Dixie Deer Classic Opens This Morning

The grand daddy of all hunting shows in these parts is the Dixie Deer Classic and it starts today. The show is held annually out at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh and it is usually a dandy of a show. There will be vendors and outfitters from across the country selling just about anything you could ever need to hunt with. Expert seminars to help you learn new things to improve your hunting, you can bring that trophy mount or skull plate to have the antlers officially scored. I guess my most favorite part of the weekend is the opportunity to meet up with old friends and swap some lies and make some new friends. The cost to get in is $10 and that is good for all three days. Hope to see ya there.

Show Hours:
Friday: 9 AM – 9 PM
Saturday: 9 AM – 7 PM
Sunday: 9 AM – 5 PM

Admission:
$10.00 for all three days, 12 years and under always FREE
Friday is Youth Day – 13 – 18 year olds admitted for $5.00
Admission includes the price of scoring of one deer head.

Summer Camp Plans? How About an Opportunity To Send A Kid For Free?

The snow the beginning of the week and 70’s and sun to end the week has gotten me thinking about summer. As a kid I loved to spend a week or two at camp shooting guns, archery, swimming and hanging out with my friends. Well now I go to hunt camp but for the kids I’m sure that summer camp is something many look forward to.
The 27 annual Fur Fish n Game Rendezvous, a weeklong camp, will take place this summer.

What is the Rendezvous?
Entering it’s 27th year, the Rendezvous is an opportunity for youth to earn their hunter safety certification, study natural resources, create an ourdoor ethic, and learn outdoor recreation skills.
The week-long residential camp is for boys and girls ages 12-15, and held at Millstone 4-H Center, in the beautiful sandhills gamelands. Campers learn firearm safety and shooting skills from hunter education officers. Other activities include: falconry, bird dogs, trapping, wildlife identification, taxidermy, first aid, canoeing, fishing, a low-ropes course, swimming, and much more! Those that have already attended the beginning Rendezvous, or already have their hunter safety certification, can apply for the the Adavanced Rendezvous. During the Adavanced track, campers will learn more about being a wildlife and fisheries biologist. Advanced activites include trapping, wildlife surveys, wildgame cooking, and fish surveys. For more information, please call Renee Strnad, NC Cooperative Extension, at 919-515-5518. Questions regarding registration and fees may be directed to the State 4-H Camping Office, at 919-515-8471.

Ok I’ll admit if I was a few years younger I’d want to go to this camp. It sounds like a great week filled with a lot of opportunities to learn more about the natural world around us. Now a program like this is not cheap and the cost of the camp is $325. With the economy the way it is right now I’m sure for many families that this is something they can’t afford. Well hang on I’ve discovered an organization that is giving out 36 full scholarships to this year’s camp.
The Wake County Wildlife Club will be using some of the money they raise at the Dixie Deer Classic to offer these scholarships.

The Wake County Wildlife Club uses the money it raises from the Dixie Deer Classic to support the resources and for education. One of our projects is to send 36 campers to the annual Fur, Fish, and Game Rendezvous in Ellerbe. Kids 12-15 years old are eligible. They will take the NC Hunter Safety Course and be exposed to a number of hunting and outdoor related activities. If you have or know of a boy or girl who would like to attend this camp please go by the Wake Co. Wildlife Club Hunter Safety Booth at the Dixie Deer Classic and get them registered. This camp would cost you $325.00 if you sending them yourself. It’s a great experience for the kids.

Now when I heard about this I had to do a little bit of checking because it seemed to be too good to be true but it is on the up and up. I was totally unaware that parts of the money raised during the Dixie Deer Classic went to such a worthwhile cause. Additionally I asked about how the scholarships were awarded;

we pay for all 36 slots , whether we fill them or not. We fill them first come first serve. Some years we only have a few names submitted by members or registered at the DDC in which case the FF&G folks ( 4H extension, etc.) fill those spaces.

