WISCONSIN DEER & TURKEY EXPO
April 4-5-6, 2008

There is a truism in life that says “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” and Glenn Helgeland, the producer of the upcoming Wisconsin Deer and Turkey Expo, says that thought has been a lightning rod for much of the planning of his company’s deer and turkey expos, such as the 24th annual Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, April 4-5-6, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

“We try to produce an event that has something of interest for every member of the family and many things which have overlapping interest for several members of the family,” he notes. “That really came into focus several years ago when we began an effort to get 10 percent to 15 percent of our exhibitor base with products of an outdoor-lifestyle orientation. We don’t get into country crafts, but we do have exhibitors with home and den and cabin decorations and furnishings, and log furniture and such, far beyond the basic wildlife art and carvings and picture frames ... but we have them, too,” he notes.

In his early research, Helgeland said, he asked women if promotional efforts should focus on them as a group. They all said no. When they’re hunters, they want to be known as hunters, not women who hunt. They have higher concern than men for comfort and style -- “because we’re not as interested in suffering as are men,” one woman said. Men often seem to have the motto of “I don’t know how much more of this fun I can stand ... but I’m gonna find out,” she said.

Second, all women said, “Don’t group the product categories you think we might be most interested in. Scatter them randomly among all the other exhibits so when he’s looking at bows and arrows in one booth, I can move down a couple of booths in the same aisle and see something I’m more interested in. I certainly don’t want to be dragged up and down aisles of products in which I have no interest, and neither does any Significant Other.”

Helgeland pointed out that his company does all it can to encourage the total utilization of, understanding of, and appreciation of wildlife, the outdoors and all its beauty. “That’s why we have photo contests and butchering and cooking demos. After all, wild game is the original organic food. It is nutritionally outstanding and chemical-free, with all the right minerals and few of the bad cholesterol and such things.”

The special events and special activities at the expos are located throughout each exhibit facility to maximize their individual attractiveness. (More packages under the Christmas tree always is more exciting than one big box.) A list of all that’s going on gives you a truer picture of the many facets of any given deer-and-turkey expo. In sum, there’s a lot going on all the time.

Here’s the Wisconsin list:

• Live Animals (game and predatory); furs / hides / pelts of fur-bearers native to Wisconsin; OWAA (Outdoor Writers Association of America) national photo contest winners display; DNR “Wall of Shame” of illegally taken trophy whitetails; trail camera photo contest (new event); outdoor photo contest; locked deer antlers display (new); food plot demo area (including soil test materials display); optics hands-on area, sponsored by Outback Sports and Alpen Optics; laser firearms ranges; bow tryout area; airgun shooting range; National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) instructional archery range;
• Mountain Men tent and tipi campout; flint knapper, making arrowheads and stone knives as the Ancient Ones did; venison butchering demos; wild food cooking demos; deer skeleton and structural identification; new products special display; Byron Ferguson, archery trick shot (Saturday & Sunday).
  and, of course, the mainstays --
  • Exhibits (more than 550 booths) & New Products;
  • Seminars -- More than 50, on how-to on hunting and scouting, equipment, habitat, game animal natural history;
  • Trophy Deer Contest & Display (375 expected to be entered), measured by the Wisconsin Buck & Bear Club.
    For details on the Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, visit the expo’s web-site -- www.deerinfo.com

You and your family can have a full day, or weekend, of outdoor-oriented fun and games at the upcoming Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, April 4-5-6 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

Three popular items are shown here --

1. Archery range, operated by certified instructors with the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP). You can shoot free and receive top quality shooting instruction. The NASP system is one of the fastest growing recreation programs in the country.
2. Big-antlered bucks from throughout Wisconsin, many of them with unusual, and fascinating antlers such as those crowning this buck. It has massive, thick antlers and non-typical points jutting everywhere off the main beams.
3. Mountain Men Campout on the north side of the Exhibition Hall. Members of the Wisconsin Muzzleloaders Association camp in tents and tipis all weekend, cooking over wood fires, dressing in mid-1800s period costume, and demonstrating various old-time techniques such as a blacksmith hammering hot metal into useful tools.

Internationally-known archery trick shot Byron Ferguson returns to perform at the Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. The Expo will be April 4-5-6; Ferguson will give Saturday and Sunday performances, April 5-6.

"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 has something new, and he gets kids involved in his finale."

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 Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, 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.

