What’s new at Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic

Several new features highlight the 2011 Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, to be held March 25-27 at the Civic Center in Peoria. In addition to new features, the dates are new (had been in late February) and the location is moved back to Peoria.

New features include:

· Women’s Hunting Apparel & Related Gear exhibit topics.

“Women want to have clothes designed for them, clothing that is warm and comfortable. A dozen booths have fitting rooms for potential customers to try on new clothes.  Women want gloves designed for the female hand. They need hunting boots that are warm, light and strong,” said Glenn Helgeland, president of Target Communications, the Classic’s producing company.

“Women don’t see any particular need to suffer while they are deer hunting, unlike men,” Helgeland noted.  “Men tend to think you need an icicle hanging from your nose to know you’re enjoying the hunt.  That’s why they think the statement ‘I don’t know how much more of this fun I can stand’ is so funny.”

Women usually need rifles of lighter mass weight, smaller calibers with less recoil and shorter stocks, bows with shorter draw lengths and lighter draw weights so they can handle the equipment confidently and without fear.  Noted outdoor writer and firearms expert Ron Spomer will give an informative seminar along this line—“The Shocking Truth About Women and Firearms”—to clear up some misperceptions and counter the poor advice female hunters often get from male advisors.

· Puppies & Kids Sunday—Includes a seminar with tips on buying a hunting puppy.

· Firearms Answer Man (Dan Schmidt, editor of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine) and Turkey Answer Man (Gary Sefton, world calling champion and long-time turkey hunter) added to the Tech Info Center.  (Other subjects are firearms, archery, slug guns & muzzle loaders, hunting clothes & footwear, optics—scopes & binoculars, and food plots).

· DVD Theater.

· U.S. Sportsmens Alliance raffles, sweepstakes and Sentry program.

“We work hard to keep the show fresh and interesting, with solid tech information and new activities,” Helgeland notes. “Exhibits and new products, the trophy contest and the seminar program are the old reliables, but even they can be tweaked ... and are.”

Returning features include: · Nearly 350 exhibit booths, many with product for sale

· Byron Ferguson, archery trick shot and accomplished bowhunter, performs Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27 · New-products special display area · Illinois whitetail deer trophy contest and display · Venison butchering and processing demonstration

· 2-1/2 days of how-to seminars, more than 40 presentations on a dozen topics (view schedule at http://www.deerinfo.com/IL/seminars); seminars are free once you have your general admission ticket · Two photo contests (Outdoor Photo Contest and Trail Cam Photo Contest) · Live game animal and predator display

· Hands-on shooting areas (archery, airgun, laser firearms)

· Flint knapping demonstration · state turkey calling and owl hooting championship, Saturday, March 26.

For details on the Illinois Deer and Turkey Classic, visit the event’s website—http://www.deerinfo.com/Illinois  You .will find exhibitor lists, seminar schedules,  contest details, hotel lists, directions to the Peoria Civic Center, and other details.

· More than 425 well photographed entries are expected in the Trophy Deer Contest.