Well the Dixie Deer Classic is this weekend so stop by their booth to get your youngster signed up. I’m sure if these slots get filled and there is still space at the camp and someone wants to go there are other civic organizations and sportsmen groups that will step up to help. For the rest of us who wondered what our entrance fee to the classic got used for now we know. A tip of the hat to the Wake County Wildlife Club.

“Jiminy Christmas” Roger Wins Three Golden Moose Awards

Outdoor Channel awards Golden Moose Awards every year for the best of the best outdoor shows and this year only one walked away with three and that was Roger Raglin. I’ll admit that a few years ago I was walking around the Dixie Deer Classic when I met Roger for the first time. I had no idea who he was but the guy that was with me that day was all excited about Roger and his hunting show. At the time I did not appreciate fully who exactly I met that day so I hope for a second chance so I can be like my buddy.

Not long after that I was home one day sick from work and I caught Roger’s show on the Outdoor Channel and it was fantastic.

I’ll admit it now that I’m a total Roger Raglin fan and my DVR records his show every week. I think what makes his show a fan favorite is his down to earth approach and his genuine personality that comes through each episode. This past year his series of shows on hunting river bottoms was fantastic and very educational. I’m hopeful that in the near future he’ll return to the Dixie Deer Classic so I can talk with him again now that I have a better understanding of who he is. On his show when he kills a nice deer he yells out his favorite saying “Jiminy Christmas” and you can tell this guy really likes to hunt.

Here is a list of all the shows that won Golden Moose Awards.

Best Overall Production

Winner: Whitetail Freaks

Best Big Game Hunting

Winner: Realtree Road Trips with Michael Waddell

Best Bird Hunting Footage (Excluding Turkey)

Winners (Tied for 1st): Benelli’s American Birdhunter, Pheasants Forever Television

Best Turkey Hunting

Winner: American Hunter

Best Saltwater Fishing

Winner:

Big Water Adventures

Best Educational/Instructional

Winner: Mossy Oak’s The Obsession Revealed

Best Freshwater Fishing

Winner: Ultimate Outdoors

Best Sound Design

Winner: American Rifleman Television

Best Graphic Design & Animation

Winner: Wildgame Nation

Best Blooper

Winner: Whitetail Freaks

Best Commercial

Winner: Mossy Oak

Fan Favorite Best Host

Winner: Roger Raglin

Fan Favorite Best Fishing Series

Winner: Bass Pro Shop’s Outdoor World Fishing

Fan Favorite Best Hunting Series

Winner: Roger Raglin Outdoors

Fan Favorite Best New Series

Winner: Whitetail Freaks

Fan Favorite Best Overall Production

Winner: Roger Raglin Outdoors

Roger Raglin Outdoors won three fan favorite Golden Moose Awards for the Outdoor Channel in 2008
Best Host | Best Hunting Show | Best Overall Production

Youth Wildlife Art Contest Part of This Year’s Dixie Deer Classic

A new feature for this year’s Dixie Deer Classic is a Youth Wildlife Art contest sponsored by North Carolina Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. With about a month to go before the deadline there is plenty of time for the kids to create some great stuff.

Contestants may create their entry using any of the following: paint, crayon, or pencil. Entries can either be in black and white or color. The choice will be up to the contestant.
The subject matter may be any form of wildlife.
Size needs to be at least 8″x10″ and no larger than 16″ x22″. No tracing or help from parents.
All entries should be on drawing paper, poster board or mat board. Entries on notebook paper will not be judged!

Age Groups
Group A: Ages 6-8
Group B: Ages 9-11
Group C: Ages 12-14
Group D: Ages 15-17

There does not appear to be any requirements for contestants to reside in North Carolina so send those drawings in. Here is the information for the contest.

A Lot of Quality Bucks Tagged This Year?

Cade Harrill of Salisbury bagged his first deer while hunting with his dad.

The Salisbury Post reporting on the deer season that just ended as a good one at least based on their review of local bragging boards.

