Some people have questioned, while the really smart critical-thinkers out here already knew instinctively, why on earth the MotorCity Madman rock-n-roll maniac would bother writing articles and books all these years about hunting, of all things.
Well allow me to elaborate right here at my deeranddeerhunting.com BloodBrother family electro-campfire, wonxe2x80x99t you?
At the tender age of 70, about to unleash my 61st year of performing and my 54th year of nonstop hyper-spirit, throttling all-American soulmusic across America on my The Music Made Me Do It Again 2019 summer tour, I always thought it was pretty darn obvious what the heck Ixe2x80x99ve been up to all of these years to anyone not stuck living under a rock.
To keep it real simple, I was born a bowhunter in the exciting times and home-turf of Fred Bear, deep in the exhilarating sonic-bombast of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, God of Thunder Little Richard and I simply couldnxe2x80x99t help myself!
Talkinxe2x80x99 about right place and right time!
Thank You Lord!
Those were not just times of incredible change in America and the world post-WWII, powerfully manifested by the clear and present universally celebrated individual freedom of hunting rights, but this new outrageous rock-n-roll music surely provided the ultimate soundtrack for youthful defiance and independence.
To my way of thinking, nothing in life better represents true rugged individualism and definitive independence quite like the hunting lifestyle.
So, when I began conducting media interviews as early as the 1960s, when asked where I got all of my killer musical ideas and intense energy, I would always excitedly share my thrilling hunting and shooting lifestyle, and my aim-small miss-small mystical flight of the arrow archery and marksmanship discipline and fun as my way of getting high, so to speak.
Well, the hippie dippy rock-n-roll world couldnxe2x80x99t believe I xe2x80x9cmurdered innocent animalsxe2x80x9d and actually carried a gun, dared to promote a clean and sober life condemning the exploding suicidal insanity of substance abuse all around me, and immediately they began to attack me for these, what they referred to as xe2x80x9cviolent hobbies!xe2x80x9d
Anybody paying any attention at all knows all too well what happens to anyone who takes that ridiculous point of ignorance with me, and my interviews became legendary for destroying the liberal anti-hunting and anti-gun nonsense each and every time anyone dared to take me on or debate me.
I was rather shocked at first at just how stupid the stoners could be, but learned quickly that a culture war was erupting, turning everything upside down where the best things in life were being attacked xe2x80x94 while the dumbest, most dangerous things were increasingly being celebrated.
Ixe2x80x99m afraid to say that no segment of our society was slower at coming to grips with the culture war than our very own hunting and sporting goods industry.
The leadership was, and many even today, sadly remain sound asleep to the well-organized threats against us.
In light of the abject failure to take on the antixe2x80x99s and the comfortably numb disconnect by sporting and conservation organizations, I decided to promote these critical issues in every way I possibly could, including rallying the troops in sporting publications, on television and everywhere else that I could drive the message home.
Needless to say, the resistance that I encountered from the disconnected industry leaders was nothing short of astonishing, but fortunately I eventually connected with smart people fully aware of the culture war, who were enthusiastic about working together as a team to counterpunch the enemy.
Deer and Deer Hunting Editor Dan Schmidt was one of the first, smartest and most courageous to side with me, and as I today write my 292nd deeranddeerhunting.com NugeBlog all of these fun years later, I cannot adequately express my appreciation for his support and teamwork.
What many unsophisticated in our industry mistakenly saw as rude and even vulgar, Dan saw as deeply passionate, down-to-earth, and a serious and meaningful connection with the vast majority of average conservation families in America.
There is a reason that I get more votes than nearly all others on the NRA Board of Directors for 28-plus years, why our Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel has received top ratings for nearly 30 years, and why families from all across America continue to bring their young sons and daughters to our amazing Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids charity every year for 31 years.
Connection. A proud and glowing, very humbling connection with the best of the best, and I cannot thank all of you who get it all these years for your support and connection.
We are all deerhunters. We are all Americans. We are all conservationists. We are all families of the U.S. Constitution, the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule and Spirit of the Wild, fulfilling our sacred role as hands-on participants in Godxe2x80x99s miraculous tooth, fang and claw creation, and this phenomenal American experiment in self-government.
As they say, sometimes you give the world the best you got and you get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you got anyway.
BloodBrothers are as BloodBrothers do. Godspeed BloodBrothers. May the Great Spirit be forever at our side.
Multi-platinum guitar legend TED NUGENT announces a new full-length album THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT, due out Friday, November 9, on Round Hill Records. The album is available now for preorder everywhere, and the title track xe2x80x9cThe Music Made Me Do Itxe2x80x9d is available to download and stream wherever music is sold.
Ted Nugent xe2x80x93 xe2x80x9cThe Music Made Me Do Itxe2x80x9d (Official Music Video)
With more than 40 million albums sold, rock legend Ted Nugent is equally well known as the nationxe2x80x99s most outspoken proponent of our 1st and 2nd Amendment rights, conducting thousands of pro-gun, pro-freedom, pro-American interviews in major media worldwide. Nugent is a New York Times best-selling author whose works include Ted, White & Blue xe2x80x94The Nugent Manifesto; God, Guns & Rock xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 Roll and Kill It & Grill It.This year, his award-winning Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV show celebrates its 500th episode! For all things Nuge, visit www.tednugent.com