7 More Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Hunters
Daniel Xu 12.15.14
Last month we covered seven female celebrities that you may not have known are hunters, so it is only proper to follow up with a list of seven male stars who are as equally keen about the great outdoors. These movie stars, musicians, and athletes have enjoyed international acclaim throughout their careers, but their fame also comes with a downside. Their celebrity status makes them big targets for anti-hunting groups, but that doesn’t stop these men from putting on camo. Instead, many celebrities lend their weight to help promote conservation causes and urge more hunters to donate their harvests to charity.
1. Shaquille O’Neal
When Shaq isn’t scoring points on the basketball court, he’s bagging them in the woods—eight-pointers that is. This retired basketball player, actor, and former rapper may not see like the type of person to hunker down in a blind, but Shaq actually describes himself as an avid hunter. The former MVP admitted that while he may have been introduced to the sport late in his life, he will be more than happy to teach his own children when the time comes.
“I’m real. I’m an adult,” Shaq was quoted in his autobiography Shaq Talks Back. “When my kids get older, if they want to hunt I’ll tell them, ‘Sure, son, you can hunt. These are the rules. You follow them. Take the gun course. Learn safety. Be respectful of the outdoors.”
2. Chris Pratt
Once homeless, Chris Pratt’s meteoric rise through the ranks of Hollywood is nothing short of astounding. He got his first big break on the NBC series Parks and Recreation, but it wasn’t until he was blasting aliens in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy that Chris became a household name. Like all stars who found themselves thrust into the spotlight, he soon found that there are few secrets you can keep from an adoring public—or the media. TMZ caught Chris returning from a hunting trip earlier this year, but instead of hiding it, Chris even offered the camera crew a taste of the antelope he harvested. In fact, Chris was more than happy to describe what hunting meant to him, and the gamut of emotions that he goes through on each hunt.
3. Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan may be better known for his stand-up comedy, hosting NBC’s Fear Factor, or his time as a commentator for the UFC, but he is also a newly-recruited hunter. Rogan appeared on an episode of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, in which he reiterated his support for the “Eat What You Kill” philosophy. Hunters are no strangers to relying on the meat they harvest from hunting season, but the adherents of this movement take it up a notch: they eat only meat that they kill for themselves. Supporters of the philosophy say that not only is game meat leaner and more nutritious, it is also free from the antibiotics and hormones found in the prepackaged meat that you will find in your local supermarket. Others cite spiritual or ethical reasons for harvesting their own food.
“There’s definitely a sense of loss, I mean, you’re not unaware of the fact that you took an animal’s life,” Rogan told Bryant Gumbel, describing the climax of a recent deer hunt with Steven Rinella. “This is a very intense and emotional moment.”
4. Joe Perry
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry got a bit of grief from PETA a few years back when he publicly and vocally supported hunting in an interview with Outdoor Life.
“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,” the rocker, who counted Ted Nugent as one of his hunting buddies, told the magazine.
In response, PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange targeted Perry on her blog.
“People who take out their aggressions and frustrations on helpless animals are usually compensating for other shortcomings in their life,” she wrote. “We don’t know how Joe measures up, but it’s interesting that he seems to feel so satisfied when he’s handling long phallic-looking weapons.”
Perry, understandably, took the high road and did not respond to the taunt.
5. Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell is no stranger to handling a firearm onscreen, from his stint as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. to the science fiction classic Stargate. Kurt is as equally fond of guns when it comes to elk hunting, and is a big proponent of donating game meat to the needy.
“I think we can improve the image of hunting in a very positive way along with taking care of a significant problem, and that is hungry people in the United States,” he told the Lakeland Ledger many years ago.
6. Brett Favre
This 20-year veteran of the NFL and legendary quarterback says that hunting while dressed up in camo is one of the few situations in which he is not immediately recognized.
“We stayed there eight days and no one knew I was in town at all,” he told 620WTMJ radio, regarding a recent hunting trip in Wisconsin.
Brett is a lifelong sportsman and grew up in the small town of Kiln, Mississippi, where he and his brothers learned to shoot. His father, Irvin, would skin and cook any small game that he and his brothers harvested, and as head coach of a local football team, guided his son into the first steps of professional football.
You can watch Brett Favre on a hunt with Remington below.
7. Bo Jackson
Arguably one of the greatest American athletes of all time, having been named an All-Star in both his baseball and football careers, Bo Jackson is also an avid hunter. Bo is especially fond of bowhunting, and whether using a recurve or compound, he can always be found shooting targets in his backyard. When he is not perfecting his aim, this consummate athlete is constructing bows and arrows of his own design, just like he did when he was a kid.
You can see Bo hunting on an episode of Relentless Pursuit below.
