Trail Camera Demos, Two Buck Contests Among New Features at Deer and Turkey Spectacular
OutdoorHub 02.01.12
A new name and several other new features highlight the 2012 Field & Stream Deer & Turkey Spectacular / MICHIGAN, which will be held February 17-18-19 at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing. This is the Spectacular’s 26th year.
New features include:
- A new name and new owner of the event which, for 25 years, has been known as the Michigan Deer & Turkey Spectacular. It now is owned by the Bonnier Corporation, owner/publisher of Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines. The event is now titled the Field &Stream Deer & Turkey Spectacular / MICHIGAN, presented by Remington. Outdoor Life will sponsor the seminar series. Bonnier also bought similar deer and turkey expos in Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin and retitled them the in the same manner.
- Two trophy buck contests instead of one, with merchandise random prize drawings in both that any contest entrant can win. The Spectacular’s deer/bear/elk/turkey event is one contest. The Q1 Buck Pole Mid-South Region contest is the second. Entry fee is $15 for the Spectacular’s contest; the fee includes a free three-day pass ($36 value) and automatic entry to the Q1 contest. Trophy bucks cannot be entered only in the Q1 contest. Go to www.deerinfo.com, then click on the Michigan icon, then on Contests, for all details.
- Trail Cameras seminars and demonstration area. A hugely popular, and helpful scouting tool, much has changed in the trail camera world and is still changing. Les Davenport has put years of work into using and evaluating trail cameras. He will tell you the points you need to know to get most value when you buy, then he will tell you how best to use them for best results and not spook the deer.
- Predator Calling & Hunting seminars by Mike Brust, a Wisconsin-based long-time predator hunter. He will detail productive Midwestern techniques and talk about weather, clothing you will need, optics and firearms. He also will answer your individual questions at the predator hunting table in the Tech Information Center.
- Locked Antlers Display of nearly 30 whitetail deer sets and one set of locked caribou antlers. Tough way to die, this battle for mating supremacy, but it’s a part of the natural world. You will see some whoppers; the antlers need to be big to be able to lock.
Returning highlights include:
- Nearly 250 exhibit booths, many with product for sale, and at bargain prices.
- Tech Information Center. Other subjects are firearms, archery, slug guns & muzzle loaders, hunting clothes & footwear, optics (scopes & binoculars), and food plots.
- New-products special display area near the main entrance. Examine products without a sales person at your elbow.
- 2-1/2 days of how-to seminars, with more than 40 presentations on a dozen topics. See the schedule at www.deerinfo.com, then click on Michigan and then on Seminars. Seminars are free once you have your general admission ticket.
- Byron Ferguson, archery trick shot, performs Saturday and Sunday, February 18-19.
- Women’s Garb & Gear Area, including a fitting room for hunting garment try-on
- Hunting Dogs & Puppies, with a seminar on buying a puppy and the first six months of training
- U.S. Sportsmens Alliance raffles, sweepstakes and Sentry program. Nearly 200 prizes of hunting gear and accessories
- Gun auction Sunday, February 19
- Two photo contests (Outdoor Photo Contest and Trail Cam Photo Contest)
- Live game animal and live predators display; get your picture taken with a bear cub
- Hands-on shooting areas (archery, airgun, laser firearms)
- Flint knapping and Mountain Man demonstration areas and displays.
For details on the Field & Stream Deer and Turkey Spectacular, visit the event’s web-site — www.deerinfo.com, then click on Michigan.
