Syracuse.com - New York Sportsman's Show at OCC promises to break new ground

[HuntingNY-News]

Those who pay the $8 admission fee will get a free, one-year subscription to either Field and Stream or Outdoor Life magazine. Those outdoors enthusiasts belonging to groups/clubs who are a members of the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs will get a $2 discount.

Tom Tarry says the whole concept of an outdoors sportsman’s show needs to be shaken up.

Tarry, who is chief executive officer of the Results Group, is running the three-day New York Sportsman’s Show, which kicks off at noon today in the SRC Arena and Events Center at Onondaga Community College.

“We’ve heard complaints about other shows being dominated by outfitters, many from outside our area. And other things, like too many RVs,” he said. “We’ve taken things and turned them upside down.

“This show will have limited numbers of outfitters, no RVs – and more local groups and organizations than this area has ever seen at an outdoors show. My goal is make it as interactive as possible, and to be a celebration of New York’s hunting and fishing scene on an annual basis.”

The admission fee is $8, and members of outdoors clubs and groups who are members of the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs will get a $2 discount. Children under 12 are free.

Tarry pointed out the entry fee will get attendees a free one-year subscription to either Field and Stream or Outdoor Life magazine.

“My theme is that if you can do it outdoors, you can do it here,” Tarry said, adding there will be two duck hunting simulators, a 3-D archery range and a massive trout fishing pond stocked with fish from the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery.

Tarry said 18 different local organizations will be represented. Local groups scheduled to attend include the Central New York Chapter of Pheasants Forever, the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association, the Iroquois Chapter of Trout Unlimited, New York Ice Pro-Am (promoters of new, professional ice fishing circuit), the Oneida Lake Association and McGrath and Associates Carp Angling Services, to name a few. There will also be a wide assortment of seminars and displays by local businesses.

“I’m doing a few cooking demos of wild game and fish,” said Stephen Wowelko, president of the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. “There’s going to be a lot of local talent there.”

Tarry has a long-range vision of the show and what he expects to accomplish.

“This thing is going to take three years to build up. We’re swimming upstream like the salmon do,” he said.

The show opens today beginning at noon until 8 p.m., and continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more, see the event's website.

I’ll be at the show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to check things out and meet with readers. Stop by my table and say hi. Don’t worry, I won’t bite.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog