Job Title/Position
Vice President of Sales
Last season was the first for Hastings’ nephew Harry.
Company
Arkansas Bolt Company
Number of days you hunt a season?
Twenty-30. Later in life, my goal is to hunt all 60 days.
Where do you hunt?
Brewer Bottoms.
Club name?
Hasty Drake.
What kind of gun do you use?
Benelli Super Vinci 12-gauge semiautomatic.
Duck call?
Rich-N-Tone Short Barrel. I purchased the Rich-N-Tone Mondo LT at the end of last season and it is quickly becoming a favorite.
Fields, reservoir or timber?
Flooded timber. If it is locked up due to a freeze, reservoir.
Rainy, nasty or bluebird sky?
The nastier, the better.
Favorite hunting story/memory?
One that is still heavy on my heart is taking my dog, Boomer, on his last duck hunt. Boomer was diagnosed with throat cancer and was not expected to make it to the end of hunting season. I asked my veterinarian, who is also an avid hunter, if I could take Boomer hunting one more time. He said, “If the weather is right, and he is up to it, absolutely.” My boyfriend (now fiancé), Joe, and I took our spry old labrador out on a warm January afternoon to “The Big Hole,” where Boomer made his first retrieve. There wasn’t much flying, but just before sunset, Joe shot a mallard hen and Boomer took off after it. Boomer retrieved it just like the old days. I could tell by the look in his eyes it meant more to him than it did to me. He died three months later. It was the most sentimental duck hunt I have ever been on, and one I will never forget.
What got you into hunting?
My dad took me duck hunting when I was 2 years old. I sat on a dog stand and would hand him shotgun shells every time he shot. I have been hooked ever since.
If you have children do you take them duck hunting?
If so what are some of the highlights from these youth hunts?
I do not have children, but I do have nieces and nephews that I took hunting for the first time last season. They love it. They loved watching my dog, Baron, and hearing the duck calls. Surprisingly, they even asked to hold the ducks. I believe they even named a few.
What is your most unusual “must have” in the duck blind?
Plain almonds and coffee.
Which Arkansas executive calls ducks the best?
My father, Lee Hastings
Hunter
Anne Marie
