# Western Hunting & Conservation Expo 2010



## coyoteslayer (Sep 10, 2007)

How many people are excited for this awesome hunting expo? It looks like it will be another good one.

The draw odds are very crappy. It's like 1 in 10,000 to draw one of the 200 hunts so you might as well spend your money on your wife for Valentines Day to keep her happy. :wink:

http://www.huntexpo.com/


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## wapiti67 (Oct 2, 2007)

Not going, It's a waste of time and money! :evil:


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Yeap, every year it becomes more of a joke, highly doubt I attend.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Now wait a minute all you ninnies! The Utah Taxidermist Association is having our annual show and competition at the expo this year. There will be a LOT of incredible talent on showcase this year. That in and of itself should be reason enough to attend! Go to Cabelas or any Toyota dealership and get a ten dollar discount pass, crowbar your tightwad wallets open and go see the show!


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## stick (Jun 11, 2008)

I gave my $'s the last 2 years and i'm out this year. 

I'll put my money in for colorado and wyomings nonresident deer tag.

Utahs plans are getting somewhere in a hand basket and why not start with the 2010 expo. :evil:


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

I did not know the taxi show was at the expo this year. That is always fun to see. We have some great talent in Utah. Can't wait to see it!


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

I'll be going if only to validate.. I figure that a 1 in a 10,000 chance is better than a zero chance.

It's not that bad of a way to spend a day. I'll be checking out the taxi stuff TEX! Look for me, I'll be the one wearing a camo ball cap! :wink:


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## muleydeermaniac (Jan 17, 2008)

I will not go because the SFW is one of the sponsors. They will not get another dollar from me. Neither will Utah for the deer hunt. I'll stick to the ghost of a chance I have for limited entry and spend the majority of my money in Wyoming!


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I've always just validated my permits in the past but I just might go in for a few hours this time.


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## huntinfool (Nov 1, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Now wait a minute all you ninnies! The Utah Taxidermist Association is having our annual show and competition at the expo this year. There will be a LOT of incredible talent on showcase this year. That in and of itself should be reason enough to attend! Go to Cabelas or any Toyota dealership and get a ten dollar discount pass, crowbar your tightwad wallets open and go see the show!


Tex
Will your ticket to get into the expo get you into the Taxi show? Are you going to allow cameras in the Taxi show?

Huntinfool


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> I'll be checking out the taxi stuff TEX! Look for me, I'll be the one wearing a camo ball cap!


Right, you'll be easy to spot! 8) :roll:



> Tex
> Will your ticket to get into the expo get you into the Taxi show? Are you going to allow cameras in the Taxi show?


Yes, your ticket to the expo gets you into the taxi comp too. We are on the north end of the exhibit hall right in the middle. It's a huge area you can't miss us. We'll also have other fun stuff for the public to watch going on. Thursday morning at 9:00 am we will be having the three hour Pheasant challenge in the seminar room. Contestants will bring a prepped skin and have three hours to mount and finish the bird. Afterwards the public will get to judge the best one. On Friday morning we'll be having the same challenge but with a deer head. The public is welcome to come watch and you don't have to pay for the expo to get into the taxi seminar room.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

coyoteslayer said:


> How many people are excited for this awesome hunting expo? It looks like it will be another good one.
> 
> The draw odds are very crappy. It's like 1 in 10,000 to draw one of the 200 hunts so you might as well spend your money on your wife for Valentines Day to keep her happy. :wink:
> 
> http://www.huntexpo.com/


It's all in how you put in for the tags! I have a buddy that has drawn Elk tags two years in a row at this thing... He told me the secrete Saturday! :mrgreen:


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

TAK said:


> It's all in how you put in for the tags! I have a buddy that has drawn Elk tags two years in a row at this thing... He told me the secret Saturday! :mrgreen:


Just slip Mr. Peay a $100?

On the camera question, I don't think they could (logistically) restrict the use of cameras with every phone now having them.


