Jack O'Malley Interview w/ Dave Richey
*It's more important in my mental makeup to have hunted game animals and birds than it is to have killed them. I hunt to have hunted; not to have killed. There's a big difference here that escapes many sportsmen because, unfortunately, many associate a successful hunt with a full game bag. How sad.
Whitetail bucks are popular with hunters.
*When the leaves turn orange, purple, red and yellow, and the nights are cool and frosty, it stimulates my desire to stroll through dew-covered fields; to hear the forest come to life as a golden yellow sun burns holes through early morning fog; to sit in a swamp that has been forgotten or ignored by many people who are hunters or non-hunters, and to relive our hunting heritage that means so much to me.
*For me, a big thrill is to catch a fleeting glimpse of wild game. It may be a whitetail buck at full alert with ears twitching as it listens for a hint of danger, or it may be the cautious circling of ducks or geese to a well placed spread of decoys. I savor the glimpse of mousing red foxes on a snow-covered field, and the mental image of a big black bear moving slowly through a swamp is something I thrill to each fall.
The five senses are important to hunters.
*Bows-and-arrows, shotguns and rifles, and occasionally a handgun, are tools of the hunters trade, and I love taking good care of my equipment. I love the feel of fine blued steel and walnut gun stocks, and it's a pleasure, not a chore, to clean each piece after use. The pungent odor of Hoppe's No. 9 gun solvent has tickled my nostrils, and has triggered hunting memories since I was 12 years old. The smell of this gun solvent is as much a part of hunting as the odor of wet deer hair as we approach a downed animal.
*It afforded my children a chance to learn the ways of the wild; to appreciate the fact that hunting means more than killing, and that the taking of an animal or birds life means it should never be wasted but should be properly and promptly cleaned, dressed and prepared for the table. The kids, by sharing occasional hunting experiences with me, learned to love and respect the game they pursue and know their weapons in order to kill cleanly and swiftly should they decide to do so.
*As a hunter it's my duty to help protect game animals and birds from needless exploitation by any group, including hunters. It means supporting shorter seasons or lowered bag limits, if necessary, and to channel any spare money into worthwhile organizations, and their state chapters, who use that money from sales of duck stamps and donations to purchase wetlands or prime hunting grounds which will aid wildlife for years to come. I feel it is every hunter's obligation to protect our birds and game animals from poachers, and to report their actions immediately regardless of who they may be.
Remember, hunting is a privilege.
*It also means being a watchdog over the Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality. Sportsmen must be attentive to the workings of these state agencies, and make certain that wise management practices are applied to how they oversee our natural resources. This means managing our game animals and birds in the best interests of that resource, its habitat, and not for any special interest groups.
*I love to hunt. Part of the reason is the changing of seasons from summer to fall to winter, and another is because I love to be outdoors. It's fascinating to pit your skills and wits against a truly wild animal, give that creature a sporting opportunity to escape, and to be able to kill while respecting those species we hunt.
Hunting is a privilege, and no one should ever forget that.
