Hard rock legend and celebrated hunter TED NUGENT conduced a Q&A with Rich Landers from The Spokesman-Review recently. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

The Spokesman-Review: When did you know you had what it takes to be a standout musician?

Nugent: "The whole rock ’n’ roll thang and guitar band thang was all so new when I started in the 1950s that no one knew. We just jammed with pure abandon to emulate CHUCK BERRY, LITTLE RICHARD, JERRY LEE LEWIS, BO DIDDLEY and so many others that if you could deliver the spirit with the band, nothing else mattered. God knows I delivered and deliver a mighty spirit!"

The Spokesman-Review: When did you know you wanted to be a hunter?

Nugent: "I was born a hunter, into a hunting family and hunting culture. I knew from my very first years that the spirit of the wild was where I belong. My dad was already inspired by Fred Bear in Michigan and we never missed a bowhunting season. I was imprinted from birth."

The Spokesman-Review: Are there any similarities in preparing for a concert and preparing for a hunt?

Nugent: "Quality of life is all about preparedness, and killing food with the bow and arrow is approached as a life and death endeavor for sure. As is the gung-ho approach to my kind of killer rock ’n’ roll. When immersed in such a passionate pursuit, it is always about life and death and putting one’s heart and soul into being the absolute best that you can be."

Read the entire interview here.