Bristol Dentist Continues Passion For Outdoors By Serving On State Wildlife Commission

BRISTOL, Tenn. – For Jeff McMillin, the title of sportsman goes much deeper than harvesting a big buck or reeling in a smallmouth bass.
The 53-year-old Bristol, Tenn., dentist looks at the big picture, and it’s majestic.

“I just love the experience of being in the outdoors,” McMillin said. “Watching the woods come alive on a winter morning or hearing a turkey gobble or an elk bugle – that’s what it’s all about.”

McMillin is eager to convey those magical moments to young people as part of his new role with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission. McMillin was recently appointed to serve a six-year term with the 13-member governing body of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
McMillin said he has long admired the conservation efforts of the Nashville-based TWRA.

“A lot of people don’t understand the job that the TWRA has done with restocking East Tennessee with deer, turkey and other animals,” McMillin said.  “I was probably 25 before I even saw my first deer in East Tennessee.”

While his youthful hunting adventures were limited to rabbits and squirrels, McMillin discovered a lifelong passion.

“I couldn’t wait until Thanksgiving every year, because that was when you could start rabbit hunting,” McMillin said. “It was a big tradition in our family.”

Thanks in part to last year’s historic shift of power in the Tennessee legislature, the new TWRC board features representatives from Bristol, Elizabethton, Knoxville and Greeneville. Meanwhile, Hawkins County native Ed Carter replaced retiring TWRA executive director Gary Myers on March 1.

“West Tennessee has been the emphasis of the [TWRC] for years, so a lot of money has to gone to that area for developments such as duck hunting,” said McMillin, who was appointed to the TWRC by Republican Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey of Blountville. “If there is any way we can improve the resources in East Tennessee, we’ve got the votes to do it now.”

The primary goal for McMillin deals with the grassroots: He wants to encourage young people to get out of the house and into the bountiful outdoors

“In Tennessee, the only funding we get for wildlife programs is from people buying hunting and fishing licenses,” McMillin said.  “If we don’t introduce our kids to the outdoors, we’re not going to be able to have the funding to protect our wildlife and resources.”

For example, McMillin said he would like to expand initiatives such as the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program to East Tennessee students.

“Kids don’t necessarily have to hunt,” McMillin said. “They just need to understand what’s out there.”

According to McMillin, the simulated reality of video games cannot compare to the sights, sounds and smells of the winter woods or a mountain stream.

“That’s our problem, we’ve got more kids sitting at home instead of getting outside and taking advantage of the many treasures that our area offers,” McMillin said. “If you can help a kid catch a fish or experience wildlife, you’ve got them sold for life.”

An array of hunting and fishing photos line the walls of McMillin’s cozy dentist office on Edgemont Avenue. From Africa and the northwest territories of Canada to the hunting hotbeds of Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota, McMillin knows real suspense.

“When I can get away, I try to do it right,” McMillin said. “I love to go elk hunting out west, but I’m not a big trophy hunter. I just like the experience of being outdoors.
“Some of my favorite memories involve kids. I’ll never forget watching my son Bart harvest his first deer.”

McMillin admits that this latest outdoor undertaking with the TWRC is a challenge, yet he’s already hit one target that delighted anglers from Bristol to Morristown.
Two weeks ago, McMillin convinced officials from the TWRA to travel to East Tennessee and listen to complaints regarding the 18-inch size limit for smallmouth bass.
The regulation, imposed this year by the TWRA, had a drastic impact on the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League tournament held in April on South Holston Reservoir.

“What’s good for West Tennessee [might] not be good for East Tennessee,” McMillin said. “We’ve got a totally different situation up here with our mountains.”

After hearing from a group of tournament fishermen and outdoorsmen, the TWRA decided to rescind the limit from 18 to 15 inches for smallmouth bass. The change will take effect later this month after approval by members of the Tennessee General Assembly.

“We set down and had little pow-wow with the director and biologist from the TWRA,” McMillin said. “That’s one example where having local voices helped.”

McMillin doesn’t plan to stop there. Twice a month, he will take the case of East Tennessee outdoorsmen to Nashville for TWRC meetings.

“The progress that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has made is amazing, and my goal is to build on that progress,” McMillin said.

Each morning, McMillin can see a vivid example of that long-term TWRA commitment.

“I live a mile from downtown Bristol, and there are deer in my backyard almost every day,” McMillin said. “That just wasn’t possible when I was growing up.”

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Who: Jeff McMillin

Hometown: Bristol, Tenn.

Age: 53

What: Member of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission. McMillin also belongs to groups such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and Quality Deer Management Association.

Notes: Bristol resident Carl Smith served on the TWRC in the 1970s, while Lewis Milhorne of Kingsport served a long term on the TWRC.