GON’s Very First Outdoor Blast

Several dignitaries were on-hand to enjoy the show. Gov. Sonny Perdue tries out a new slate call for turkey season.

Thousands of Georgia hunters and fishermen showed up clad in camo with their families in tow for the GON Outdoor Blast at the Macon Centreplex the weekend of August 10-12, 2007. What they found was plenty of fun for everyone, as hundreds of exhibitors and vendors filled the floor of the huge, air-conditioned facility to entertain, inform and offer great deals on hunting and fishing gear.

One of the highlights of the show was the Land Management Expo, where experts gave seminars and hands-on instruction, teaching hunters how to better manage their land to grow big bucks, lunker largemouths and plentiful longbeards. And, while dad was getting the low-down on planting a better food plot, the kids could be found over in the kids’ corner, where a giant inflatable slide, hunting and fishing simulators, an archery range, a Nascar simulator, a dunking booth and other activities kept them entertained.

Part of the show, including the Kids’ Corner, the Land Management Expo, the Truck-Buck Shoot-Out and the Georgia Taxidermy Association exhibit, was held on the floor of the Macon Coliseum. The rest of the show was spread throughout the rest of the Centreplex and spilled out into the parking lot.

There was also a host of seminars on outdoor cooking to go along with the Backyard BBQ Blast cooking competition. As the tempting smell of smoking meat wafted in from the parking lot, hungry showgoers got to sample some delicious dishes while learning new ways to cook wild game as well as ribs, pork, chicken and beef.

After filling up their bellies, families could take a seat to watch either of the two shooting competitions at the show. The Southern Bowhunter Classic 3-D archery tournament, hosted by Aaron’s Outdoors and Southern Woods ’N Water, was held throughout the weekend. Some of the best archers in the region shot for scores at moving wild-game targets, and won prizes ranging from cash and trophies to treestands, Mathews bows and hunting products from Whitetail Obsession. There were five different divisions for everyone from kids under 6 years of age to ladies and professional archers. More than 100 archers competed.

The Southern Bowhunter Classic drew some of the best archers around to compete in a 3-D, moving-target tournament for trophies, cash and prizes.

The GON Truck-Buck Shoot-Out arena was set up in the Coliseum, with plenty of room for spectators to cheer on their favorite shooters Saturday and Sunday, as they competed with air rifles in a tension-filled shoot-out for a brand new Chevy pickup from John Megel Chevrolet.

Another crowd pleaser was the Georgia Taxidermy Association (GTA) exhibit. The GTA’s Summer Show and competition were held in conjunction with the Blast, and all the taxidermists competing had their work displayed in a large centrally located booth on the floor of the show.

Taxidermists received awards for their work in Masters and Professional divisions for work in six different categories. Those categories were game head, whitetail, birds, reptiles, fish and life-size mammal. Greg Harrell took home the award for Best Overall Taxidermist. Frog Mullis won the Charlie Flemming People’s Choice Award.

Seth (Shorty) Cason, 12, of Alapaha (center) was the winner of this year’s drawing for the SEEDS Big-Buck Contest. Presenting Shorty with his certificate (from left) are Steve Burch and Buck Davis of Little River Plantation.

The GONetwork was very busy during the Blast, raising money and giving away great prizes. More than $2,500 were raised with raffles of a new smoker from Bubba Grills and a shotgun. Mike Crisp of Buckhead took home the shotgun, while Donna Scott of Stockbridge needed a forklift to get her new smoker out of the Centreplex.

The drawings for the GONetwork To Win Big-Buck Contest and the SEEDS Big-Buck Contest were held at a banquet Saturday evening in the Centreplex. Clint Strange of Macon, after winning the District 18 slot in the drawing with his buck, won the drawing for a brand-new Chevy Colorado from John Megel Chevrolet. Seth (Shorty) Cason, 12, of Alapaha won the SEEDS prize drawing. His buck and some luck in the drawing earned him a hunt at Little River Plantation, as well as a compound bow, a muzzleloader, a suit of camo and some hunting boots.

Next year, the GON Outdoor Blast will be even bigger and better. The Centreplex has already been rented out August 9-11, 2008, and vendors and exhibitors are lining up to be included. This year’s favorites will be back, and new attractions are being planned.

The line for the dunking booth grew when GON Publisher Steve Burch took the hot seat. GON readers at the show jumped at the opportunity to express opinions on his editorials.

Raffle tickets for a gun and a grill were sold at the GONetwork booth to raise money for programs promoting hunting and fishing.

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (far left) shakes hands with a fellow hunter while discussing the upcoming deer season with GON freelancer John Trussell and GON Publisher Steve Burch (from left).

The robot mime, Robert Mathison of Key West, Fla., was a hoot as he made buzzing sounds and lurching movements to entertain the crowd.

The giant inflatable slide was one of the favorites in the Kids’ Corner, which offered lots of fun activities for young hunters and anglers.

Representatives from the Department of Natural Resources brought hunting and fishing simulators to mesmerize kids of all ages, and they also had an archery range set up in the Kids’ Corner.

Vendors, like Working Dogs Inc., experienced a steady stream of potential customers all three days. Many have already signed up for next year’s show, for which booth spaces are filling rapidly.