Outdoor Classic features booths, merchandise, seminars, and first ever turkey calling championship

The Outdoor Classic is an annual event sponsored by the North Missouri Sportsman’s Alliance (NMSA), a non-profit organization that raises money for the Chillicothe Hunting & Fishing Club and the Share The Harvest program in four north Missouri counties. The Outdoor Classic will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 13 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 14.

The Outdoor Classic features a wide variety of activities, including booth displays and merchants selling outdoor merchandise, programs and seminars by professional hunters and fishermen, and for the first time ever a Jakes Turkey Calling Championship. Deer hunters can bring their bucks in to be scored by official Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett scorers.

There will also be a special Pepsi "Braggin’ Wall," which features bucks that score 170 and higher, and includes trophies that are presented to the top typical, non-typical and best of show buck brought into the show. The Missouri Department of Conservation is also bringing its very popular youth indoor archery range, complete with instructors, and a laser hunting game, too. Miss Missouri Tara Osseck will make a special appearance for several hours on the morning of Feb. 14.

"Our goal, as always, is to provide a family event with enough diversity that hopefully there is something for everyone," said Steve Shoot, president of the NMSA.

The Outdoor Classic has been moved to the new Chillicothe High School for the 2010 show and the response from vendors and merchants has been positive, said Shoot.

"The first two years we had the Outdoor Classic at the Chillicothe Middle School and it was a great facility," Shoot said. "However, we were really hurting for parking at that location. When the R-2 district made the decision to raze the old high school which was located within that facility, we decided to move to the new location, which has lots of great parking."

Shoot said one of the goals of the NMSA was to also provide outstanding educational programming at any of the events the organization conducts.

"We bring in more professional speakers than all but a few shows throughout the entire Midwest," said Shoot. "This year we have eight speakers, covering a wide variety of topics. We will have two seminars running at the same time throughout the two-day event."

Speakers at the 2010 Outdoor Classic include Ed Schneider, Renegade Catfishing; Roy Roper, Ambush Lures; Rod Owen, Drury Outdoors Celebrity Dream Season TV series; Karl Rice, Missouri Fur Trappers; Darrell Sidney, Canadian Black Bear Hunting; Rich Hahne, Hahne Custom Waterfowl Calls; Jeff Beringer, Black Bears in Missouri; and James Harrison, 2009 Grand National Owl Hooting Champion and 2008 and 2009 World Turkey Calling Champion.

According to Shoot, Harrison is also helping the NMSA in conducting the first ever Jakes Turkey Calling Championship. Prior to the jakes competition, Harrison will provide a special 50-minute seminar on turkey calling and owl hooting. He will also serve as the emcee of the contest, which features two different age groups competing for trophies and gift certificates from the Medicine Creek Trading Company.

The age groups in the Jakes Turkey Calling Championship are 8-13 years of age and 14-18 years of age. Registration for the competition will take place just inside the entrance to the Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center, located on the south end of the high school.

For more information on the event just log onto www.northmooutdoorclassic.com.