Local check stations reported good numbers of deer brought in. Hill’s Minnow Farm in eastern Rowan County had the most checked in at more than 400. A quick view of pictures of successful hunters at many local sporting good stores confirms — and most hunters agree — that the quality of bucks seems to be increasing throughout the area.

The number of mature bucks with racks over 16 inches wide and with eight points or more seem to be more common than in years past. Most hunters agree that the two-buck limit is one of the more successful regulations that have directly impacted local deer herds.

Many hunters also enjoyed the opportunity to harvest additional antlerless deer by taking advantage of the bonus antlerless deer tags that were available in many portions of the state.

I think the 2 buck limit is working and one only has to look at what deer heads get brought into the Dixie Deer Classic every year.

180 Class Deer Taken In Yadkin County

What a hoss of a buck and I’m afraid I have none of the details. These images were posted up on NC Hunt & Fish and I’m pretty sure this is an actual NC Deer and not an internet rumor. One of the regular posters over there has posted his own game camera shots of this buck and it was taken within a 1/2 a mile of where he hunts. I hope this deer shows up at the Dixie Deer Classic this year and I’m sure we’ll hear more about it and who the lucky hunter is.

Seems like we are seeing more and more big bucks in North Carolina these days and I attributed it to the two buck limit as well as more and more hunters willing to let small bucks walk.

Post by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Big Buck Expo Not Very Big On Numbers

I plan to do a more in depth story about it this week but I’ll give you a bit of an overview. The show was small but had a lot of vendors that I haven’t seen at the Dixie Deer Classic. I’m not sure what the overall attendance will be but it will be considered light I’m sure. I went up today and unlike the Buckmasters show there was no line waiting to get in. You could get free admission if you test drove a Toyota Tundra and with four of them cruising around a course laid out in an empty parking lot there wasn’t even a line to do that. I took the test drive and got my free ticket and headed into the show.

The show reminded me of the Scope Show that came to Raleigh a few times years ago. Had great speaker line up but for some reason just couldn’t pull in the crowds. The Big Buck Expo had some great hunting celebrities and overall I really enjoyed myself. Now to tell you how small the crowd was I did not run into a single person I know… well except for Larry Weishuhun who remembered me from the Dixie Deer Classic.

Story & Photo by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

NC Bow Hunting Association Show This Weekend

The bow hunters are gathering this weekend at the fairgrounds for the annual NC Bow Hunters Association Convention and Show. This show is not as large as other hunting shows like the Dixie Deer Classic but still a very good show. Admission cost is only $3 for the entire weekend and the crowds are smaller so there is ample time to talk with vendors and exhibitors.

Dick Hamilton

I had the opportunity to meet Dick Hamilton from the Camo Coalition and to hear his presentation. I think every one that hunts and / or fishes in North Carolina needs to sign up. In these days when attacks on our heritage can come from almost any arena be it local, county, state, or national we need to be organized to fight. It’s no secret that the antis will take incremental progress to ultimately outlaw our way of life.

There is no fee to join just a wiliness to receive e-mail alerts on issues of importance for sportsmen. Guys we got to stand together on these issues even if the attack is on a part of the sport we don’t participate in. When we get organized we can be a powerful voice in preserving the outdoor heritage for our kids and grandkids.

Other things happening out there included 3 d archery tournament as well as a number of raffles. I believe many of the raffles were drawn tonight at the banquet. The show runs through tomorrow (Sunday) so if you get a chance stop by and check it out.

NC Wildlife Resource Commission has a booth out there. Great time to ask a biologist a question.

Reminder On Today’s Radio Show I have Part 2 of Allen Bliven Calls

This week’s show will be the 2nd part of the presentation that Allen and his pro staff gave at the Dixie Deer Classic. This week the focus is geese and swans so join us at 1pm on Skinny Moose Radio. Both shows will be available for download in the near future for those who can’t hear it when they air.