An outdoor photo contest and a new trail camera photo contest will be visual treats at the upcoming Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, set for April 4-5-6 at the Alliant Center in Madison. The contests are open to all expo attendees who are amateur photographers; you must first purchase an expo general admission ticket before you can enter the contest.

The outdoor photo contest has five categories: Wildlife (North American only), flora (wild; no domestic), scenic, people in the outdoors, and miscellaneous. The trail cam photo contest has eight categories: Whitetail deer – bucks; whitetail deer – groups; whitetail deer – other; predators (four-footed and flying); big game other than whitetail deer; wild turkey – gobbler(s); wild turkey – groups, and weird and unusual stuff / miscellaneous. Trail cameras see some strange things – and some big antlers – when humans are not around.

Entry rules for both contests are the same: 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 expo office; no mail-in entries are accepted. Black-and-white or color prints only. 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.

Entry deadline is 10 a.m. Sunday, April 6. Judging will be at noon Sunday. There may be up to three awards per category. Photos must remain on display until 3:00 p.m. Sunday. They will be available for pick-up after that at the display area. After 3:00 p.m. each photo contest entrant can get in free to pick up his/her photos. You must have a photo contest receipt to get in free at that time. For admission before 3:00 p.m. you must buy a general admission ticket. Photos not picked up will not be returned.

For details on the Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, go to the event’s web-site -- 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.

More than 15 sets of those results will be a dramatic display at the upcoming Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, April 4-5-6 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

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.”

Some 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 Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, 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.

Two closely related and informative demonstrations -- venison butchering and wild food cooking -- will be presented each day of the upcoming Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo. The Expo will be April 4-5-6 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

Bill Hesselgrave, a professional butcher and deer hunter will show you how to process your deer so you get exactly the cuts of meat you want and are assured of top quality. Jason Coleman, production chef in charge of catering at Fox Valley Technical College in Fond du Lac and also an active hunter, presents the wild food cooking demonstrations, specializing in creative but easy recipes that produce tastiest results with least amount of time in the kitchen. Hesselgrave uses a video camera set up to show his work on a large screen so everyone can easily see the detailed cuts and knife angles needed. He also gives a nifty knife sharpening demonstration and explanation.

Both experts emphasize the need for quality care of wild game in the field, beginning with cooling the meat quickly and keeping it dry. Bring a notebook with you; you'll want it.

“We emphasize total utilization to the extent practical, appreciation and enjoyment of game animals and birds,” says Expo producer Glenn Helgeland. “That’s why we have these demonstrations, two outdoor photo contests, and various other natural history demonstrations. We feel this is another excellent way to introduce younger family members to the outdoors.”

For information on all seminars, seminar schedule, and other Expo details, go to the show's web-site -- www.deerinfo.com.

MADISON -- The 2008 Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo will be April 4-5-6 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Two new features: 1) Locked Antlers display, 2) Trail Camera Photo Contest. More than 550 booths. More than 50 seminars on a dozen deer, turkey, bear, elk, ponds & food plot topics. Food plot demonstration area. Miller Lite trophy deer & black bear contest; 375 entries expected. Other major features: Outback Sports & Alpen hands-on optics tryout area; new-products special display; live big game and predatory animals display; flint knapping demos; mountain man camp-out; wild game cooking and venison butchering/processing demonstrations, hands-on shooting opportunities (archery, airgun, laser firearms and laser archery). Byron Ferguson, internationally known trick archery shot, performs Saturday and Sunday, April 5-6.

Hours are 2 p.m. - 9 p.m., Friday, April 4; 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Saturday, April 5, and 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday, April 6. Tickets are available at the door. All youth ages 11 and under are admitted free on Friday when accompanied by an adult.

For all expo details, visit the show's web-site -- www.deerinfo.com.

If you have a trophy Wisconsin buck or bear, Madison is the place to show it off. If you’re like most of us and wonder where those big things were when we were in the woods, the place to ogle, admire and salivate over them also is Madison. That would all be at the Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, April 4-5-6 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. More than 350 deer are expected.

Trophy contest entry fee is $15; in return, you get a pass good for all three days of the Expo (a $30 value). There is no advance entry; just bring your trophy to the show. Entries will be only at the west entrance to the Exhibition Hall. Deer antlers do not need to be mounted. Bear skulls must be clean. Entries can be made any time between noon, Friday, April 4, and 10:00 a.m., Sunday, April 6. There are categories for firearms (including black powder), archery, and handicapped/crossbow. The deer or bear can have been taken in any year Wisconsin has had a hunting season for the species. The Boone & Crockett Club / Pope & Young Club scoring system is used. Awards are given on antler score and bear skull size. Award presentation begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, and entries must be present to win.

