Center welcomes new chief

Jack O'Connor's stories inspired Mike Butler to head west and dedicate his professional life to wildlife.

Now after a career of restoring habitat, the retired wildlife biologist is paying homage to his inspiration by taking over as director of the Jack O'Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center at Lewiston.

"I started reading Jack when I was 10, 11, 12 years old. He got my imagination fired up," he said. "I told myself I want to become a wildlife biologist and move out West and hunt the country and the species he wrote about."

A generation of hunters were shaped by O'Connor, the famous gun and hunting editor for Outdoor Life Magazine who lived in Lewiston for the last 30 years of his life and died in 1978. Butler counts himself among them and he wants to introduce young people to O'Connor's articles and books in the hopes they too will find pleasure in the outdoors.

"It's kind of an honor for me to be here in his job," he said.

The center, which houses many of O'Connor's hunting trophies, some of his guns and a handful of other memorabilia, opened in 2006. Butler said he shares the vision of Bradford O'Connor, Jack's son, that the center should be more than a museum. He plans on incorporating community programs that will emphasize education and passing the hunting tradition on to future generations. Butler hopes to start a youth writing program and to deliver campfire talks at Hells Gate State Park, where the center is housed.

One of his first orders of business was to lead an ongoing membership drive. Those who sign up during 2012 will receive free access to exclusive content to the center's website at http://www.jack-oconnor.org/. Memberships start at $25.

Butler is also looking to recruit volunteers to work at the center.

"If people who like talking about hunting and the outdoors and visiting with people from all over the world. It's a great opportunity," he said.

Those interested can contact him at (208) 743-5043.

The center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

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Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.