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## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

I just watched the hunt of the week on Monster Muleys and the add for the expo said "Just $5 to get in". If that's the case, I can't see why you wouldn't go there if you live in the SLC area. Heck, get a Hot and Ready pizza for $5, feed your face prior to arrival and check out a bunch of elk/deer mounts along with gear and people watching all for about the same price as a movie? Am I missing something?



TAK said:


> It's all in how you put in for the tags! I have a buddy that has drawn Elk tags two years in a row at this thing... He told me the secrete Saturday! :mrgreen:


Well I just dropped coin on a booth (for Camofire) so hopefully my odds of an elk tag just increased. I got so busy working the booth last year and kept thinking "oh, I'll run out there and put in for the tags" when the show ended I had forgotten to do it. :roll:


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

I will be going this year.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

It's $20 to get in, but you can get $10 discount tickets at Cabelas and Toyota dealerships.

Yes, you can bring cameras. In fact we encourage it.



> He told me the secrete Saturday!


Really, what brand of knee pads does he use?


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Really, what brand of knee pads does he use?


Well if it is for a Back to Back Elk tags, I could go bare knee if need be!!!!!

Not to mention the year before he drew a Nebo tag, then a Manti and then last year a Beaver!


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

> Not to mention the year before he drew a Nebo tag, then a Manti and then last year a Beaver!


With those kind of drawing odds, I don't think it's Don Peay he's using the knee pads for. I'm pretty sure he's giving Don a break from his daily routine of using his own knee pads on the devil himself. :twisted:


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

well this will be the first year I am going.... but it just to see the Taxi show... sucks I have to pay money to see that, but thats just the way it is.. I could care less about the rest of it. over inflated if you ask me..


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

Wow! all this bad talk about Don, SFW etc... I wasn't sure if I was going just because money is tight but with all the slaming from you guys, you have convinced me TO go. I am not a whiner and refuse to bite that hand that feeds me. Elk heards are better in Utah in the past 10 years than they have EVER been. More 350+ bulls will be killed THIS YEAR than in all the years combined previous to 15 years ago. WAh Wah Wah. I want it and I want it now! That attitude is going to make you a big plump blue berry like Violet Bulrigard. :mrgreen:


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

SFW is involved in this????? Never knew that! Thats it I am still going but I am going to sneek in! First I am going to mug a security guard and take his uniform, or I will grab a few mounts at the office and say I am a Taxi man! Undecieded on this yet. Or better yet I am going to lead the boycott! Thats it... Lets all, family friends all hunters everyone boycott this thing! If you have entered in the drawings pull the apts! You and I will teach them!

Everybody we need to unite and say hell with all this hype! Pull them apts starting now! PLEASE EVERYONE PULL THEM APTS! :mrgreen:


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## gwailow (Jan 20, 2008)

TAK said:


> Or better yet I am going to lead the boycott! Thats it... Lets all, family friends all hunters everyone boycott this thing! If you have entered in the drawings pull the apts! You and I will teach them!
> 
> Everybody we need to unite and say hell with all this hype! Pull them apts starting now! PLEASE EVERYONE PULL THEM APTS! :mrgreen:


That sounds like a great idea. Everyone please pull all your applications.


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## one hunting fool (Sep 17, 2007)

yeah!!! all you guys pull your apps please


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I'll be there Saturday morning with my wife and kids in tow. We both put in for some hunts and I get to say it's my part of the Valentine's Day date. I enjoy the heck out of these shows. I like seeing all the mounts and dreaming of winning the lottery...


