The dawning of the new year is an exciting time. What is not so exciting are cold temperatures and lake-effect snow. While we have some of the most diverse fishing and hunting opportunities in the nation, this is the small price we pay for living here. It’s a price which I will gladly pay until my last step on this great planet.
Some folks are busy scheduling their winter break, but for many of us the first part of January means another season — the sports show season — is on the horizon.
For more than a decade, I would leave the land of lake effect snowstorms at the beginning of January each year and travel to sportsmen shows from Massachusetts to Ohio into Indiana through Pennsylvania and back to New York, with many stops in between just to meet and talk with sportsmen and women about Chautauqua County.
While the hundreds of miles I would log the first four months of the year were long and oftentimes hard, I loved to make it back home just in time for spring turkey season. During those years, I learned a lot from folks, but the one thing that never changed was the passion sportsmen and women have for learning. No matter where I would go, it didn’t matter if I was giving a seminar to a dozen folks at a snowy show or speaking to a standing crowd at the largest sportsmen show in the country in Harrisburg, at the core we all are the same. We just want to learn about the outdoors and critters we chase.
During the COVID pandemic, sports shows all but closed down. The good news is that during the 2023 season shows will be up and running, with many great speakers and vendors.
We have put together a list of shows and their scheduled dates for 2023. Over the years I have attended just about every show on the east coast and midwest. The following are a handful of shows that are fairly close — remember this is a guy who drove 22 hours to kill a turkey then drove back home — so fairly close is a relative statement.
¯ The Niagara Frontier Gun Show will be held at the Hamburg Fairgrounds Event Building in Hamburg, New York next weekend, Jan. 7-8.
¯ On Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Kallet Civic Center in Oneida, New York, there is a great one-day show that is sure to have something for everybody. More than 45 outdoor businesses and clubs from the Central New York area will be there, including popular New York State authors of topics ranging from hunting, fishing, cooking and hiking. A large collection of mounts from area hunters will also be on display, with seminars and demonstrations by experts on hunting, fishing and other outdoor-related topics planned. The Utica Zoo will have a live presentation of wild New York State animals, too. Children will be able to see and touch animals throughout the day.
During the show the public is invited to bring in any deer, caribou, elk, moose, or antelope to be measured by members of the New York State Big Buck Club and Boone & Crockett. A prize will be awarded to the largest unscored buck entry. There will be several great raffles throughout the day and, of course, delicious homemade chili, hot dogs and other refreshments will be available at the concession stand. In addition, photos of local sportsmen at their proudest moments will be featured at the Outdoor Wall of Fame and the Central New York Sportsman of the Year will be presented at noon.
¯ Beginning on Feb. 9 and running for nine days, the largest sports show in the nation takes place in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It will celebrate hunting, fishing and outdoor traditions treasured by millions of Americans and their families.
If you have never been to the Harrisburg Show, it’s definitely one you need to attend. but make sure you plan plenty of time to see shows with more than 1,000 exhibitors ranging from shooting manufacturers to outfitters, to fishing boats and RVs, and archery to art.
The Great American Outdoor Show covers more than 650,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, not to mention a jam-packed schedule including speaking events, archery competitions, celebrity appearances, seminars, demonstrations and much more.
¯ The Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino will host its annual show on Feb. 25-26. Saturday morning the show opens at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. On Sunday, the floors will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shop the latest in fishing gear, hunting supplies and sporting goods at this family friendly fan-favorite event. Buy, sell or trade antique firearms, check out fishing & hunting charter services and enjoy educational wildlife exhibits. This year the Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, & Allegany County pistol permit clerks are available during show hours.
¯ The 2023 Erie RV & Sport Expo kicks off on Feb. 17 and runs for three days. This is not the same expo we all have experienced in recent years. Organizers have combined the Erie RV Show and the Erie Sport Show, bringing the two shows together for one big weekend event at the Bayfront Convention Center.
There will be plenty of vendors and activities going on throughout the weekend, including turkey calling, rifle accuracy and reloading, exotic wildlife display, and fishing seminars. This year’s show hours will be Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
¯ If you are looking for a pure fishing show, then the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo is just for you. This year’s expo is designed by fishermen for fishermen with the simple goals of promoting and teaching fishing. Now in its eighth year, it has become a can’t-miss annual event for thousands of anglers to attend every year.
Between the teaching fishing component providing attendees with more than 300 hours of fishing education and the 170 booths of fishing exhibitors, this is the largest freshwater fishing show in New York State and among the largest fishing shows anywhere in the Great Lakes.
From walleye and bass to salmon and trout; from perch to piers, stream casters to trolling nuts; from fly fishing to youth fishing; from marine electronics to boat rigging; from fishing boats to kayak fishing, the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo this is a can’t-miss event for every angler to attend.
This year the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo is taking place Feb. 16-19 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in downtown Niagara Falls, USA.
¯ The 2023 Western New York Sport & Travel Expo returns to the Fairgrounds in Hamburg, NY on March 10-12. Come check out more than 200 exhibitors from the hunting, fishing and outdoor industry. There is something for everyone at this show, whether you are looking to book the hunt of your dreams, purchase new fishing gear, learn from experts in the hunting or fishing industry or just have a great time with your family. Children can fish in the live trout pond, and much more.
Credit: Source link
