Justin Moore Explains Surprising Reason for Growing a Beard (Exclusive)

If anyone has seen Justin Moore lately, he doesn’t look quite like himself. The Arkansas native is sporting a beard, something he rarely does, although he insists he isn’t growing it for appearances. Instead, the beard serves a practical purpose, while he braves the colder weather for one of his favorite sports: hunting.

“I grow this every year but I started a little earlier this year,” Moore told PopCulture.com. “I always grow it for deer season. It’s deer season … My wife loves it also so but I look in the mirror and I go ‘Gross.’

“It’s not a thing that I’m trying to go for,” he continued. “When you see me on tour next year I’ll be looking normal but thank you I appreciate it.”

Moore, along with the rest of his family, enjoys eating the fruits of his labor, which is why Moore hopes to stock his freezer with venison, adding that his favorite part of a deer is the tender backstrap.

“We get a lot of ours made into hamburger meat,” Moore said. “So instead of using hamburger, we use it, but other than the backstrap we do a lot of the summer sausage like jalapeno cheddar summer sausage.”

Moore is eager to hit the road next year on his Late Nights and Longnecks Tour with Tracy Lawrence, which comes on the heels of his latest Late Nights and Longnecks album. But before he thinks too much about work, he wants to spend some time focusing on the things that really matter, including time with his family.

“It’s been an exciting year, a great year because of the album coming out, but anytime you release an album there’s a lot of added stress and a lot of added work throughout the year,” Moore maintained. “I’m just limping towards the finish line. It’s been a great year because of the album.

“You know, ‘The Ones that Didn’t Make it Back Home‘ was huge for us,” he continued. “And ‘Why We Drink‘ is out right now. It’s the next single from the album and we’ll be out promoting that next year, but don’t talk to me for the next two and half or three months, ’cause I’m outta here.”

Moore and Lawrence will hit the road on their Late Nights and Longnecks Tour on January 17. Find tour dates, and purchase Moore’s latest record, by visiting his website.

Photo Credit: Getty / Rebecca Sapp