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

elk22hunter said:


> Wow! all this bad talk about Don, SFW etc... I wasn't sure if I was going just because money is tight but with all the slaming from you guys, you have convinced me TO go. I am not a whiner and refuse to bite that hand that feeds me. Elk heards are better in Utah in the past 10 years than they have EVER been. More 350+ bulls will be killed THIS YEAR than in all the years combined previous to 15 years ago. WAh Wah Wah. I want it and I want it now! That attitude is going to make you a big plump blue berry like Violet Bulrigard. :mrgreen:


Elk22, nothing personal against you, but Don Peay and his group can walk in, request whatever changes they want on wildlife management they want, and boom it's done. I will agree with you that there are a lot more big bulls than in the past. And that's great, just great. Good for Don, and good for the handful of guys that can buy a conservation tag. But to me, personally, I don't see the benefit. I'm probably 10 to 20 years away from ever getting a tag to chase one of these bulls, and to the guy just walking in and starting to build bonus points, thanks to SFW's need for every bull to push the 350 to 400" mark, he may NEVER draw a tag. Sorry if I'm not a big fan of ol' Don. I'm probably pretty weird in the sense that I don't whack off at the sight of the spider bull. I don't need a 400" bull, I'd like a chance to chase an occasional allright bull every 4 or 5 years rather than spending my whole life to MAYBE draw a tag. Has nothing to do with whining, it's that our units are being managed to cater to the rich and the occasional lucky, and SFW is leading that charge. I think that its' great that they've managed for high quality game, but they've done that at the price of opportunity, at a time when the next generation has a ton of other things competing for their attention. I can't help but think that with the lack of opportunity, there's going to be a sharp decline in hunter recruitment numbers, and as the baby boomers get to the point that they can't chase the big buls anymore, how many people will there really be that make wildlife, and preserving hunting a priority as the opportunity goes away. There's got to be some incentive left for the future if you want hunting to stick around.

That being said, I'll probably still go to the show. I'd really like to see the taxidermy exhibits, and support Tex and the other vendors. And I'd like to think that the funds raised by these conservation tags go to a good cause, and help with the conservation projects that go on every year around the state. Besides I've got to put in for tags right? I figure 10,000 to one odds are probably better than what I'm currently getting in the public drawing...


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

You can also get the 10$ off coupons at Sportsmans warehouse. I will be there to see Tex and "put in" for a few lottery hunts I guess. :lol:


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

WasatchOutdoors said:


> *it's that our units are being managed to cater to the rich and the occasional lucky, and SFW is leading that charge. I think that its' great that they've managed for high quality game, but they've done that at the price of opportunity*,


That is where a lot of others and myself differ. I don't feel that the Rich has been catered to as much as the Rich made it possible. There were not any bulls that were reaching their full potential in Utah. I spoke with Rudy Drobnick of the DWR several years ago when he was doing studys of genetics and antler growth. He was the states expert in these areas. He mentioned the two best units in Utah as being the Book Cliffs and the Heaston (Oquirrs) (spelling) and said that they were over inbred and niether unit would have a Boone and Crocket bull on them. Since then Don and his team (me involved) did much in raising money to create better herds. The beginning was tough because it was done blindly, not knowing the potential. We didn't think that it was for "us" as much as our kids and the "opportunities" that it would provide for them. Once the bulls got big and the quality was better than expected, it became easy to raise money because of the monies that these tags would bring. Tags were alocated by the DWR to SFW to sell at auctions. Those of us with foresight knew that this tag did not exist a few years ago nor did the ELK that made it worth its value to the "Rich". It takes money to make money and it takes big elk to make big elk. The DWR realized that their money comes from the General fund and the State only alocates enough to run their program with C.O.'s etc.. and a few bucks extra if they could afford it. Money was not going into wildlife from the major amounts of funds coming in from licence sales. It was going into the general fund and the division would be paid out of that like i said. The DWR also realized that if they listened to the SFW boys, they were listening to the sportsmans voice and these guys had solutions, not just complaints. The DWR realized that if they gave these guys some of "our" tags to auction off to the rich, that it turned into money that went directly into wildlife and they had money to create water projects, fences to separate wild sheep and domestic to stop disease, and habitat that would generate more animals in greater amounts of areas where they were not before. That in my oppinion is creating "opportunity". Yes they take a $280.00 Elk tag out of the draw and turn it into a $65,000.00 profit for wildlife. Yes I would love to have had that tag in my pocket but can see the real picture of it creating better "opportunity" for me as well as my kids. I am much more into "Big" bulls so it's easier for me to see the good that SFW has done for me. Not too many people hunted for elk in the years previous to "the good ole days" that we are now involved with. There just weren't Elk to hunt for the most part. Now there are great herds with great bulls and the problem that we are now fighting is the fact that there are too many bulls in the herds and how can we create a better system to keep those numbers in tact. That to me is a much better problem than the one we were having before. BTW I didn't take it personal so I hope you don't either. :mrgreen:


