Dick Carmical
President and CEO,The Price Companies Inc., Monticello
Number of days you hunt a season? 50
Where do you hunt? Drew, Desha, Arkansas and Chicot counties
Club name? Firehunt
Pump or semi-automatic? What I shoot has changed with the land and the laws. Early on, there was more woods hunting and we shot 20 gauges with high brass 7 ½s. As the Delta was cleared and we did more field hunting, I shot a 3-inch Model 12 with No. 4 lead. Since we were forced to go steel, I shoot a 3 ½-inch Benelli with BBs but still drop back to a 20 gauge or smaller if in the woods.
Duck call? Roten and cut down OLT
Fields, reservoir, river or timber? Yes
Rainy, nasty or bluebird sky? Windy, clear, cold
Favorite hunting story/memory? A duck hunt is a good place to really see what kind of person someone is. One friend was dealing with the loss of a daughter, yet he lifted me up with his example of faith and strength.
Favorite place to eat during duck season? Our camp
What got you into duck hunting? As a child I loved hearing the old men sitting on the porch of the country store. They hunted land unchanged for a thousand years and shot ducks with black powder shells that left smoke over the waters. They had no four-wheelers, Gore-Tex, cell phones or TV hunting stars to tell them what to buy. I miss them.
If you have children, do you take them duck hunting? If so, what are some of the highlights from these youth hunts? The last afternoon from a long season of guests, I was able to slip off with my three sons (ages 7, 11 and 13 at the time). We all sat on the same log. The ducks worked. The boys were safe with their guns and shot well, killing their limits.
What is your most unusual “must have” in the duck blind? My 50-plus-year-old ragged-out hat.
Which Arkansas executive calls ducks the best? Chuck Cook (Regions Bank) and Gar Lile (Lile Real Estate) are good hunters and good advocates for the sport. Marcus Beard, a senior manager with our group, and Curt Preston with Cullum Seed are very dangerous men in the duck woods.
