A new trail camera photo contest, special display of locked whitetail deer antlers, and in-depth food plot and deer habitat seminars -- and, of course, a most amazing display of huge whitetail deer antlers -- highlight the 2008 Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, February 22-23-24 at the Interstate Center in Bloomington.

The food plot demonstration area will have nursery flats of various grain crops, grasses and other deer feed sources, plus a special display on soil testing procedures. "Soil testing is a hugely important first step that a lot of people overlook," notes Glenn Helgeland, producer of the Deer & Turkey Classic. "Without soil testing to get you started right, you're flying blind. You can't just toss seeds on the ground and get a lush jungle of nutritious deer foods, although that's often what is expected."

"Food plots and habitat improvement do more than benefit deer and turkeys," Helgeland added. "This is natural resource stewardship for the benefit of water, soil, vegetation, game species and non-game species," he added.

The locked antler display, last done in 2001, is a collection of locked antlers owned by various Illinois (or neighboring state) hunters. Fifteen to 20 sets are expected to be displayed.

The trail camera photo contest will have half a dozen categories. Go to the Classic's web-site (www.deerinfo.com) for contest details.

Returning activities include more than 310 exhibit booths; new products special display area; 2-1/2 days of new seminar topics on deer hunting and turkey hunting; the Miller High Life trophy whitetail deer contest with more than 500 entries are expected; Byron Ferguson, an internationally known trick archery shot on Saturday and Sunday; an Optics Hands-On Tryout Area, featuring rifle scopes and binoculars; venison butchering and processing demonstrations, plus wild foods cooking demonstrations; a wide range of hands-on shooting opportunities (airgun, laser firearms, laser archery, bow tryout area, and the National Archery in Schools Program free instructional range);

The Classic also has a live wild animal display, including live wild turkeys; outdoor photo contest; a display of Illinois fur-bearers hides, pelts and furs; flint knapping demonstrations, and other special displays and activities the entire family will enjoy.

For details on the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, visit the show's web-site -- www.deerinfo.com.

Internationally-known archery trick shot Byron Ferguson will perform this weekend at the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic. The Classic will be Friday through Sunday at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. Ferguson performs Saturday and Sunday.

“Year after year Byron's amazing shooting performance draws the biggest crowds," said Glenn Helgeland, producer of the event. "Kids and adults alike enjoy him, and many see his presentation every year. He always comes up with a new wrinkle or two, and he always gets the kids involved."

Ferguson 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 contorted positions. Ferguson is a veteran bowhunter and has taken more than 180 whitetails, plus black bear, mule deer, moose and game birds.

For details on the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, including regular ticket prices and special offers, seminar topics and schedule, hotel and exhibitor lists, and trophy and photo contest rules, directions to the site and parking information, visit the event’s web-site -- www.deerinfo.com.

Nationally-known seminar speakers on a variety of hunting, scouting and food plot topics, plus hands-on demonstrations, highlight the 2-1/2 days of seminars at the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic this weekend at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. Speakers will cover the basics of food plot evaluation/planning/preparation, designing food plots to attract and hold deer longer; hunting and outdoor recreation as a lifetime family activity; new equipment in shotguns and slugs for deer, and in black powder gear; several deer hunting topics; how to beat the cold and hunt better in late seasons; spring turkey hunting; what flatlanders need to know to have productive hunts, and venison butchering and cooking demonstrations.

Byron Ferguson, the internationally known archery trick shot, will give two performances Saturday and two Sunday.

There will be more than 40 seminars over the two-and-a-half days of the event.

Speakers and their topics:

• Finding and Hunting Hidden Deer Movement Funnels (Steve Bartylla);
• Hunting & The Outdoors - A Lifetime Family Recreation (Ralph & Vicki Cianciarulo);
• Slugs & Slug Guns for Deer, Black Powder is Booming Again With New Gear (Dave Henderson);
• Six Steps to Beating the Cold & Bagging Late Season Bucks (Mark Kayser);
• Time Management (Yours & Theirs) for Whitetails (Tony LaPratt);
• What You Absolutely Need for Spring Turkey Hunting (Mike Reynolds);
• What Flatlanders Need to Know to Have Productive, Enjoyable Western Hunts (Ron Spomer);
• Good Food Plots -- Plan, Design, Development & Plant Basics, and common errors (Bob Coine).
• Venison Butchering and Processing (Bill Hesselgrave);
• Venison and Other Wild Foods Cooking (Jason Coleman).