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## proutdoors (Sep 24, 2007)

> The DWR also realized that if they listened to the SFW boys, they were listening to the sportsmans voice and these guys had solutions, not just complaints. The DWR realized that if they gave these guys some of "our" tags to auction off to the rich, that it turned into money that went directly into wildlife and they had money to create water projects, fences to separate wild sheep and domestic to stop disease, and habitat that would generate more animals in greater amounts of areas where they were not before. That in my opinion is creating "opportunity".


The DWR did NOT realize any such thing, managing for older class bulls was NOT their idea, nor their wish. It was mandated on them by sportsmen. The DWR also did NOT 'donate' tags to be auctioned off, again that was mandated on them by others. I say that has someone who mostly supports the conservation tag program, but my support is beginning to wane more and more each year. The only reasons I still support them is the habitat projects and the sheep/bison/turkey transplants that have been PARTIALLY funded by them. But, I now wonder what the true costs are, if the real costs keep my son from ever obtaining a mature bull tag to keep conservation tag prices high, the I say the costs are too high.


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

> The DWR did NOT realize any such thing, managing for older class bulls was NOT their idea, nor their wish. It was mandated on them by sportsmen. The DWR also did NOT 'donate' tags to be auctioned off, again that was mandated on them by others.


Pro - as always, thank you for backing me up on my point. As I mentioned before SFW always gets what they want, even when hunters and DWR biologists are asking for the exact opposite.



> I don't feel that the Rich has been catered to as much as the Rich made it possible. There were not any bulls that were reaching their full potential in Utah.


Yes the rich, and thousands of dollars donated in the drawings by everyday Joe's like myself, did in fact make this possible. But lets be honest Elk22, most of us wont get a chance to ever chase these bulls. The only ones who can reliably benefit from the improvement of our elk herds are those who can buy landowner and conservation tags.



> The DWR realized that if they gave these guys some of "our" tags to auction off to the rich, that it turned into money that went directly into wildlife and they had money to create water projects, fences to separate wild sheep and domestic to stop disease, and habitat that would generate more animals in greater amounts of areas where they were not before. That in my oppinion is creating "opportunity".


And yes, I will agree with you on this one. Having tons of big elk thanks to these improvements definitely has created an opportunity. The issue I have is that it is the same opportunity I and my children are already provided by Yellowstone National Park> 
As Pro previously stated, it's questionable whether or not my children will ever get an "opportunity" do do more than watch these animals. 
I do support the conservation tags, I just don't like the fact that SFW has hijacked our wildlife management programs, and manages exclusively for trophy hunting. There is an entire generation coming of age that will probably get to do little more than watch these animals from afar because of the lack of opportunity to pursue them.

Honestly I am grateful for the work that conservation groups do, but I feel like the direction they are going right now is pretty focused on a single group and type of opportunity. I feel that at this point in history it is REALLY unwise to focus so heavily on a niche group in the hunting community, and that a balance needs to be struck that addresses a more mixed usage type situation. A few more units that offer a lot of 200 class bulls and opportunity to hunt would go a long way. Not every unit needs to be managed exclusively for trophy quality, and there really aren't a lot of options in the few any bull areas available. That being said, I almost wonder how long until the any bull units are changed because they're "not meeting their potential" as well.....


