With roots in Southwest Colorado, Justin Jackson has been cast as the conservative Second Amendment hunter type in a new reality television show.
“It all sort of fell into my lap,” said the 41-year-old outdoorsman. “An old high school friend knew someone who knew someone.”
Last October, Jackson auditioned to star in the USA Network game show, “Summer Camp.” He made callbacks to the semifinal casting call in Los Angeles, where he competed against 50 other hopefuls in April. Three weeks later, Jackson was competing for a $250,00 prize with cameras filming his every move over an entire month.
“Summer Camp” airs Thursday’s evening, and close to 2 million viewers watched the premiere on July 11. This week’s broadcast, however, is must-see television, Jackson said.
“The show this Thursday is going to be the most epic episode of ‘Summer Camp,’” he said. “It’ll be worth tuning in to.”
“Summer Camp” features 16 contestants from all different backgrounds and jobs, ranging from a hunter to a supermodel to a vegan yoga instructor, packing their bags and heading to a lakeside retreat in Big Bear, Calif. There, participants take part in competitions inspired by classic camp games and eventually face off in a “Campathalon,” an Olympic-style event.
Being a reality television star has its drawbacks, Jackson admitted. Since the competition, Jackson made his first journey to New York earlier this month for publicity purposes, including an interview on NBC’s “Today Show.”
“New York was definitely a learning experience,” he said. “I don’t want to go back. They can have the Big Apple.”
Competing on the show also forced Jackson not to have any outside contact with friends or loved ones during taping. His fiancée took it the hardest, but the couple have since married.
“She watches every show to see if there was any romance,” Jackson said jokingly. “And she tells me there’s still time for an annulment.”
Jackson’s father and grandfather once logged areas surrounding Dolores and Norwood. An archer, Jackson said he’s been hunting the area since his early teens. He now has a ranch at Groundhog Lake and a house in Bayfield.
“Being an outdoorsman is my calling card, and southwest Colorado has been a huge influence on his life,” he said, wearing an “I Eat Elk” T-shirt.
His father, Dale Jackson, said the greatest lesson he tried to instill in his son was the value of hard work. While he doesn’t recall ever seeing a television twinkle in his son’s eye, the elder Jackson said he wasn’t surprised to see his son become a reality television star.
“I knew he’d be successful,” said Dale Jackson. “One step leads to another.”
The game show is not Jackson’s first appearance in front of a camera. He’s previously worked on-air appearances for various outdoor hunting shows, but with only a single camera capturing his moves. Looking back, Jackson said he may have played the game differently, but he didn’t have any regrets of becoming a reality star. Well, except for one, perhaps.
“There were so many cameras, I’m worried about what my mom might hear me say,” he said, cringing.
The eight-episode series is expected to wrap on August 29.