Seminars are free once you've purchased your admission ticket.
Glenn Helgeland, producer of the Classic, says, "We work hard every year to put together a range of seminars attractive to new hunters and experienced hunters. There's always something to learn. The seminar schedule always is one of the strong points of the Classic."

For a seminar schedule and other details of the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, go to the show's website -- www.deerinfo.com.

Locked antlers are tragic reminders of the harshness of Mother Nature and her operating rules, because they almost always result in the agonizing deaths of two magnificent whitetail deer. Antlers must be large to lock together when two bucks battle for breeding dominance, and that almost always removes some of the best bucks from the breeding base, giving notice once again that Mother Nature’s rules are harsh and play no favorites.

Fifteen to 18 sets of those dramatic results, nearly all from Illinois, will be an eye-catching display at the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, February 22-23-24 at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. "Due to the extraordinary size of Illinois trophy antlers, this probably will be the largest and most impressive of the locked antler displays at the five Midwestern expos we produce," said show producer Glenn Helgeland of Target Communications.

There will be unmounted antlers-and-skulls displayed on tables, and various mounted sets on pedestals or hung on display boards. “Taxidermy work on locked antlers is difficult, at best,” said show producer Glenn Helgeland, “but the results and drama are worth the effort and expense.”

Many of the locked sets will have printed background information and photos displayed with them. “Plan to spend some time here,” Helgeland said. “The people displaying them usually are more than happy to talk about the locked antlers.”

For details on the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, including regular ticket prices and special offers, seminar topics and schedule, hotel and exhibitor lists, and trophy and photo contest rules, directions to the site and parking information, visit the event’s web-site (www.deerinfo.com).

Opening trail camera photo files is like opening Christmas presents -- you never know what you’re going to get, some will be better than you hoped for (a 12-point record-book buck) and some will be less (the neighbor’s cat). But that’s all part of the fun, and that’s part of the reason the use of trail camera’s is growing. The other big reason -- none of us know the number and quality of deer living right under our noses, and we really would like to. It’s easier getting the pulse up when you know a big one is hiding where you’re hunting.

All in all, trail camera photos are discovery fun, and that’s why there will be a Trail Camera Photo Contest at the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, February 22-23-24 at the Interstate Center in Bloomington.

The contest is open to everyone. You must first purchase a show general admission ticket to enter the photo contest.

There are eight categories in the photo contest: 1) Whitetail Deer/bucks; 2) Whitetail Deer/groups; 3) Whitetail Deer/other; 4) Predators (four-footed & flying); 5) Big Game other than whitetail deer; 6) Wild turkey/gobbler(s); 7) Wild turkey/groups;
8) Miscellaneous.

Entry fee is $5 for up to three photos, and $5 for every additional group of one to three photos. Bring your entries to the show office; no mail-in entries are accepted. Entry deadline is 10 a.m. Sunday.

Black-and-white or color prints are acceptable. Photos may be mounted, but cannot include glass and cannot be framed. Image size can be anywhere from 5"x7" minimum to 11"x14" maximum. Your name, address and telephone number, including area code, and choice of contest category, must be on the back of each entry.

Judging will be at 1:00 pm Sunday. There may be up to three awards per category.

Photos must remain on display until 3:00 PM Sunday. Photos not picked up will not be returned.

For details on the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, visit the show's web-site --www.deerinfo.com.

You’re invited to enter your favorite photos in the outdoor photography contest at the upcoming Illinois Deer & Turkey Classoc, Feb. 22-23-24 at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. More than 200 photos are expected to be entered. Entry deadline is 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 24. The contest is open to amateur photographers only. To enter the contest, you must first buy a general admission ticket.

Bring your entries to the show. No mail-in entries are accepted. Entries are to be made in the Event Office. Ask a ticket taker for directions. Photos can be picked up after 3:00 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24.

• Five categories -- 1) Wildlife - (North American only); 2) Flora; 3) Scenic; 4) People in the Outdoors; 5) Miscellaneous/Novelty. No ‘hero’ photos of game or fish taken; no pets.
• Black-and-white or color prints only. Image size can be anywhere from 5"x7" minimum to 11"x14" maximum. Photos must be mounted unframed. Matting is permitted. All photos in a category will be judged together.
• Entry fee is $5 for up to three photos. If you want to enter more photos, there is an additional $5 fee for each additional three photos. The photographer’s name, address and telephone number, including area code, and choice of contest category must be on the back of each entry.
• There may be up to three award ribbons per category for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. If there are no qualified entries in a category, no awards will be given in that category. Judging will be at 1:00 p.m. Sunday. Photos must remain on display until 3:00 p.m. Sunday. Photos not picked up will not be returned.