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The Fall Hunting Classics are an annual tradition at Bass Pro Shops and an event that more than 100,000 people are expected to attend this year.
Why is this important?
“Because hunting is big business,” says Bass Pro Shops spokeswoman Katie Mitchell.
And, indeed it is. A report by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation cites America’s 34 million hunters and anglers are an economic powerhouse — spending some $8.6 million an hour. If this $76 billion-a-year industry were a corporation it would be among America’s 20 largest, ahead of Target, Costco and AT&T.
“The Bass Pro Shops Fall Classic is a huge event and hunters and other outdoor sportsmen and -women look forward to it all year long," said Mitchell. “Outdoor enthusiasts will be able to learn the secret techniques and strategies used by professionals to gain a better advantage in the field, see all the latest products and attend workshops and seminars. And, there is a ‘ripple effect’ as other area retailers, gas stations, hotels and restaurants benefit as well from the increased traffic the Classic generates,” Mitchell added.
This 17-day event will be held August 5-21 at the Bass Pro Shop located at 10000 Bass Pro Boulevard in Rossford and it is free.
Hunting and fishing sportsmen directly support 1.6 million jobs, spend more than a billion dollars just on licenses, stamps, tags and permits, and they generate $25 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes. More than 12.5 million hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts pump $24.9 billion into the economy each year.
But the buck doesn’t stop there. It is vitally important that today’s youth get involved in the outdoors so they can become the stewards and conservationists of tomorrow to insure the maintenance and well-being of our natural resources.
“I’ve heard it said that if you don’t have a fishing rod in the hands of a youngster by the time they are 8-years-old, the chances of getting them to go fishing later in life diminishes dramatically,” said Mitchell. “I would think the same applies to getting them introduced to hunting and shooting sports,” she continued.
Mitchell says this is important because the sale of hunting licenses, tags and stamps is the primary source of funding for most state wildlife conservation efforts. Hunters and anglers have always been, and continue to be, the largest contributors to government wildlife conservation programs. Through excise taxes and license revenues, these sportsmen have contributed more than $10 billion dollars to conservation and provide more than 80 percent of the funding for most state fish and wildlife agencies. Just from hunters alone, nearly $200 million in hunters’ federal excise taxes are distributed to state agencies to support wildlife each year.
(All statistics are from the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation report “Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy ~ A force as big as all outdoors.” It can be accessed online at www.sportsmenslink.org.)
Some of the special events during the classic include:
• Aug. 5-7 – Bass Pro Shops Free Hunting University. Nationally recognized professional hunters and outdoorsmen will be at stores to give seminars and talk about their experiences.
• August 6 – 2 p.m., Bob Foulkrod, RedHead® Pro Hunting Team Member, Adventure Hunting.
• August 6 – 1 p.m., Weston & Jodi Clark, Owners of MossBack Game Calls and Hosts of “The Experience” TV Show, Calling the Country.
• Aug. 5-9 – Binocular Trade-In. Trade in your old pair of binoculars.
• Aug.10-15 — Scope Trade-In. Need a new scope? Trade in yours.
• Aug. 12-14 — Hunter Appreciation Weekend. Learn tips and techniques for a more successful day in the field by attending free seminars Friday 6-8 p.m., Saturday 1-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Enter to win a $25 Bass Pro Shops gift card to be given away at every seminar. And don’t forget to “Take the Pledge” — and pass along the tradition by taking someone hunting. First 100 customers to take the pledge each day August 12-14 will receive a free Bass Pro Shops keychain.
Seminars —
• Friday, August 12
6 p.m. - Using Big Game Scents & Calls Effectively.
7 p.m. - Hunting Public/Leased Land: The ins-and-outs of finding places to hunt
8 p.m. - Food Plots & Land Management: Managing food plots in order to harvest trophy whitetail
• Saturday, August 13
1 p.m. - Using Big Game Scents & Calls Effectively.
2 p.m. - Hunting Public/Leased Land: The ins-and-outs of finding places to hunt.
3 p.m. - Food Plots & Land Management: Managing food plots in order to harvest trophy whitetail.
4 p.m. - Choosing the Right Optics.
5 p.m. - Fundamentals of Long-Range Hunting and Shooting.
• Sunday, August 14.
1 p.m. - Tips for Game Camera Placement.
2 p.m. - Fundamentals of Long-Range Hunting and Shooting.
3 p.m. - Field Dressing, Transporting & Processing Game.
4 p.m. - Choosing the Right Optics.
• Aug. 16-21 — Bow Trade-In.
• Aug. 20-21 – Next Generation Weekend. Noon to 5pm. New this year — Kids can take the Deer Camp Challenge. Other activities include Free youth seminars (1:30pm and 3:30pm Camping Basics, 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Archery Basics), paintball cage and deer mosaic craft 1-3 p.m. (while supplies last). Youth will receive a punch card to be punched once for every activity they complete. Once the card is full youth will receive a “Bass Pro Shops Next Generation” logo water bottle holder (while supplies last).
• Aug. 20-21 – PictureU Free Photo. Picture yourself on the cover of an Outdoor Life Magazine. Saturday and Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.
In addition, customers will be able to register August 5 – 21 for a sweepstakes to win a Grand Prize of a Colorado Wilderness Elk Hunt sponsored by Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (visit www.basspro.com/classic for details) valued at $11,000.
Plus, one winner in every store will win a RedHead® Hunting Gear Package with a retail value of $570 that includes a RedHead deluxe gear bag, Enigma Hub-Style hunting blind, Epic binoculars, RedHead 12-can soft side cooler, RedHead caliber waist packs and RedHead bow/rifle pack.
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