Ducks, Quail ‘Deer’ To Execs

Bentonville landed the world’s largest company with a striped-headed little bird.r

That may not be entirely true, but in his 1992 autobiography, “Made in America,” Sam Walton wrote that when he left Newport in 1950 Northwest Arkansas appealed to him because it’s close to four good quail hunting seasons. He wasn’t alone.r

From real estate to retail, poultry to power brokers, scores of local executives recently surveyed by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal said they hunt or fish for multiple types of game including Mr. Sam’s favorite. Here’s an effort to highlight some of the best white collar sportsmen in a variety of categories.r

It’s by no means comprehensive or perfect. Just rest assured that the people who made the lists got a “thumbs up” from several of the most hardcore local hunters and fisherman who’ve ever pulled off a tie and strapped on some boots.r

Two threads connect them — passion and success. Larry Aggus, owner of Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville, said it comes down to heritage.r

“Most of the people who have been successful here are entirely self-made people or families,” Aggus said. “They came from this part of the country, and their toys may have changed over the years but they hunt and fish because these are the things they grew up doing.”r

Of the more than 50 execs who could be reached for the survey, as many said they use the outdoors for networking as those who said they check their work worries at the cabin door. Nearly all, however, said the best thing about chasing birds, bass, bucks and big game is the incredible camaraderie that comes from being in the wild with friends or clients.r

“I’ve hunted ducks and all kinds of birds and big animals,” said J.B. Hunt, founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. in Lowell.r

“But I mostly just enjoy being with the type of people who like to go hunting. They are really down to earth, and being around them and getting to know them is what’s fun to me.”r

According to a 2001 study by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, state residents and nonresidents spent $1.3 billion on hunting, fishing and wildlife watching in Arkansas. That’s up 56.6 percent from $832 million in 1996 when the agency did a similar study.r

Although statistics supplied by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission show that total sales of fishing and hunting licenses have leveled off during the last 20 years, a growing percentage of total licenses are for higher-end targets.r

Since 1982, the percentage of trout permits to overall fishing licenses sold has risen from 15.2 percent to 27.8 percent. Duck stamps sold in 1982 represented 14.9 percent of hunting licenses, while that number has climbed to 28.5 percent today. r

Privately held firms like Mack’s Prairie Wings in Stuttgart, Ranger Boats in Flippin and War Eagle Boats in Monticello also help make Arkansas’ outdoors industry a monster.r

Nancy Ledbetter, director of communications for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, said Arkansas’ growing elk population has sparked tremendous growth in “wildlife watching. Inflation and upscale spending trends have also caused the USFWS’ estimated $446 million on fishing and $517 million on hunting in Arkansas to balloon.r

For veteran sportsmen like John David Lindsey, sales manager of Lindsey & Associates Inc. in Rogers, duck hunting in Arkansas borders on a spiritual experience.r

He is considered by many to be the best duck caller in Northwest Arkansas. One hunting-crazed executive in Fayetteville said, “On the duck call, John David is the man. He can talk sex to ’em.”r

Lindsey said there’s no way to describe the satisfying feeling of slicing through the L’Anguille River bottoms near Forrest City at sun up, guiding a boat with a Q-beam toward the Lindseys’ floating duck blind as steam rises off the water.r

“Duck hunting brings the beauty of mother nature to life in your spirit,” Lindsey said. “There’s the visual stimulation of calling ducks in the sky, watching them cup up and work your decoys. And if you can get an old mallard hen to call you back while they’re circling, that’s just a bonus. That’s what it’s about.”r

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Story Tellersr

Most of the executive sportsmen who made our lists were asked to share their favorite hunting and fishing stories. John David Lindsey, who shoots a Remington SP-10, had what several considered to be one of the best tales.r

Lindsey, who has three champion black Labrador retrievers named Gauge, Laz and Will, said he was with his dad and two cousins, Bubba and Jay Lindsey of Forrest City on opening day in 1997.r

“This was when the limit was three mallards [each], and we had killed six or seven by 7:20 a.m. or so,” Lindsey said. “All of a sudden, ducks started coming out of the north, and we started working them. We sat there in the blind and finally just shut up.r

“Now everybody exaggerates hunting stories, but this is how it was. There were probably 2,500 mallards on our hole. That is realistic, probably low. They were chasing each other and still they lit in the hole for 20 solid minutes. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since.”r

Bob Still, a lawyer at the Basset Law Firm in Fayetteville, said from the time he could carry a cane pole he started fishing in his grandfather’s pond at Helena. Still’s equipment, and probably his storytelling ability, have both improved dramatically since then.r

He has a number of boats including a 25-foot Bayliner cruiser he uses to chase striper and bass on Beaver Lake. Still said that five years ago he was with his father and Gordon Jones using fly rods to lure spawning crappie near Beaver Lake.r

“I lifted up my rod and an 8.5-pound largemouth bass literally jumped into the back of the boat,” Still said. “The fish never had a hook in him. It was the first time I was ever challenged to prove that I didn’t catch a big fish.”r

Mark Blackwood, executive vice president of the Blackwood Martin/CJRW advertising firm in Fayetteville, is a duck and Benilli shotgun enthusiast. He’s in on lease property in several locations and said there’s definitely a huge amount of client entertainment that can be done hunting ducks.r