All measuring and scoring is done by members of the Wisconsin Buck & Bear Club. The contest is sponsored by Miller Lite.

For trophy contest details, and all other Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo information, go to the event’s web-site -- www.deerinfo.com

• Entries begin at noon Friday, April 4, and close at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 6.
• Entry fee is $15 for the first trophy you enter. For additional entries, its $7.50 if the trophy already has been officially measured, $15 if the trophy has not been officially measured. If the trophy has been officially measured, it will not be measured again, so bring paperwork proof with you. Otherwise, it cannot be entered.
• Antlers do NOT need to be mounted, but there must be a solid skull plate so the trophy can be officially scored.
• There are firearms (including black powder), archery and handicapped/crossbow divisions, with typical-antler and non-typical-antler classes in each division. Typical antlers are grouped by point total -- 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13+. Non-typicals are in one grouping regardless of point totals.
• Firearms and archery divisions have Historical Category (2006 season and earlier) and Current-Year Category (2007 season) classes.
• First Place winners in Current Year Category (firearms and
  archery) at last year's show are eligible to be entered in the Historical
  Category this year.
• Previous First Place Historical Category (firearms and archery)
  winners are not eligible for re-entry, but they are automatically invited to
  display on the “Board of Honor”.
• All previous first-place winners in the Handicapped/Crossbow
  category are not eligible for re-entry, but they are automatically invited
  to display on the "Board Of Honor".
• No entries will be released between noon and 3:00 p.m. Sunday,
  April 6. This is a paperwork crunch time.
• Awards will be presented at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, April 6. Entries
  must be present to win.

Seminar Schedule
Speakers Biographies & Photos
Seminar Speaker Contact Info Sheet

Nationally-known outdoor writers and hunting experts on a wide range of deer, bear, turkey, food plot and more will help you build your bank of hunting knowledge at the Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, April 4-5-6 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. There will be more than 50 seminars over the two-and-a-half days of the event. Seminars are free once you've purchased your admission ticket.

The speaker list is headlined by M. R. James, founding editor of Bowhunter magazine, member of the Archery Hall of Fame and current president of the Pope & Young Club. Nationally-known outdoor writer Jim Zumbo will detail the challenges and rewards of elk hunting on your own and on outfitted hunts. Tony LaPratt and Gordon Whittington, experts on food plot development and deer habitat improvement, will address those topics of high interest to serious deer hunters. Whittington speaks on the basics of food plot design, location, planning and soil preparation, and LaPratt details how to design food plots and surrounding habitat to attract and hold deer longer on your property. Two demonstrations (venison butchering and wild foods cooking) add informative depth to the seminar list.

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

Glenn Helgeland, producer of the Expo, 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, to help you enjoy the outdoors more. The seminar schedule is one of the strong points of the Expo."

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

• Finding & Hunting Hidden Deer Movement Funnels (Steve Bartylla)
• Hunting & The Outdoors: Lifetime Family Recreation (Ralph & Vicki Cianciarulo)
• The How & Why of Mini-Ponds -- Deer Magnets (Art Helin)
• Slugs & Slug Guns for Deer -- New, Exciting, Handy Hardware (Dave Henderson)
• Black Powder - It’s Booming Again, with New Guns & Gear (Dave Henderson)
• A Lifetime of Bowhunting Lessons Big Game Have Taught Me (M. R. James)
• Good Food Plots -- Plan, Design, Development & Plant Basics, and common errors (Gordon Whittington)
• Time Management (Yours & Theirs) for Whitetails (Tony LaPratt)
• Deer Hunting Public Lands: Get Private Out in Public (Dan Schmidt)
• The Incredible Shrinking Bear -- Field Judging Live Black Bears (Richard P. Smith)
• What Flatlanders Need to Know to Have Good Western Big Game Hunts (Ron Spomer)
• Turkeys & Turkey Hunting A to Z (Rick White)
• Turkeys With Bow & Arrow (Bill Wiesner)
• Elk A to Z: On Your Own or Outfitted, It’s A Challenge (Jim Zumbo)
• Venison Butchering and Processing (Bill Hesselgrave)
• Venison and Other Wild Foods Cooking (Chef Jason Coleman)