This page will be updated late summer

• Deer Decoying Demonstration Area and Seminars
  Well-known outdoor writer Gary Clancy, who since 1981 has made a specialty of decoy use when bowhunting for whitetails (and written a couple of books on the topic), will present the seminars and host the demonstration area between seminars. He will be available to answer your decoying questions. Various brands of deer decoys will be displayed, with standing, feeding and bedded forms.
• Firearms ‘Answer Man’ Information Center
  Got questions on rifle selection, caliber selection, bullet weight, bullet performance, scope selection and use, windage calculations, or whatever? Ron Spomer, firearms and hunting columnist and feature writer for several major hunting magazines and outdoor television host, will be the available expert to answer them. He also will present seminars on the major points of contention, misunderstanding and usefulness (including scope and binocular optics. In fact, the Hands-On Optics Try-out Area will be positioned with this Firearms Information Center.
• Traditional Archery Alley
  Traditional archery is enjoying resurgence. Several manufacturers of traditional gear decided to group their exhibit space to maximize their exposure and make it easier for everyone interested in traditional archery to find them and talk with them. In addition, archery trick shot Byron Ferguson, who uses traditional gear, will have his booth is this area, and the entire Alley will be located close to the Bow Tryout Area, making it easy for you to try any bow you’re interested in.
• Helping Handicapped/Disabled Hunters
  Outdoors Without Limits was formed to create a program enabling the disabled to achieve their dreams in the outdoors. An attended area of the exhibit floor will show hunting blinds, chairs, vision systems, battery-operated shooting accessories and related products to aid disabled hunters.
• Broadhead Collection
  There has been an amazing array of shapes, sizes, dimensions and designs of commercially-available broadheads over the years. The specific collection will be announced soon.
• Three-Day Adult Tickets and Military Personnel Reduced Rate Tickets
  Check the Tickets Page of this web-site for prices and details.
  

• Whitetail Deer Trophy Contest & Display
  More than 600 Illinois buster bucks are expected. Measuring/scoring by people certified by the Boone & Crockett Club, Pope & Young Club or Illinois Big Buck Recognition Program. Take your trophy to the western-most of the three buildings (formerly known as the roller hockey building); all measuring and trophy display will be in that building. Contest fee is $15; in return, you get a three-day pass to the Classic. See the Contests Page for new and modified rules on contest trophy entries and 'measure only' non-contest trophies.
  The contest is sponsored by Miller High Life.
• Trail Camera Photo Contest
  Trail cameras see some strange things among wildlife populations -- and some big antlers -- when no humans are around. See the Contests Page for details and rules, and last year's winning photos. Some of the world's bravest squirrels are shown there. More than 200 photos expected.
• Outdoor Photo Contest
  Photos of your good times in the outdoors make strong, good memories. Show those memories, and your photography skill, by entering this contest. Everyone appreciates great photos. See the Contests Page for details and rules, and last year's winning photos. More than 200 photos expected.
• State Turkey Calling & Owl Hooting Championship
  Contest held Saturday, February 28. Sponsored by the Illinois State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and hosted by the Mackinaw Valley Gobblers. Call Gary Eichelberger at 309-454-6502 (evenings) for information.

• Byron Ferguson, Archery Trick Shot
  Byron Ferguson and his entertaining archery trick shooting is an annual regular, simply because he's so much fun to see. He will give two performances Saturday, February 28, and two performances Sunday, March 1. He shoots wooden discs and pennies from the air, snuffs a candle with an arrow, shoots ricochet arrows into a target's bullseye, and bursts inflated balloons while shooting from all sorts of twisted positions. Your entire family will enjoy his archery performance. Ferguson is a veteran bowhunter and has taken more than 180 whitetails, plus black bear, a record-book mule deer, moose and game birds.
• Venison Butchering & Processing
  Bill Hesselgrave and his venison butchering demonstrations also return annually. People like to review Bill's demonstrations to be sure they heard right and remembered right when it came time to do their own venison butchering.
• Cooking Venison & Other Wild Foods
  Plus meat handling, freezing, thawing, seasoning, cooking and serving tips. Be ready to sample some great flavors. A cooking demo will follow each venison butchering/processing demo, in the same seminar room. Come prepared to make notes.

