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I love to hunt , I love to travel , I love history , I love to eat , and I love people and culture .
How did the concept for Nick ’ s Wild Ride come about ?
The concept for the show is really an extension of who I am . I love to hunt , I love to travel , I love history , I love to eat , and I love people and culture . That ’ s what the show is all about . It ’ s a blend of all of those things . It makes it easy when you love what you ’ re doing .
What was it like to experience the opening weekend of pheasant hunting in South Dakota ? What was the most rewarding part of the trip ?
The South Dakota Pheasant opener is a phenomenon . They have parades and towns crown “ pheasant queens .” It ’ s a homecoming for relatives who have moved away and a getaway for hunters from faraway places . It ’ s a reunion , a party , and a rite of passage . It ’ s not hard to make friends with happy people , and the South Dakota opener is a VERY HAPPY THING ! I ’ ll never forget it .
What has been the most unique hunting trip you have ever been on , regarding the location and / or the species ?
I once hunted geckos with a blowgun in Hawaii . I was visiting a buddy who was stationed with the Marines there . I was actually on island to hunt hogs with him . When I arrived we were having a beer around his pool and he kept complaining about how his pool area and house were overrun with geckos . They were turning his house into a bathroom . We discussed eradication methods at length and finally , he said , “ I have this blow dart gun that I brought back from the Philippines . Let ’ s try that !” So , for the rest of the day we hunkered down and hunted geckos with a blow gun around his pool and drank beer . We laughed till our faces hurt ! We were like little kids .
If you could take a “ Wild Ride ” anywhere in the world , where would you want to go ? What would you want to do there ?
Africa has been at the top of my bucket list since I was kid and read about it in magazines . I read Roosevelt and Capstick ’ s tales of the Dark Continent and have been enamored with it ever since . It ’ s not just the hunting that interests me , it ’ s the intriguing people and culture , and food , too . I fear that soon opportunities to hunt in Africa will be dwindling because of social pressure . I am excited because I will be heading there this fall .
98 | Spring 2017 | Adventure Outdoors