Sportsman’s shows shorten snow season Events in Orono, Presque Isle

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m tired of winter. In just the last two weeks I’ve had two ice fishing trips and a snowshoe excursion cancelled due to severe winter storms. Here in the Crown of Maine we are broaching records with every inch that accumulates, and despite my many outdoor-related pastimes and stacks of fish- and game-related reading material, the walls are beginning to close in. Thankfully, March and April offer a reprieve in the form of several diverse outdoor-related expositions in the form of boat, gun, RV, and sportsman’s shows.

Regardless of the fact that I’m not presently in the market for a new boat, canoe, outboard motor or camper, nor do I really need another gun or fishing rod, it never hurts to shop around and keep current on what’s available and the prevailing price trends. Truth be told, my resolve is likely to be a bit weak after being cooped up so much lately, and chances are good I’ll find some cast- or blast-related item I can’t live without. However, the true benefit of any recreation-related show for Pine Tree sportsmen is the opportunity to shed the winter blahs for a few hours. Just wandering the aisles, rubbing shoulders with other nimrods, trading tales, reliving adventures and planning future outings all help revive our hibernating sporting spirits.

Under one roof

Sportsman’s shows are like spotting the first robin, regardless that there’s still snow on the ground and nighttime temperatures drop into the teens. Spring is on the horizon and with it a new set of seasons and all the outdoor challenges and rewards that we live and long for. The shows are held in large gyms, auditoriums, field houses and indoor arenas of every size, while available space is set up in lanes and avenues comprised of exhibits, booths, stalls and cubicles. There are boat dealers, state and local organizations and guides and outfitters from all over the state as well as throughout the U.S. and Canada offering something for everyone.

And if wandering the main floor attractions, drooling like a dog in a butcher shop, isn’t enough, there are exhibitions, demonstrations, seminars and slide shows with how-to and where-to presentations offered frequently in adjoining rooms.

Local fly-tying clubs provide vises, hooks, materials, and several members to introduce youngsters and uninitiated adults to the entertaining and rewarding world of building fish-taking feathered creations with your own fingers. In another area, paintings and photographs related to the great outdoors and wildlife are on display and always a pleasure to peruse and admire.

Some shows have a room set aside for a wide and elaborate display of taxidermy and carvings. From fish to fowl and from simple head mounts to life-size big-game forms, and even multi-animal dioramas, the workmanship of regional artisans is breathtakingly realistic and beautiful. Like many sportsmen who slowly examine each mounted or carved and expertly painted recreation, I’m not just appreciating the artwork, I’m window shopping. In my mind I’m thinking, “Aha, if I ever get a bragging-size turkey, that’s how I want it mounted,” or “Wow, what a lifelike salmon, the painting is perfectly realistic. I’ll remember that taxidermist when I catch the big one.”

This show has a turkey-calling contest, another features a moose-calling competition and still another offers waterfowlers a chance to show duck- or goose-calling skills. It’s amazing what a novice can learn by sitting in and listening to experts work their magic with wind and reed calls or just their own vocal cords.

There are recognized experts offering advice and demonstrating coyote hunting tactics, tricks to bag a big buck or catch a bragging-size bass, or how to match the hatch for finicky trout. The Maine Trappers Association generally has a well-manned booth to display the fur of legal quarries as well as the most efficient and humane traps in current use. Experts on hand gladly offer advice and information to rookies as well as exchanging experiences with other veteran fur traders who stop by to chat.

At one upcoming show, a well-known authority on hunting dogs will explain the proper guidelines to picking a puppy. In the same vein, there will be seminars on training spaniels, another accomplished handler will speak on field training and working pointers and setters and there will be a seminar and demo on water retrievers as well. Often the state police canine corps is on hand for an exhibition of their dogs with special skills, such as sniffing out drugs, bodies or bombs, or chasing down, subduing and holding a criminal at bay.

Outdoor options

Weather permitting there are even displays and presentations scheduled outside the main building. Some show venues go a step further if an indoor pool is available and utilize the warm- water enclosure for canoe and kayak demos or teaching fly- and spin-casting fundamentals. Occasionally a swimming pool goes to the dogs, water dogs that is, and some great retriever training presentations take place.

