The celebrity stewards of conservation

Hunting and fishing have been around for millennia. Farming helps to alieve the stress of depending solely on stealth and game numbers to stock the larder, but many enjoy augmenting it with fresh game and fish. Time spent in fields, woodlands and mountains and along lakes, streams and rivers is invigorating and healthful for mind and body. Licenses and excise taxes on guns, ammunition and outdoor gear help fund conservation around the country, and the food collected couldn't be any more "free range." Seems like a win-win-win. While we tend to be comfortable talking about those hobbies among friends and casual acquaintances, there are those who view these pursuits with a hostile eye. In areas that have a connection with the farming community, the pushback is generally negligible. That isn't always true when dealing with urban expanses. In an age when flying an American flag may be scorned, it's no surprise that sportspersons are attacked. The higher profile the individual, the more pressure is applied to turn them away from the sports. Arriving at a dinner party on Rodeo Drive and announcing that you hunt would be like wearing a MAGA hat to the Oscars. There might be some that envy the moxie, but few would be willing to walk the plank of ridicule with you. I decided that a little research would be fun to see if there are any hunters and anglers holding those celebrity jobs. I began with sports figures. It seems reasonable that they might be participants. They're from a variety of backgrounds and are already active outdoors. Shaquille O'Neal loves his hunting trips, which he dubs "Shaqfaris." He enjoys big-game hunting, especially bear and goats. I doubt anyone will block his shots. Not to be outdone, Karl Malone is another hoop shooter who knows how to shoot a bow. He likes hunting black bear, especially around his cabin along the Kenai River in Alaska. Peyton Manning, one of the NFL's great quarterbacks, is also a hunter. After a disappointing 2013 playoff game, he went on a cross-country hunt to recharge his batteries. Football star and talk show personality Michael Strahan loves turkey hunting and participates in an annual celebrity hunt in New York to support local little league teams. Next on my list was Nashville. I knew a few of those country music personalities could be found walking down red dirt roads and boot scootin' through the briars. Luke Bryan penned the lyrics "A huntin', fishin', and lovin' every day, That's the prayer that a country boy prays." He admits that he spends a lot of his spare time following his own advice. Miranda Lambert enjoys bow hunting for deer and turkeys and serving them up on Thanksgiving. "When I'm out there in the woods I don't have to be Miranda Lambert — I can just be Miranda." The rock world has its sportspersons, too. Canadian-born singer Avril Lavigne grew up in a hunting family. She lists it as a favorite pastime, and that has caused some fans to petition her to stop and use her notoriety against the sport. Given her often outspoken comments, that's not likely. Madonna Louise Ciccone, best as simply Madonna, enjoyed hunting while living in England. "I like being one of the chaps — I just have my bowl of macrobiotic soup, then go out and shoot some pheasant." Outside pressure forced her to minimize her participation. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry summed it up his thoughts: "I don't shoot anything that I don't eat. Hunters are conservationists and their heads are in the right place — (hunting) really gives you a great opportunity to keep in touch with reality." Finally, we arrive at Tinseltown to check on Hollywood's royalty. Do any of them try to escape the camera and bright lights? Chris Pratt is an A-lister who likes to both hunt and fish, saying that "hunting is in my blood." He especially enjoys elk hunting. He owns a farm and raises sheep for food and wool. Critiques beware: He's an outspoken proponent for the sports. Kurt Russell started his career as a child star at the age of 12. He's well aware of the business' fickle and easily offended feelings, so he distances his personal life from his professional. He owns a ranch in Colorado and likes to hunt elk and deer. It's hard to picture actress Eva Longoria or Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley getting muddy or throwing bait, but both enjoy their time outside. Longoria said she learned to skin deer and rabbits while growing up in Texas, and Rosie has commented, "I come from a farm in the middle of nowhere. ... I've shot a few pheasants and a few rabbits. I'm probably gonna be hated for that. Everything gets eaten on the farm. It's where food comes from." Other famous faces roaming woods or waters include: Bo Jackson, Tom Brokaw, Maddie Marlow, Ronnie Dunn, Oprah Winfrey, Blake Shelton, Kid Rock, Jennifer Lawrence, Presidents Obama, Bush, Carter and Clinton, S. Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Brad Pitt, Kevin Costner, Brad Paisley, Jewel, Harrison Ford, Rihanna, Tiger Woods, Emma Watson, Paris Hilton, Jimmy Buffett, George Strait, Tom Selleck and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters … and that's just a sample. Wouldn't it be great to talk with them over a campfire? "The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story." — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Along the Way Wildlife officers never quite know what may come their way. Matt Smith, assigned to Huron County, recently had one of those days. Back to the Wild, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Castalia, reported a white pelican with a fishing lure stuck in its feet. Prevented from getting airborne, the big bird was left to kick-swim like a frog. A kayaker helped corral the pelican, urging it toward Smith, and the officer was able to ambush it with an over-sized fishing net. The bird was taken to Back to the Wild where it was examined and the hook removed. After recuperating from the stress, it will be released ... back to the wild, naturally. In 2016, evidence of nesting white pelicans was found on Ontario's Middle Sister Island, just 13 miles from Ohio's North Bass Island. It may not be long before we see their regular presence in Lake Erie marshes. Step Outside • Today: Youth Fun Day, noon to 3 p.m., Mount Blanchard Gun Club, 21655 Delaware Township 186. Rifle and shotgun shooting, with ammunition provided. Lunch will be provided, along with a chance to win door prizes. The event is open to all 18 and younger, and it's free of charge. Contact Bob Yoder at 419-273-5057. • Sunday: 3D Archery Match, 30 3D mixed animal targets, Field and Stream Bowhunters, 11400 Allen Township 109. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Contact Harold Spence at 419-423-9861. • Aug. 27: 50-Bird Skeet Shoot, practice traps open at 4 p.m., program at 5:30, UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243. Public welcome. Contact Sandy Thomas at 419-722-2441. • Sept. 7: Fall Trap League, five-person teams, UCOA. The league will last for six weeks. For information or to sign up, call or text Sandy Thomas at 419-722-2441. • Sept. 11: Black Swamp Bucks Fall Classic, 4-8 p.m., Ghost Town, 10630 County Road 40. Event features live music, food, drink, games, raffles, guns, ammo and outdoor packages. Visit blackswampbucks.com or email info@blackswampbucks.com for more details. • Sept. 30: Sporting Clays for Scouting, Elkhorn Lake Hunt Club, 4146 Klopfenstein Road, Bucyrus. Event features shooting, friendship, fun, food and great prizes, with 100% of funds staying local to support the 5,000 Scouts and Explorers in our area. Visit donation.scouting.org/#/council/449/events or email JimMason@scouting.org Abrams is a retired wildlife officer supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife in Findlay. He can be reached at P.O. Box 413, Mount Blanchard, OH 45867-0413 or via email at jimsfieldnotes@aol.com