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## byuduckhunter (Dec 2, 2008)

Sorry to dig up an old thread but does anybody know if the drawing odds are posted for past years Expo Tags? Does anyone know roughly what the odds are?


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## El Casador (Aug 27, 2009)

Has not been the same for me since Doug Miller past away R.I.P.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

El Casador said:


> Has not been the same for me since Doug Miller past away R.I.P.


this is not the one he put on. that next month and yea it not the same.R.I.P Doug miller


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## stick (Jun 11, 2008)

How many more years is the expo going to be taking 200 public tags, when will this bleeding stop? 

Its sure not helping the utah DWR, special groups are having a $$$$$$$$ day with this.

Hunters will enjoy their 2011 hunts. :evil:


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## mr.seven (Sep 18, 2007)

i want to go just to see tex mount a bird in three hours.that works out to be two and a half in a eight hour day. or 890 a year i sould have had my turkey eight months ago whats up with that.just kidding tex dont slip those dissolving stitchs in my bird take all the time you need you are the best


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

mr.seven said:


> *i want to go just to see tex mount a bird in three hours*.that works out to be two and a half in a eight hour day. or 890 a year i sould have had my turkey eight months ago whats up with that.just kidding tex dont slip those dissolving stitchs in my bird take all the time you need you are the best


Wow Tex, takin it to a whole new level! :shock: :mrgreen: :wink: :lol:


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## cklspencer (Jun 25, 2009)

How many more years is the expo going to be taking 200 public tags, when will this bleeding stop?

The 200 tags they take for this expo is nothing. Its one here and one there. The money that comes from these tags benifits all of us in some way or another. The DWR as well as other groups out there spend alot of money to fund many projects though out the state. There are alot of hours and money spent to get wildlife projects off the ground. Without alot of these projects many areas would not have what they have in them. Im not a fan of SFW but they did supply a large amount of money to get this other group of buffalo moved to the book as well as their tracking collars. Part of the reason they did this was to help get the herd number up fast which would result in the public being able to hunt this unit sooner. With out some money to make this move the other option would have been to kill a few more which would have been great for the people who would have gotten the tage but buy moving them they are offering a better result for more hunting oppertunity. I kinow that one of the sheep tags in the WHCE draw is there so the DWR can recope some funds for the time and money spent to put the sheep in this location resulting in a tag for the regular draw and the WHCE. 

I know the odds aren't great but you can't get a tag if you don't put in. Its five bucks per tag the money goes to some great things. Thats better then the 10 you would pay for a regular draw and the money not go to improving wildlife and habitat.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

How would the Expo big game application work or coincide with the online DWR application ?

For example.....*If* there were a draw for buffalo in the Book Cliffs. So you happen to draw from your on-line application and then win the draw at the Expo...would this be illegal ? Are both apps thrown out the window?


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## cfarnwide (Sep 10, 2007)

.45 said:


> How would the Expo big game application work or coincide with the online DWR application ?
> 
> For example.....*If* there were a draw for buffalo in the Book Cliffs. So you happen to draw from your on-line application and then win the draw at the Expo...would this be illegal ? Are both apps thrown out the window?


I would assume its like the elk example in the frequently asked questions...

http://huntexpo.com/factsFAQs.html

Q: What happens if I draw an elk permit in the Hunting Expo application process, and an elk permit in the normal state drawing?
A: You will have to choose which permit you want to keep, surrender the other permit, and an alternate hunter will be given the surrendered permit.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Thanks cfarnwide...you're a smart boy !!

I hadn't' found that page yet !!


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

So if you draw a tag at the Expo do you have to pay the normal tag price? Like 408 for a Mosse tag?


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## neverdraws (Nov 24, 2008)

Yes, you have to pay the appropriate resident or non-resident license fee if you draw a tag.


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## akah2o (Feb 5, 2010)

What will happen to the 200 tags after the 5 year Expo loto ends? Will the state pony back up the tags to SFW or will they give them back to the public? 