Allen Bliven Calls On This Week’s Radio Show

This week on my radio show I’m featuring part one of two part series featuring Allen Bliven and his pro staff. I recorded this at the Dixie Deer Classic so if you missed his presentation this is a great opportunity to hear how he got into call making and to hear his presentation on duck calls. You’ll also get the opportunity to hear a young lady, Candace who just won the NC Jr. Goose Calling Competition. Join us at 1pm on Friday or check the show achieves by the end of the weekend for the March 14th Show.

The Day Larry Hit Me With A Chair

One of the great things about going to hunting shows like the Dixie Deer Classic is the opportunity to meet and interact with famous hunting personalities and this passed show was no exception.

Larry Weishuhn is an icon in the hunting world taking many species with a handgun. I enjoy hearing him talk because he tells a lot of stories making his lectures take on the feel of a hunting camp.

Larry shared a number of stories about how the whitetail deer adapts to man and the environment around him. He told about how at one ranch they hunt that the big buck was hanging out in the ranch hand’s backyard while the hunters were hunting the far end of the property. One of the other things Larry talked about was how he liked to hunt property where bow hunters hunt regularly because the deer get use to looking up for danger from the trees and Larry hunts almost exclusively from the ground. At this point in his lecture Larry gave us his best impression of a trophy buck walking around looking up when he walked into the front row of chairs sending one of them sliding back into me. Good thing I wasn’t sleeping.

I stopped by Larry’s booth after his talk and we had a good laugh about the chair incident. I told him I thought he must be some relation to Bobby Knight. I had to share the photo he signed for me thanking me for not throwing it back at him.

Larry told me that his next hunt is coming up quick as he is heading for New Zealand to hunt the Roar of the Red Stag. I wish him all the best and hope he has a good time.

What A Weekend To Reflect On The Past and Dream About the Future

Packing Up & Heading Home

After many miles on my feet, a lot of handshakes, and a lot of stories the 28th Annual Dixie Deer Classic has drawn to an end. I’ll tell ya up front that it will take me a few weeks to get all the great tidbits and information I gathered from this years show. So for my initial post about the weekend I’ll give you some of the highlights but you’re going to have to stay tuned for all the great stuff I got.

Old Friends

The great part of the show is the friendships you can develop over the years I’ll highlight a few;

Away Outdoors

Fred & his son Greg are some of my favorite outdoor personalities and they have a great TV show. They also have some great products including great calls. This year’s new product is the turkey skinz but they are already sold out of them but you might find them still at Gander Mountain or Cabela’s. Greg was at another show but I’m hopeful that one of these years that the powers to be at the Dixie Deer Classic will invite Greg to speak.

Conman’s Guide Service

I’ve hunted a number of times with Mike and Connie and they have a top notch operation. They run a guide service on Lake Phelps in Washington County where they guide for bear, turkey, deer, swan, small game, and they have some unbelievable fishing on Lake Phelps.

Rac Plaques

I’ve known the Dorsett’s for a while but they have just started this business Rac Plaques which are plaques for putting your European mounts on. These guys have a quality product and it showed with this first show and how busy they stayed throughout the show.

New Friends

Allen Bliven Calls

I met Allen for the first time this weekend and what a great guy. He makes some sweet waterfowl calls and has some impressive young folks calling for him. He knows his stuff and he even took some time to help O’le Moose here try to learn to blow a duck call. I got like 6 months or so to practice before waterfowl opens back up and boy do I need some practice. In the near future I’ll bring you the story and hopefully some of the sounds from these champion callers.

Now a bit of a teaser one of these guys pulled a Bobby Knight on me and hit me with a chair during their lecture. You’ll have to tune in latter this week to hear that story.

I met so many friends and had a great time. There was some great deer on display and it looks like many of us had a great season. I didn’t buy much of anything just a few odds and ends, renewed my NRA and my subscription to NC Sportsman. I’d be curious to hear if any of my readers found any good deals or picked up some new equipment.

Overall it was a great show and I can hardly wait for next year.

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