Baseball fans know Chipper Jones as the switch-hitting third baseman for the Atlanta Braves who has accumulated the kind of credentials it takes to qualify for baseball’s Hall of Fame. In his 15 years in the big leagues, he’s earned a World Series championship ring, made six National League All Star teams, was named 1999 MVP and at press time had a lifetime batting average of .310 with 405 homeruns and 1,363 RBIs.

    Chipper’s other passion is hunting. He recently became co-owner of “Buck Commander,” a video-and-TV production project tied to the Robertson clan of “Duck Commander” fame. The group just completed its first DVD, which features Chipper and several other major-league ballplayers such as Ryan Langerhans and Adam LaRoche in the field as “Buckmen” in pursuit of big whitetails. “Buck Commander” also currently airs on Canada’s Wild TV Hunting and Fishing Network. Shooting Illustrated caught up with Chipper at batting practice to talk about guns and hunting.

SI—When did you go on your first hunt?

Chipper—I’ve been hunting with my dad since I was probably 7.

SI—What rifle chamberings do you prefer?

Chipper—I’ve messed around with 7 Mag., but I’m a big fan of .300 Weatherby Magnum Sally is a .300 Weatherby Magnum.

SI—Why’d you name one of your rifles Sally?

Chipper—She kind of has an attitude of her own—hair trigger, long and lean. A friend of mine once called her Long Tall Sally, and it stuck.

SI—In baseball it’s considered bad luck to step on the baseline as you head in or out of the dugout. Do you have any hunting superstitions?

Chipper—Don’t shoot the cameraman.

SI—What’s the biggest deer you’ve taken to date?

Chipper—It’s a 184 Boone & Crockett taken on my ranch. I’ve killed eight or 10 big deer and they’ve all been taken off my ranch.

SI—What else do you hunt?

Chipper—Hogs and birds. I like to shoot birds, mostly dove and quail. I go on a duck hunt every year in Arkansas.

SI—Have you introduced any of your boys to hunting?

Chipper—My oldest, my 10-year-old, killed a 10-point last year, his first year.

SI—We understand you run youth hunts on your Double Dime ranch in South Texas.

Chipper—We have the hunts at the ranch every year; we try to get four to five kids out with their families. We try and introduce as many young kids to the outdoors as possible.

SI: Why does hunting mean so much to you?

Chipper: It’s meditative, relaxing—the actual act of hunting an animal is secondary. You can recharge your batteries, both physically and mentally.

SI—Do you see any similarities between baseball and hunting?

Chipper—Yes. I think being even-keeled through both seasons is a good thing. There are highs and lows in both, and by being even-keeled those peaks and valleys are much easier to handle.

SI—What makes “Buck Commander” different from other hunting videos?

Chipper—I think we focus a little more on the interaction between characters. Most of the feedback is positive because they see us having fun. It’s a story of five guys’ hunting season. We try not to follow the same scheme as everyone else. There’s no narration—it’s spur of the moment.

To watch sample footage of Chipper and friends in the field, visit www.buckcommander.com.

                                                                     
—Guy J. Sagi