For those of you going to the show this weekend and looking for any food plot or land management information check out Art Helin's seminars. They are pretty good and he knows his stuff. He also has a booth Art Helin Outdoors so you can talk to him there as well to get any questions answered you may have.
Thanks for the tip! We're planning to go tomorrow if the weather holds out. They've changed the forecast, and now it's supposed to be really crappy. Not sure I want to drive 2 hrs when we're getting 6+ inches of snow.
I wouldn't drive two minutes yet alone two hours for the Illinois show. It has gone so down hill the last few years. Going to the Wisconsin show instead it's way better! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I know it has ferg. It kinda sux, but it's the closest one to where I live. I would much rather drive longer to Peoria, but I have to take what I can get. My situation doesn't allow it, or I would have went to the one in Kentucky
I went Saturday with my wife. We spent 5 hours there. That was with 10-12 inches of fresh snow on the ground. I bought tickets on line and got $3 off each, then posted it on facebook and twitter and got $2 more off. So two tickets was $20 and we got free parking in the deck that was only a few steps away from the front door. It was packed. Last year it was almost like a ghost town. This year was packed! We walked in and ran straight into Winchester's Melissa Bachman. I don't care if you are a fan or not, she was cool and chatted with my wife and I for a long time. I tweeted about it and she followed me within minutes. I shot a Darton bow Darton Archery and loved it! I shoot a Mathews and love it, this blew it away. A man and the 10Point Crossbow stand then stopped me and asked if I liked the bow. He agreed that it was fast and smooth. Then he invited me down to his pro shop to shoot the mathews HTR. I love the Chippewa Wedge-Loc Treestands, LLC ~ Milford, Illinois made in the USA tree stands. They were light and strong and very solid. Also had a great chat with the guys at Deeer Crossing Archery and I think I will be getting some of those DCA Arrows & Shafts - Deer Crossing Archery LLC. We bought some meat seasoning call Cracker Boy that was amazing. We also took in the trophies. All in all I would say we had a great day! This was 100 times better show than last year and I plan on going again, based on my wife saying, "When we come next year!" Then as we were walking out, my wife joined the Illinois Whitetail Alliance and then got her photo taken and the paperwork for her foid card. They put on a great show this year! Are there better out there? I am sure. Is there one 8 miles from my home? Nope
I also met some awesome people from Sullivan Pheasant & Game Farm, pheasant eggs, pheasant chicks, illinois pheasant farms and they gave me the last of their bbq pheasant and it was great! I have two farmers with CRP and I think I will be sharing the info with them! Came home with two bottles of this fine stuff! Cracker Seasonings | Premium Seasonings for Cooking and Grilling went with cracker boy and the cracker girl hot!
Glad to hear the show has greatly improved. Maybe I will give it a shot again next year Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's really good to hear that the show has picked back up, like Ferg I went the two years previous to it being in Springfield and wasn't very impressed. It was still fun and meat to see the mounts but overall I thought it was kinda dead. Wanted to make it this year but with the snow didn't get to. Pretty bad haven't been since it moved closer ha.
It was definitely a better show this year. Was actually surprised to see so many people there with the weather we had. I got a new coyote call from MFK Game Calls. Those things sound awesome!!
How in the blazes did I miss this? I heard them, but never saw them? They must have been around something I looked at or had a big crowd, I never pass on a new coyote call. Although I think I have about as good of one as there is.
They were behind Jim and down a little bit. Nice reed calls like a turkey call. Hands free is a great asset Sent from my SCH-I535
Which did you get? I have a couple of their holwer diaphrams, crazy all the sounds you can make with them with a lil practice.
I got the black out howler. Never used a mouth call like that, but couldn't beat the price. I have a long way to go. First day trying it was pretty rough. Each time gets a little better. I'll get the hang of it eventually. They have some awesome predator hunting vids online Sent from my SCH-I535
Now that we are in mid Jan. I thought I would start looking to see when it was coming? I see nothing except one in August up in Bloomington? WTH??? I am ready to go now! If I am missing the info....please share it
Yes, it looks like they switched it to August. All the rest of them are late winter/early spring, just as in the past. I don't know why theirs is so late now. Maybe it was a date/venue issue. Anyway, here's the link. Illinois Hunting Expo | 2016 Deer & Turkey Expos | Deer Info | Deer and Turkey Expos Blessings.........Pastorjim
Wow! I will be attending for the first time in several years. Bloomington works better for me as its only 3 hours away and I believe trying August might be a great solution.
I also believe this will get more 2015 bucks to the show since it will give taxadermists more time to get er done.
