A new trail camera photo contest ... a special display of locked deer antlers, and in-depth food plot and deer habitat seminars highlight the llinois Deer & Turkey Classic this weekend at the Interstate Center in Bloomington.

"Food plots and habitat improvement do more than benefit deer and turkeys," says Glenn Helgeland, the show’s produicer. He addedm This is natural resource stewardship for the benefit of water, soil, vegetation, game species and non-game species.

More than 15 sets of locked antlers from throughout Illinois are expected to be brought in for display. Locked antlers occur when bucks fight for dominance. These fights almost always end in the death of both animals.

Returning activities include more than 310 exhibit booths ... a new products special display area ... more than 40 seminars on 11 deer hunting and turkey hunting topics ... the Miller High Life trophy whitetail deer contest with more than 500 entries expected ... Byron Ferguson, an internationally known trick archery shot ... an Optics Hands-On Tryout Area ... venison butchering and cooking demonstrations ... airgun, archery and laser shooting ranges.

The Classic also has a live wild animal display ... outdoor photo contest open to attendees ... a display of Illinois fur-bearing animals ... and flint knapping demonstrations where arrowheads are chipped from stone.

For details on the Classic, go to the event’s web-site -- www.deerinfo.com

A guy who can shoot dimes out of the air with a bow and arrows performs this Saturday and Sunday at the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic at the Interstate Center in Bloomington.

Internationally-known archery trick shot Byron Ferguson year after year is a crowd favorite with his shooting and audience involvement. Glenn Helgeland, producer of the event, said, "Kids and adults alike enjoy him, and many see his presentation every year. He also gets 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 a variety of shooting positions, including an over-the-shoulder mirror shot.

For details on the Classic, go to the event’s web-site -- www.deerinfo.com

Nationally-known seminar speakers on a variety of hunting, scouting and food plot topics highlight the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic this weekend at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. There will be more than 40 seminars over the two-and-a-half days of the event. Speakers will cover the basics of food plot evaluation, planning and 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 ... how to beat the cold and have quality late season hunting ... spring turkey hunting ... and tips flatlanders like us need to have productive hunts ... plus venison butchering and cooking demonstrations.

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

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.

• 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).

• 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.
  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.