Greenhead presents the 2020 Executive Q&A featuring a slate of executives sharing the moments, tips, guns and gadgets that have made their time in the field special.

John Simmons
Senior Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer, First Arkansas Bank & Trust

Number of days you hunt in a season? Not nearly enough

Where do you hunt? Crocketts Bluff

Club name? Rush’s Duck Club and Daniel Boone Duck Club

What kind of gun do you use? Benelli M2 and Winchester SX3

Favorite duck call? I am still an understudy in calling.

Fields, reservoir, or timber? Field

Rainy, nasty, or bluebird sky? Bluebird sky

Favorite hunting story/memory? First time hunting Crocketts Bluff with my long-time friend Jack Bell. We were hunting a pit blind at Rush’s Duck Club. Growing up in Faulkner County I had never spent much time in the eastern part of Arkansas. I had also never been on a real duck hunt before. We had loaded up and I borrowed a set of waders from another buddy, Joey Fulgham, and off we went. I can remember sitting in the blind and waiting on the sun to come up. I was amazed at the view of the sun reflecting off of the water, the sight of the birds working, and just the expanse of it all. It was a great time and so different than anything I was used to doing.

What got you into hunting? I had never really duck hunted until I was in my mid-to-late 20s. By then, I had taken a job with a bank in Perry County and had moved to Perryville. I was fortunate enough to have folks like Chris Branscum, James Branscum, Justin Belk and my good friend Jack Bell invite me along on some duck hunts. Chris, James and Justin took me to some places in the Perryville area and Jack got me in on some hunts in Crocketts Bluff.

What is your unusual “must have” in the duck blind? It is not really unusual, but I almost always have a handful of mini Snickers bars with me close by on all my hunting trips. This was a habit I picked up from my dad as a boy. I can still remember us hunting together and, like most kids, you get a little hungry on those trips. He always had a mini Snickers with him.

Where is your go-to spot for breakfast/meals on a hunting weekend? My breakfast spots during [deer] hunting season are split between Center Ridge Grocery and Bird Town Grocery. Hard to beat breakfast burritos, chocolate gravy, bacon and cheese biscuits. … On the duck hunting side my buddy Jack can whip up a mean duck blind sandwich or fried honey bun. Skills he picked up along the way guiding back in college.

If you have children do you take them duck hunting? If so, what are some of the highlights from these youth hunts? I have two sons, Seth, 9, and Cade, 6. Both of them love the outdoors. I am planning to get them both in on some duck hunts at some point this year. As much as they enjoy deer hunting, dove hunting and fishing I am sure they will love duck hunting. I am just glad I get to spend time with them and give them some opportunities to do different things.

Which Arkansas executive calls ducks the best? That is easy … whichever one I would be lucky enough to hunt with on a given day.


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