Personally I want to see them go back to the public draw...


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

akah2o said:


> What will happen to the 200 tags after the 5 year Expo loto ends? Will the state pony back up the tags to SFW or will they give them back to the public?
> 
> Personally I want to see them go back to the public draw...


Fat chance of them going back in the public draw, they are gonna ride that cash cow until they get run out of town.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Well.....I spent all that money I was gonna buy _her_ Valentines gifts with... :mrgreen:

So I'll need to go up and validate.......who's all going ? Tex-O-Bobby, sawsman, the Epek crowd going to be there this year ?

I missed a bunch of you guy's last year, I spent a little time with Pro and Epek, mostly though I spent more time looking at eye candy. See ya on Thursday morning...


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## tiger (Feb 27, 2009)

I have a question. Does Don and others get a salary for running SFW. If so how much? How much of the money actually makes it to the wildlife. Just wondering


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## Stbmldcgrvs (May 5, 2008)

Don't get these "convention tags" mixed up with "conservation tags". They are not the same in that the convention tags have no accountability with them-nothing. Conservation tags on the other hand have quite a bit of regulation. In fact, the convention tag money doesn't even need to be spent on projects in Utah. I was one that fought this "name game" crap in the rac's. If you will do your homework you will be appauled at the lack of oversite at where all of this so called conservation $ from the convention tags go. 

I still remember the silver tongue devil himself standing in front of the Norther RAC with a big grin promising the room that there will be a report for the public to see where all of the $ is going even though it won't be required. I beleive the catch phrase was "If we can't do business with a just handshake anymore then we shouldn't do business at all." I'm still convinced that the smile on his face at that time really manifested his thoughts of "Look at all you idiots out there clap at me while I just took you all for a ride. You are all so dumb." Then he turned his head to me while I was still at the microphone and I'll have to admitt it cut me to the core when he smiled again and winked- It was a jab and a moment that I will never forget. 
It felt like the time I saw a mule get loose and run into the street with oncoming traffic. I had hollared and screamed but the on-coming car couldn't/wouldn't hear me. The car ended up totaled and the mule scarred for life. Someday the truth will come out and only then will we recognize the true damage.


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

Yes, Don gets a handsome "consulting fee".


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## Elkoholic8 (Jan 15, 2008)

Did any of you notice that the advertised tags don't match up to the tags available when you go tp put in? I wonder where those tags are hidding, and or should I say who they are waiting for???


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

I'd guess they include all of the auction tags in that number.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

Untill recently I had not been informing myself with the behind the scenes dealings of the DWR and other private conservation/hunting organizations. From what I have read and found in the last 8 or 9 months is that the DWR appears to be a puppet of some sort to the organized conservation groups. Is this actually really happening?

I have noticed also that these special interest groups have a lot more pull with smaller member numbers that the general public. My point is, if SFW has say 5000 members and the general public is 200,000 strong why does SFW get more of a say than the public? This happens in all the political realms.

What I am seeing is that the DWR allong with the special interest groups are laying a foundation for some bigger moves in the future. What happened to all of the hunters that like me were taught that a trophy's value is actually in the sweat and work of the pursuit and in the satisfaction of providing food that cost me more than a few dollars to a grocer not in the size of the antler/horn.

From the looks of it conservation groups are turning into a big business. Has anyone taken a gander at Don Peay's new "FULL CURL SOCIETY" to me it's just another cash cow. I know I am not the only one that thinks this conservation group thing is bogus. What can we "the non-organization member" hunters do to have our voice be heard? I will certainly be attending RAC meetings and yelling at the top of my lungs for the sake of my kids and grandkids to come. May they hunt as I once did.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

you guys are like crack heads going to get your fix. You are already supporting the drug lord!

I get it though if you don't play you cant win. It is shameless though to have a hunting group so powerful in Utah that it will make you all bend at the knee!


