News Article - courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune
Malone opens heart and wallet for wildlife conservation
By Brett Prettyman
02/12/2010
Karl Malone always took the direct route to the basket during his all-star career in the NBA. That conviction led him to be the No. 2 scorer in league history.
Whether it was chasing squirrels as a boy in Louisiana or completing his bighorn sheep Grand Slam in Utah, Malone took the same approach to his passion for hunting. Malone didn't care that it offended millions of viewers when, during a 1997 NBA playoff game, NBC showed video of him hunting a mountain lion. He appreciated the opportunity to show the world that he is a hunter, and proud to be one as a matter of fact.
"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything," Malone said during a phone call from his home in Louisiana last week. "That can be hard sometimes because when you talk about something you are passionate about and something that comes from your heart, you are vulnerable."
Did one of the most dominating power forwards in NBA history really just use the word vulnerable when talking about hunting?
Malone showed the same emotion during the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo held last year in Salt Lake City when he talked in front of a large crowd about the Hunt for Heros program he helped start with Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (SFW). The program annually sends U.S. soldiers on free fishing and hunting trips.
Saying that he was too often called a hero when all he did was play basketball, Malone spent $120,000 on auction items last year to help send "real" heros on the trips. The former Utah Jazz power forward known as "The Mailman" opens his wallet frequently when it comes to hunting and it is not usually to fund his own addiction for the sport. Malone is sure to pull out his wallet again this weekend while he is back in town for the 4th annual Western Hunting and Conservation Expo being held at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Don Peay — founder of SFW, brain father of the expo and Malone's hunting buddy -- says the future NBA Hall of Famer has easily contributed more than $1 million toward wildlife conservation efforts in Utah through funding big game transplants, purchasing high value hunting permits and setting up programs to get youth and their families in the woods.
"SFW is the kind of thing I wanted to lend my name and resources to when it first started and everything has grown and grown since then," Malone said. "People in other states are saying there is something special going on in Utah and they are following our lead. SFW is getting things done for wildlife and hunters that others can only dream of."
Peay and Malone have been criticized by some who say their goal is to make hunting a rich man's sport with trophy animals for the wall as the only valued outcome. That doesn't sit well with either of them.
"There is a misconception that [Don and I] fight all the time, that the only people we deal with are the rich and famous," Malone said. "Even if it was true, let's face it, the fact of the matter is you need those [wealthy] people. And, to be honest, we need a lot more of them."
Many believe it was SFW efforts in Utah, coupled with Division of Wildlife Resources, that led it to being one of the top trophy-producing elk spots in the world and producing a new world record with a nontypical bull that shattered the previous record.
"It takes all kinds of people to make that happen," Malone said. "From the guy paying big bucks for tags to the guy who has been paying for his annual permit his entire life. I wouldn't be handing over my money if it didn't benefit all hunters. Because I've been on the other end and I know how important hunting is to everybody."
Malone may have been the point producer in the NBA, and he is always the first to say it probably never would have happened without John Stockton, but he feels his role in the hunting conservation world is to dish out assists and let Peay make the final delivery.
"Don has all the knowledge, I'm definitely his assist man," Malone said. "I'm there when he needs me."
And for that reason, Peay argues that Malone is truly still the all-star MVP, just in a different sport.
Malone is frozen in one of his trademark moves to the basket in a statue on the southeast corner of the grounds of the EnergySolutions Arena. Some wonder if there shouldn't be another statue of "The Mailman" in Utah honoring his efforts for wildlife and hunting issues. But where to put it and what would it be? Malone knows just the spot and it may come as a surprise to many.
"I think where I'd like it is just below the "Y" on the mountain in Provo," Malone said through a hearty laugh about the idea of such a thing. "That's where I finished my grand slam for bighorn sheep."
Another option would be a statue of Malone digging into his wallet and handing money over to state wildlife or SFW officials.
You can also download a .pdf of the Trophy Hunter Magazine article featuring Karl Malone, The Full Curl™: The Pinnacle of North American Hunting.