For more than a two decades the Mid-South Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza has served as the kick-off event for the fall hunting and fishing seasons, a three-day get together for area sportsmen to forget about the summer heat and humidity and talk about hunting, fishing, camping and the multitude of other fall outdoor activities within easy driving distance of the Memphis area.
The Expo South produced MSHFE will roll out its annual outdoor showcase on Aug. 7-8-9 at Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road in East Memphis. Show hours are 2-9 p.m. on Aug. 7, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Aug. 8 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Aug. 9. Tickets are $7 for adults; $5 for youth (5-12) and 4 and under free.
As promised, this one will touch a lot of outdoor bases, such as competitive duck calling and a big buck contest. And, of course, we'll have the trout tank and vendors from not only the Mid-South but across the nation.
The MSHFE's biggest and best duck calling competition is set for Aug. 9, featuring three classes with registration from 10 a.m.-noon and competition set to start at 12:30 p.m. Competition will include Main Street (90-second limit), Senior (any age/$20 registration fee), Youth (16 or younger/$10), Meat (Arkansas Style, 90- second limit); Teams (anything goes for 90 seconds) and Single Man ($10 per person/4-man limit).
This year's judges included Champion of Champion caller Buck Gardner and Bill Cooksey, a former judge at the World Duck Calling Championship in Stuttgart and editor of the Mid-South Hunting & Fishing News. Other judges will be Greg Brinkley and Ronnie Turner.
Award-winning taxidermist Jody Shults of Como, Miss., will conduct the show's annual Mid-South Big Buck Contest. Shults, owner of Whitetail Classics & African Classics Taxidermy in Como, Miss., is a professional wildlife artist and master taxidermist who in his 25-year career has won more than 125 awards in taxidermy competition, including first place at the National Taxidermy Convention competition with white-tail deer (twice) as well as the NTA Award of Excellence in the white-tail deer and game head divisions. He's been scoring deer antlers for 15 years and is five-time Southern Regional champion and official judge for the National Taxidermy Association (NTA).
This year's MSHFE Big Buck Contest winners will be decided by popular vote. That means show visitors will be part of the decision making process. All winners will be determined by popular vote by the MSHFE attendees, not by the highest score. Prizes will also be awarded. The awards will be announced about 2 p.m. on Aug. 9. For more information on the BBC contact Shults at (662) 526-9111 or Josh@ExpoSouth.com.
And, of course, there will be 15-plus hours of seminars (all included in your show ticket), hundreds of exhibitors with everything you'll need for the hunting season and a live trout pond.
Did we tell you that parking is FREE? Well, it is.
Among the show specials:
Trophy Club Outfitters – Giving away free hunt (conducted on 2,500-plus acres of private one-family owned grain/cattle farm 45 minutes west of Indianapolis; three-day bow hunt (arrive on Oct. 4, hunt Oct. 5-7). Hunter may upgrade to a five-day hunt for an additional; archery or crossbow.
World Outstanding Whitetails (WOW) Goliath and the Giants Display – Stunning collection of 16 of the biggest white-tail deer ever on display. These deer are the absolute most monster deer to ever walk the planet, including the first whitetail to score more than 500, the X-Factor, along with the Kniesly Buck, Kansas King, Amish Buck and others.
For additional information go to www.memphishuntshow.com or call (901) 867-7007.
