Outdoorsman bids farewell to TV show

Carson City's premier outdoorsman and one of the capital city's most recognized public-television figures has called it quits.

Don Quilici said goodbye Tuesday night to 14 years on Carson Access Television hosting "The Outdoor Recreation Show."

"The doctor said it was time to slow down," said Quilici, 70, who suffered two heart attacks in August. "What happened was a wake-up call that all things come to an end sooner or later, and this seemed like a good time to end 'The Outdoor Rec Show.'"

The live, one-hour broadcast, which had run every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., focused on activities from sports fishing to backpack trips from Nevada to Alaska.

Quilici was born in Carson City and has lived here his whole life, except for four years he served in the U.S. Air Force. He was working as data processing manager for the Nevada Department of Transportation when he was invited on a half-hour outdoor program on public access by then-host Jack Pritchard in 1990.

He was invited back the following week, and then the next.

"And it just kept going from there," he said.

In the 14 years he co-hosted the program, Quilici said, he would always arrange vacations so he'd be home in time for the live broadcast.

If he wouldn't be back in time he knew the show was in good hands with one of the regular co-hosts, son Jim, Norm Budden or Doug Busey.

Quilici only remembers a handful of occasions when he couldn't make the show - recovering from the heart attacks, when he was in Alaska, and in 2002 when he married his wife, Elaine.

"I went on an 18-day honeymoon to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bali."

Quilici said he also gave up a two-minute radio spot which runs twice a week on KPTL.

But that's all the avid outdoorsman is willing to sacrifice.

He will continue to write his outdoors column at the Nevada Appeal, and there's no stopping him from hunting, fishing and backpacking.

"This just gives me more time to play," he said.