By Jim Shepherd
Jim Shepherd is editor and publisher of The Outdoor Wires

For all his extraordinary accomplishments -- best-selling comedy recording artist of all time, Grammy nominee, popular radio show host, best-selling author, star of hit comedy tours, television series and movies, plus host of a new hit game show called "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" -- Jeff Foxworthy is equally enthused about a recreational passion he shares with 64 million other Americans.

Hunting and fishing.

"It just drives my wife crazy," laughs Foxworthy. "She goes, 'We get invited to the Oscars. You turn that down. We get invited to the Grammys. You turn that down. But you never turn down a hunting or fishing trip.' I always explain, 'Well, if I have my choice of putting on a tuxedo and going out to L.A. and sitting around with people I have nothing in common with, or going out to Kansas to hunt a monster whitetail…uh…it's not much of a chin-scratcher.'"

It's Foxworthy's rare combination of box-office starpower and bait-shop modesty that made him a perfect honorary chairman for this year's National Hunting and Fishing Day

"I was flattered to be asked to serve as 2007 honorary chairman of National Hunting and Fishing Day. Without question, sharing hunting and fishing trips with my family had a profound impact on my life, and undoubtedly shaped and molded the person I am today," he said.

Foxworthy grew up in Georgia, hunting and fishing with his father and grandfather. Squirrels and quail were prime quarry until the day young Jeff spotted his first deer track. It was at that precise moment that a self-professed "deer-hunting nut" was born.

"I was only 14, but I can take you right now and show you where that deer track was, on the edge of a soybean field out behind our barn. I was totally fascinated that an animal that big could survive on its own without someone taking care of it," he said.

Later, Foxworthy would discover that someone is taking care of deer, as well as squirrels, quail and every other wildlife and fish species.

And that someone is conservationists.

Across North America, sale of hunting and fishing licenses, along with special excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, provide virtually all funding for conservation programs. Wildlife biologists, conservation officers, land managers and others who take care of America's wildlife resources couldn't do their jobs without hunters and anglers.

"As a teenager, I strongly considered being a wildlife biologist," says Foxworthy. "But I guess God had other plans for me, and he conveyed it through my grades in school."

He jokes, "Now the difference between me and a wildlife biologist is, in the course of an average day, a wildlife biologist will ponder the protein levels of different legumes, discuss recruitment rates, measure the pH levels of soil, and debate the pros and cons of introducing a new crop or food plot in a given area, as opposed to me, whose workday consists of sitting in an office and pondering, 'What rhymes with booty?'"

But Foxworthy has come a long way since finding that first deer track, and three years later taking his first whitetail buck on that same family farm. Today, he's well versed in deer biology and is always studying to learn even more. His Georgia land is intensively yet lovingly managed, and he was been a keynote speaker at a Quality Deer Management Association convention.

Through it all, his love for hunting has never waned.

He told the convention crowd, "I love doing comedy. I'm a blessed man because it has never seemed like a job. But the biggest downside is that I didn't get to deer hunt for over a decade because I was always on the road."

Now that his career has skyrocketed, Foxworthy is making up for lost time. He has hunted all over the country, taking trophy-class deer in several states, and enjoys hunting other types of big game as well as turkeys.

And he shares his passion for the outdoors.

"A wise person once said, 'Hunt with your kids today, and you won't have to hunt for them tomorrow.' I think there's a lot of truth in that saying. And I try to take my girls hunting and fishing with me whenever the opportunity arises. The outdoors offers a perfect avenue for building strong relationships and bonds that will last a lifetime," he said.

For all his extraordinary accomplishments -- caring for the land, learning about fish and wildlife, enjoying hunting and fishing with family and friends, utilizing nature's bountiful resources in an ethical, sustainable way, and supporting conservation -- Jeff Foxworthy would be the first to tell you that he's not unique at all.

He's just one among millions of sportsmen and women, from all walks of life, who share a very special heritage that America celebrates on the fourth Saturday of every September, National Hunting and Fishing Day.

It’s not necessary to wait for next weekend to introduce someone to the outdoors –get someone outdoors and introduce them to your world.

--