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

.45 said:


> Well.....I spent all that money I was gonna buy _her_ Valentines gifts with... :mrgreen:
> 
> So I'll need to go up and validate.......who's all going ? Tex-O-Bobby, sawsman, the Epek crowd going to be there this year ?
> 
> I missed a bunch of you guy's last year, I spent a little time with Pro and Epek, mostly though I spent more time looking at eye candy. See ya on Thursday morning...


Gotta work on Thurday, I'll be heading there around noon on Saturday. I'm gonna check out the taxidermy stuff for sure.. and ya, hard not to look at that eye candy. Gonna try to get Doyles autograph too! :lol:

Look for me .45, I'll buy you a coke...


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

> I have noticed also that these special interest groups have a lot more pull with smaller member numbers that the general public. My point is, if SFW has say 5000 members and the general public is 200,000 strong why does SFW get more of a say than the public? This happens in all the political realms.


Simple. there isn't anything keeping the wildlife board from taking "gifts". Groups like SFW raise a lot of "gifts" with conservation tags. In return, they are able to bestow said "gifts" on groups like the wildlife board, get the rulings they want, and receive more tags next year in order to raise more funds for conservation projects and "gifts"

SO here's a dumb question.

Let's just say in a perfect world, we were able to raise $5 from every hunter that is in the system this year. that would be pretty near a million dollars in the end right? If we were to march into the wildlife board with a million dollar check and buy back our wildlife programs, do you think they would accept the money? Just a hypothetical thought.


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## itchytriggerfinger (Sep 12, 2007)

Did anyone go on Thursday/Today? How was it? What should i look for when i get there?


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

It was actually pretty slow yesterday,,,,small crowd.


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## 400BULL (Nov 16, 2007)

I will not be attending the convention this year. Not because of SFW. I just can not see the need to spend my hard earned money to walk around a larger room thats filled with Outfitters, Guides, and special enterest groups. I have no need for any of them.

400bull


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## MEEN (Jan 27, 2009)

itchytriggerfinger said:


> Did anyone go on Thursday/Today? How was it? What should i look for when i get there?


I went Thursday. First year I actually paid to go walk around. Definately not worth the money. It's like paying 10 dollars to watch commercials on t.v. for 2 hours. Mossback sure had a big setup.


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## stick (Jun 11, 2008)

I went thursday at 5pm for all of 5 minutes to validate my 8 picks and looked in on the show on the way out, very thin on the amount of people. 

I've got to pay to play, but I really feel dirty throwing my little amount in to the sfw machine  .


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I was a "non-ninnie" and went to the show. I got to meet the Grand Poobah of Utah Taxidermy, TEX-O-BOB. I was very impressed by the taxidermy mounts to say the least.
I ambled around the booths for a while and left. Everything was too high-priced. It was still a good show and very entertaining. It was worth my $10 admission and the $100 I spent on tags.


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## mack1950 (Sep 11, 2007)

myself and my three amigo s went in and validated our pics and walked around for a while
loved the taxadermy work and we did visit with a few friends who had booths there. it seemed a little smaller than last year but heck we got out for a while without making mud
bombs out of our trucks lol.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I went down with a buddy today, talked to Tex and checked out the bird mounts, his mounts were sweet. I cruised around the rest, same old crap, same old faces. 

I did notice the gauntlet you had to run thru to get in; you know the SFW section, which had all the pretty faces in skin tight clothes drawing them in. I'm sure that’s a good use for our conservation dollars. :roll:


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

I went yesterday, went in for the taxidermy with blownsmoke97. Met Tex-o-bob and spoke with him for a bit. Great guy. There were some really sweet mounts. The rest was much the same. Got pretty well talked into buying a new bow :shock: , guess thats what brothers are for.


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## Ropinfol (Dec 17, 2009)

Seen lots of awsome mounts! and hung out with friends at trophy hunter mag, and talked to a lot of ropin buddys that guide all fall!


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