• Optics Hands-On Information Center
  Binoculars and firearms scopes to try out and learn to adjust better for maximum value, maximum use and satisfaction. This will be part of the Firearms 'Answer Man' Info Center because the two topics are interrelated.
• Shooting Ranges (for kids of all ages)
  Airgun, laser firearms, laser archery, NASP (National Archery in Schools Program) archery range are operated under the watchful eyes of adult range masters for best learning and safe operation. One laser range has big game video footage complete with sound; one has video game-type action. Equipment provided at all ranges.

• New Products Special Display Area
  New products from exhibiting manufacturers and sales representatives are displayed together in one area near the entrance for your viewing and inspection ease. All products are identified by exhibitor name and booth number for easy follow-up to get detailed info. Many people don't want a sales person hanging on their elbow when they first look at a new product. This is the perfect opportunity to examine new products on your own. This special display is inside the main entry doors off the right side of the lobby. You'll see the yellow banners with the black NEW PRODUCTS lettering.
• Food Plot Display Area
  Some things are better understood when seen. The display items change from year to year; there are countless topics to show and explain because there are a lot of facets to food plot evaluation, creation, preparation, seeds used, time of year grown, purpose (feeding or hunting), and on and on. A FOOD PLOT SOURCES OF INFORMATION handout sheet is available, too.
  * Forage Crop Pocket Guide -- This 52-page, info-packed guide book will again be for sale at the Food Plot Demo Area. There's more good info per page in this little booklet than you'll find in any other book. It's affordable ... only $3. It can also be ordered by calling 1-800-324-3337 (8:30am-4:30pm, Central Time) or click here.
  

  FOOD PLOT SOURCES OF INFORMATION

• OWAA National Outdoor Photo Contest Winners
  Some of the best black-and-white and four-color nature and outdoor photography you will ever see. Sponsored by the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA).
• Natural History Displays
  • Complete whitetail deer skeleton
    The deer skeleton is in a glass case, and nearly life-size artwork of the skeleton identifying every bone is positioned beside the skeleton. See how deer are put together. Figure out best aiming point-of-impact for quickest results, where to shoot and where not to shoot.
  • Illinois fur-bearing animal hides/pelts/furs.
    Provided by Illinois Trappers Association
  • Flint-knapping demonstrations
    See stone arrowheads, spear points, knives and axes made the same as they were made thousands of years ago AND see meat cutting demonstrations with the stone knives. The results are impressive.
    Stone work by Mark McDaniel, Metamora
• Live Animals
  Cougar, wolf, black bear, grizzly bear, bobcat, coyote -- all a part of the fascinating North American wildlife scene.

1. Seminar Speakers
   

   All seminars are FREE once you have purchased your admission ticket. Seminar schedule will be posted as soon as it is completed. Most speakers and topics change every year. The food plot topic (see above) is one of the few that have become continuous, but even here we vary the specific subject matter within the broad food plot field.

2. 315+ Exhibit Booths
   

   The place to see NEW PRODUCTS and talk face-to-face with factory reps. Get your equipment and accessory questions answered here. An alphabetical list of exhibitors will be published 45 days before the Classic and updated weekly. Centerfire firearms, black powder and archery gear. Accessories - scopes, binoculars, game and bird calls, tree stands, GPS, scents and lures, hunting blinds, deer feeds, knives, camouflage and other hunting clothing, footwear...and a lot more .... Guides and outfitters from throughout the United States, Canada and South Africa for all types of big game .... Wildlife art and artists, book and magazine publishers, video producers ... Wild game cooking and seasonings, cooking equipment and supplies, jerky and sausage. Many companies work on a rotating basis, exhibiting on alternating years so they can exhibit at more expos over a two-year or three-year span. Those you missed last year may be back this year. Outdoor Lifestyle & Home Decorating Products Anyone who enjoys the outdoors will like these items for home, office, den, cabin or lodge. Products include food seasonings, clothing, cooking gear (kitchen & camp), carved and painted wildlife art, log homes and furniture, antler art, hats/purses/leather goods, etc. These exhibit booths are distributed randomly among all other booths.

3. Trophy Deer Contest
   See the CONTESTS page for details.

To get posters and flyers to distribute, please contact Rita Scholz at 1-800-324-3337 or rita@deerinfo.com