“A friend from Little Rock and I had been hunting on Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma for several years,” Blackwood said. “We were consistently killing bunches of mallards and couldn’t understand why anyone else wasn’t trying to hunt those holes. We were sitting in a little blind we’d constructed when a kid comes riding up on a horse and asks if we knew we were on a state park.r

“Needless to say, we ceased and desisted immediately and didn’t go back.”r

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Clubs Unlimitedr

From the big boys at the famous Prairie Wings Duck Club south of Altheimer, which has been featured on ESPN Outdoors, to the good ol’ boys at Prairie Grove’s Bush Valley Country Club deer camp, hunting clubs are to Arkansas execs what Club Med is to Wall Street.r

Jim Stockland, president of poultry brokerage A&D Sales & Marketing Inc. in Fayetteville, is a member of Bush Valley and said the camp is more than just a chance to socialize. It’s a chance to be a dad. His 11-year-old daughter Sara Beth killed a five-point buck last year.r

“Hunting is my stress release,” Stockland said. “It gives me a chance to do something with my kids.”r

J.B. Hunt and fellow entrepreneur Tim Graham own Big Horn Lodge, a 6,000-SF complex on 3,000 acres near Exeter, Mo. The lodge (available online at www.bighornlodge.com) has six private bedrooms with king-sized beds, big screens, a swimming pool and hot tubs.r

“Most of our guests hunt all over the world,” Graham said. “They like to come in for a three or four day getaway. We have white tail, buffalo, red stag, bighorn sheep, elk, turkey, quail, pheasant and fishing.”r

The owners of the 1,200-acre Prairie Wings club are Pine Bluff heart surgeon Bob Busby, farmer and lumber-firm owner Bob Hixson and Brad Thomas, owner of Pine Bluff’s Harbor Oaks Country Club. Phil “Gumbo” Madison, an agent with Re/Max & Associates in Fayetteville said Prairie Wings is fully staffed and both its “5-star kitchen” and endless green heads are the best Arkansas has to offer.r

Bill Bakewell, president and owner of Bakewell Chemical Co. in Fayetteville, said he and a group of owners that includes Chicago White Sox pitcher Dan Wright of Cave Springs and local physicians Dr. Wayne Brooks and Dr. Joe Ross have built an 1,100-acre hunting club called Dux, Bux & Bax near Stigler, Okla., that butts up to the Sequoya National Wildlife Refuge.r

“It’s in the central flyway The hunting season is longer and you can kill more ducks,” Bakewell said. “And the best thing is it’s only two hours away.”r

Deerr

rSportsman—Affiliation—Titler
Dennis Tune—Tune Construction Co.—presidentr
Greg Lee—Tyson Foods Inc.—chief administrative officerr
J.B. Hunt—J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.—retired founder/CEOr
Jim Stockland—A&D Sales & Marketing Inc.—presidentr
Dr. Warren Massey—Warren Massey Pediatric Dentristry—pediatric dentistr
Rob Armstrong—Armstrong & Hailey Insurance—co-ownerr
Benny Spears—Herman’s Rib House—ownerr

rBig Gamer

rSportsman—Affiliation—Titler
Dr. G.R. Cole—Willow Creek Women’s Hospital—partnerr
Ronny Hissom—entreprenuer—retiredr
Dick Mahan—Outdoor Cap.—presidentr
Don Tyson—Tyson Foods Inc.—retired CEOr
Dr. John Weiss—Cardiovascular Surgical Clinic—heart surgeonr

rDuckr

rSportsman—Affiliation—Titler
Bill Bakewell—Bakewell Chemcial Co.—president/ownerr
Mark Blackwood—Blackwood Martin/CJRW—executive vice presidentr
Pat Demaree—Demaree Media—retired ownerr
John David Lindsey—Lindsey & Associates Inc.—sales managerr
Jim Lindsey—Lindsey & Associates Inc.—presidentr
Phil “Gumbo” Madison—Re/Max & Associates—realtor/associater
Neal Pendergraft—Ball & Mourton Ltd. PLLC—partnerr
Leland Tolett—Tyson Foods Inc.—retired CEO, chairmanr
Buddy Wray—Tyson Foods Inc.—retired president, COOr

rFishr

rSportsman—Affiliation—Titler
Louis Campbell—UA Athletics—director of football operationsr
Jeffrey D. Geurian—CEI Engineering Associates Inc.—president and CEOr
Bill & Charlie Goforth—BARGO Engineering—co-ownersr
Bob Still—Bassett Law Firm—lawyerr
Bill Tennison—White River Angler—store ownerr
Steve Wright—entreprenuer—authorr
Tom Coughlin—Wal-Mart Stores Inc.—vice chairmanr

rQuailr

rSportsman—Affiliation—Titler
Bill Bradley—Northwest Health System Inc.—CEOr
Jack Donahoe—Heartland Honda—presidentr
Dan Dykema—Arkansas National Bank—presidentr
Gary Head—Arvest Bank-Fayetteville—presidentr
Jim Walton—Arvest Bank Group Inc.—chairmanr

rPheasantr

rSportsman—Affiliation—Titler
Dr. Bryan Abernathy—First Care South—physicianr
Gary George—George’s Inc.—president and CEOr
Mahlon Gibson—State of Arkansas—retired judge—r
Tim Kizer—UA’s Center for Management r
—& Executive Development—directorr
Bill Sweetser—Sweetser Properties—ownerr
Bill Whitfield—property owner—entrepreneur