When possible the dog demos run outside the main arena. One past exhibition that really intrigued me involved rescue personnel and their trailing hounds that help locate lost or injured individuals. What a great asset just in case an outdoor foray goes awry. Some shows offer free ATV rides for kids, safety oriented, of course, and often overseen by the warden service. For kids of all ages, there are introductory archery lessons and fly-casting lessons with equipment and expertise provided. These go hand in hand with the daily fly-tying classes.

Often a catch-and-release trout pond is available for the youngsters to enjoy. I must say that restrictions on age and size are a bit stringent for these pools. After all it has been several months since I’ve cast over open water and I am just a big kid at heart! Another big draw for all ages, but especially young sportsmen, are the live animals provided by state and local wildlife parks, refuges and recovery centers for abandoned or injured animals. Eagles, hawks and bears are common sights, and a variety of small game animals can be viewed as well. At some shows it’s possible to have a photo taken with certain feathered or furred celebrities.

Also often found displayed outside the main building will be campers, ATVs, canoes, boats, personal watercraft, trailers and trucks, to mention just a few woods and water accessories. About three years ago, after several seasons of unfulfilled searching for a long, stable canoe to use for big-water fishing and hunting, thanks to a diverse display outside the front entrance of a March show my search was over. Two Rivers Canoe and Tackle of Medway are the only importers of these fabulous Scott canoes constructed in Canada. Owner Barry Davis had a dozen styles and models on display, and lo and behold my search was over. Talk about lifting a winter-worn outdoorsman’s spirits; like I said, sportsman’s shows have something for everyone.

Walk and talk

While wandering and walking up and down the many rows of booths and cubicles, it’s often difficult to travel more than 20 feet without stopping to look at displays, photos, taxidermy mounts or just to chat. Dozens of fishing and hunting guides and outfitters are on hand to help you book the trip of a lifetime. Just as with many of the watercraft and other outdoor vehicles on display, there are often show specials on trips and outings as well. There are also free signups for merchandise giveaways and many raffles for rods, guns and trips sponsored by regional outdoor clubs and organizations.

If you have questions or comments on rules and regulations or need clarification from a state agency on policy, now is the time. Usually there are booths for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Dept. of Conservation, Dept. of Transportation, Forestry Service, Maine Resources, Maine Center for Disease Control and more. Large and small sporting goods stores will have booths stocked with products for rod-and-gun enthusiasts, and a handful of canoe and boat dealers will have impressive displays in place.

If you’re considering a small camp for a remote piece of land, there’s likely to be a log cabin company on hand with dozens of plans available for any shape and size cabin. Need a new trout net or creel? How about a special paddle or custom canoe seat? I’m betting there’s an artisan on hand who makes such items with top-rate quality and reasonably priced. For me these shows emulate the circuses and carnivals of my youth, the acts and attractions change a bit each spring, but the entertainment remains top rate.

Obviously, the gun shows, boat shows and RV and camper shows are more specialized than the wildly diverse sportsman’s shows, but each and every one has something to offer an outdoorsman, even if it’s just the chance to get out of the house. I defy anyone to spend a couple of hours at one of these events and not run into an old friend or acquaintance. Between the show and exchanging a few stories, the weight of winter will lift and spring will seem even closer.

Show times

This very weekend the Eastern Maine Sportsman’s Show is at the University of Maine Field House and Pool. Hours run from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. today and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

On March 28-30 the State of Maine Sportsman Show will be at the Augusta Civic Center: Friday 1-7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On March 21-23 at the Bob Nichols Expo Center in Wilton, the Pine Tree State Sportsman’s Show will go on. Presque Isle’s Fish and Game Association will take its turn on the weekend of April 5-6 at Gentile Hall on the UMPI campus, and at the Presque Isle Forum this very weekend there’s the annual RV and camper show in progress.

Lewiston’s annual Twin City Gun Show is on tap for March 29-30 at the Lewiston Armory, and the Sanford Fish and Game Gun Show is today and Sunday at the Sanford Armory. This is just a partial listing of indoor entertainment for outdoor men and women. Check your local paper or postings at the area sporting goods stores for more options.

bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com