Gear, gear and more gear! How much outdoor fun gear does an addicted sporter need in this world of unlimited hunting, fishing, trapping, shooting outdoor insanity!
Well, even the old MotorCity Madman Whackmaster has his limitations, and lo and behold, woe is me, I have come to grips with mine!
Just recently I held an auction where I sold off hundreds of amazing firearms, bows, guitars, amplifiers, a lifetime of adventurous rock-n-roll paraphernalia and assorted sporting goods debris that was jampacked into my barns, shops, attic, garage, crawlspace, sheds, safes and storage hell.
And I am so glad I did, for such an obscene accumulation proved to be counterproductive to an otherwise well-managed and responsible outdoor American Dream.
After 72 years of accumulating so many guns and stuff, I realized even a maniac outdoorsman like me can only shoot and store so many guns and bows, and play and store so many guitars, so the sensible pragmatist within in me made the bold and smart move to streamline my life, and Lord have mercy, it feels so good!
Now, that being said, do not worry your pretty little head about old Uncle Ted’s personal sporting goods emporium, for though I reduced my inventory substantially, believe me when I tell you I remain surrounded by more bows and arrows and guns and ammo and stuff that I could possibly wear out in my remaining 25-plus years of opening days and nonstop romping, stomping and tromping the wild.
So let us review, shall we, the intelligently chosen arsenal of my Spirit of the Wild armory that is so carefully chosen with much attention and care to provide me my ultimate quality of the outdoor experience.
Let me state emphatically that these are the definitive good old days of world-class sporting goods quality. I am here to tell you that every gun, ammo line, bow, arrow, broadhead, target, sight, scope, optics, clothing, boots, blinds, treestands, trail cams, global GPS technology and plethora of gear of every imaginable description and utility is the finest quality that has ever existed in the glorious outdoor lifestyle world.
People constantly ask me what bow or gun they should get to begin their outdoor adventures, and I always state with supreme confidence that they cannot go wrong no matter the manufacturer, model, make or any choice they make, as long as they find the gear that feels best for them.
There simply are no inferior bows or guns out there! No bad ammo, no bad arrows, no bad broadheads, no bad gear as far as I’m concerned or know.
Personal feel is all that really ever matters, and like a soulmate and a guitar, such a personal choice can only be ultimately made by the individual.
All my choices have been made from a lifetime of trying and experimenting with everything and anything I can get my hands on, and eventually my own personal feel has determined what ends up in my hands when I pursue my sacred outdoor adventure and fun.
So here goes, here is the Nugent family list of time-proven gear that brings us supreme joy, happiness, fun and success afield when we pursue game and excitement beyond the pavement.
We shoot an assortment of Mathews bows, all of which are set up for my 29-inch draw at 50-pound draw weight.
We all shoot a 400-grain 30-inch GoldTip Nuge zebra arrows fletched by Cliff Touro with Bohning vanes, with NAP and Cold Steel broadheads up front.
We add weight sleeves from the Bad Boys of ProTracker Archery to increase accuracy and penetration.
My go-to sniper rifles are an amazing GA Precision .308 and an old Browning A-Bolt .223, both topped with Bushnell scopes.
For more than 60 years I continue to shoot Remington Core-Lokt ammo, the deadliest mushroom in the woods.
We use Bushnell binoculars, trail cams and laser rangefinders.
Our choice of camo for 40 years is Mossy Oak and Stormy Kromer clothing.
Our favorite boots are DryShods, my shoes are Merrells.
We butcher our game with Cold Steel knives.
We love Big Tine feed and mineral nutritional supplements in our Boss Buck feeders, as well as their food plot seed, along with Buck Forage Oats and Primos quality seed.
I found these crazy bright signal lights from Guardian Angel lights to mark way-back distant swamp kill locations.
Our mock scrapes and deer lure zones are saturated with Signal11 lures.
I can load up huge old swamp bucks all by myself with my Ox Rack basket and Warn winch on the front of my Polaris and Roxor ATVs.
We shoot Benelli, Remington, Winchester and Beretta shotguns with Mojo chokes and Remington ammo, always with our Walkers Game Ears on, kept clean, protected and lubricated with Dirty Bore gun cleaning solvent.
I carry a Glock Model 20 in 10mm loaded with Remington Golden Saber ammo in a NW Retention Systems holster.
The amazing Primos Double Bull portable blinds are a godsend, and the killer Tank Blinds are the best we’ve ever ambushed dinner from.
I love my beautiful old 1966 Ford Bronco for bringing home the bacon from the nastiest of hellzones.
Primos makes the best game calls for us.
We feel safe, secure and ready to rock in our Muddy ladderstands.
In the early, warm season, we always have a ThermaCell bug chaser on hand to keep the gnats, black flies and skeeters at bay for a more enjoyable hunt.
And at the end of the day, Happy, Sadie and Coco curl up in their My Pillow dog beds.
Well, there you have it, a killer list of kill-assist sporting goods that we have personally chosen to optimize the joys of our beloved Great Outdoors!
Amazingly, if you compare our current list from the gear I had on me for opening days back in the 1950s and 1960s, though some items remain the same, like Remington ammo, the list would consist of Herman Survivor boots, a Winchester Model 70 .308, wool coat and pants, and a Stormy Kromer hat.
Except for the large handkerchief, toilet paper and Zippo lighter in my pocket forever, it is obvious we have come a long, long way baby!
That being said, no matter how hi-tech the gear may get, to our way of thinking, the sacred days afield are all about spirit, adventure and remaining in harmonious touch with nature as hands-on participants, rock solid in the asset column of God’s miraculous creation.
The ultimate joys of nature are found in the heart, not in the beds of our trucks!
Choose wisely, for the gear available today can provide and fulfill all of our most intimate personal dreams.
We are only approaching the summertime blues right now, but it is always the best time to review our gear in preparation for what we should all make the best hunting season of our lives.
We are on it here at the Nugent ranch. We hope you are too.
Multi-platinum guitar legend TED NUGENT has a new full-length album THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT, on Round Hill Records. The album is available now for order everywhere, and the title track “The Music Made Me Do It” is available to download and stream wherever music is sold.
And now, the Ted Nugent Spirit Campfire with John Brenkus, is #1 on Billboard’s Top Facebook Live Video Chart! The ever-articulate Nugent and co-host Brenkus, the Emmy-winning broadcaster from ESPN, make for a high-energy and entertaining combination. The show launched in June 2020 and offers a front row glimpse into musical inspirations, hilarious anecdotes, thoughtful recollections and an enviable lineup of legendary talent.The Ted Nugent Spirit Campfire with John Brenkus airs live on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. EST on Facebook and YouTube.
With more than 40 million albums sold, rock legend Ted Nugent is equally well known as the nation’s 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 —The Nugent Manifesto; God, Guns & Rock ‘n’ 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.
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