AEROSMITH rocker JOE PERRY has opened up about his passion for hunting, revealing there’s no better feeling than stalking deer in the woods near his home.
The guitarist admits he had to give up his wild hobby, which began when he was 12, when Aerosmith took off, but now he’s back to being an active hunter and angler.
He tells Outdoor Living magazine, “I just like to be out in the woods. When I met my wife, I got the chance to start over again and I put my family first. (I) got a place on Lake Sunapee (New Hampshire) and we’re always looking to get up there. I love being in the woods – it does amazing things for my state of mind and helps me get away from the insanity of rock ‘n’ roll.”
And bandmate Steven Tyler often joins him for the wild life when Aerosmith are on tour.
He adds, “Steve is an outdoor guy, too. He’s into flying and we go shooting together… if we get to North Carolina, for example, we’ll get a guide and go for bass or if we’re in Florida, we’ll just charter a boat and go for anything that bites.”
And Perry has built up an impressive gun collection over the years, adding, “Whenever I see a gun that I think that I want, I pick it up. Lately, I’ve been getting into flintlocks.
“I’m a collector of airguns from the ’20s and ’30s and it’s really cool when I can find one that works. I (also) own about 40 or 50 handguns in my collection. I just picked up a stagecoach gun, an old Indian rifle and was lucky enough to have found a lever-action .410 and a Walther PPK.”
Perry appreciates not all his fans like the idea of him hunting deer – but he insists he eats what he kills and nothing is wasted.
He explains, “I don’t shoot anything that I don’t eat. Hunters are conservationists and their heads are in the right place… (Deer hunting) really gives you a great opportunity to keep in touch with reality.”