Outdoor legend and former Commissioner McCollum dies at 81

June 28, 2023

STUTTGART — Marion McCollum, who served as an Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner from 1995-2002, died June 21 in Stuttgart at the age of 81.

McCollum was known nationwide among waterfowl hunters for taking a small outdoors and sporting goods shop situated in the back of his family’s hardware store and turning it into one of the largest outdoor merchandise outlets for mail and online sales, rivaling big boys Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.

The Mack’s Prairie Wings Facebook page posted June 22: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the shocking and devastating news of the passing of our legend, Marion McCollum, who dedicated his life to teaching the next generation the heritage of the outdoor sportsman. Mack’s Prairie Wings may never be the same, but we assure you that his legacy will continue on as we serve our customers the way Marion taught us.”

McCollum was appointed to the Commission by Jim Guy Tucker in the summer of 1995. During his time on the Commission, of which he chaired in 2001-02, the AGFC acquired the land that would become Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Wildlife Management Area and Nature Center.

McCollum and his father, the eponymous “Mack,” started what would become Mack’s Prairie Wings as an addition to the family hardware store in the 1930s. They moved from Stuttgart’s Main Street to a standalone location on U.S. Highway 79 (West Michigan Street) in town.

Eventually, the business expanded its hunting and fishing inventory to require a move to a 104,000-square-foot storefront at the intersection of North Buerkle Street and U.S. Highway 63 on the north side of town. The store says it reaches millions of customers through its catalog and online store.

McCollum served on the board of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, a fundraising arm of the AGFC. As an avid supporter of youth shooting sports, McCollum helped raise funds for the AGFF Jacksonville Shooting Sports Complex.

An avid duck hunter, he was a lifetime member of Ducks Unlimited, Waterfowl USA and Delta Waterfowl. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Waterfowler Hall of Fame in 2016.

McCollum was also inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors National Hall of Fame in 2007, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Outdoor Hall of Fame in 2008, and received the Jerry Jones Sportsman’s Award by the Ducks Unlimited Little Rock Chapter in 2010.