but he remembers when he realized that being a part of advocacy organizations was important for the future of sportsmen and -women .
“ It was right after the riots in Los Angeles , that was what triggered me to buy my first guns ,” he said . Hunting came shortly after , and Sportsmen ’ s Alliance was in the spotlight as an organization that supports the well-rounded sportsman , from bird hunting to Second Amendment rights .
“ Conservation organizations do a really good job at habitat protection and all the stuff that relates to protecting these animals ,” he said “ Related to that is the gun-rights side of things . So somewhere in there I read about Sportsmen ’ s Alliance . It is different than other organizations , more comprehensive in a way .”
He points out that each one of these groups specializes in different aspects of conservation or gun rights advocacy , and that when we support them all , the differences in the individual efforts make the collective stronger as a whole .
“ If you want to have that experience available , you have to protect what we have ,” he said .
Though he has traveled the world on many unique hunts , the adrenaline and interaction of calling in turkeys and elk get top billing as his favorite animals to hunt .
“ It ’ s funny how things work out . I never planned to be this big-game hunter that has been to all these places and done this stuff ,” he said . “ Starting just hunting pheasants behind a dog that someone wanted to give me has led to all these other things . As a result , I have hunted lots of places and met a lot of people . I ’ ve had a great time .”
But whether hunting overseas for big game or an upland field behind a good dog , Mike continues to hold tight to his mantra of connections , community and passing on our outdoor passions . While he , like the rest of us , loves to be in the woods hunting himself , he knows that we have to sacrifice some of our time if we want to see hunting survive . Four youth hunters have successfully harvested their first deer on his property , something he plans to keep doing to pass on his passion to the next generation and introduce them to the natural world they might not otherwise experience .
“ As a hunter you are just out there where things happen that other people never see ,” he said . “ Some of it is pretty amazing , and yet , most people will never have the opportunity to see any of it because you have to put yourself out there .”
Mike encourages and challenges us all to be someone ’ s community connection to the outdoors so that they can see and experience those amazing scenes , and so that we can all continue to have the experiences we are allowed today .
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