NWTF Convention


I spent a day this past week at the National Wild Turkey Federation Convention in Nashville, TN. This event is a large gathering of turkey hunting and hunting related manufacturers, outfitters, production companies and pretty much anything related to the hunting industry. One day really isn't enough to cover every square inch of the show, but I did manage to cover most of the floor. 


The show is held at the Gaylord Opryland complex every year, and it's a great host facility for this type of event, with plenty of space for the show floor, restaurants available onsite and of course the Opryland hotel itself. One of the main reasons I attended this year year was for a meet-and-great with Wild Wildebeest Safaris, the donors of the Safari I won at the Birmingham Deer Expo. I got to chat with Mike and Karen Helbing about my hunt, ask some questions and looks through photo albums of previous years' hunts. 


One of the products I'm most excited about are the decoys from Ultimate Predator. These lightweight decoys mount to the front of your bow and allow you to sneak in close. They have elk, whitetail, mule deer, turkey, pronghorn and even a cow. There display included a video of Super Slammer Jack Frost using the mule deer to sneak to 20 yards of several blacktail deer in Alaska. To me it seems like a great product and owner Lance Hallum seemed liked a great guy. I would really like to try the turkey decoy this spring. 


The show included taxidermy contests for turkey and for deer, with some serious prizes and bragginf rights given away. This silver bird was the most beautiful animal on display. A great job on the taxidermy, and an awesome, rare trophy for the hunter.


My buddy Josh Carney was at the show and his magnetizing personality seems to draw a crowd no matter where he goes. This guy can produce almost any animal vocalization with his voice, and very convincingly. He's also a huge inspiration and perfect example of turning a negative circumstance into a positive opportunity. Check out Son of the South TV on YouTube.


The Bass Pro Shops King of Bucks trailer was on hand, showcasing some of the largest bucks ever taken. These animals are truly magnificent and if you get a chance to see this display when it comes to your local Bass Pro Shops, I highly recommend it.


Country singer Craig Campbell among others put on acoustic shows at a few different booths around the show. His new song "Outskirts of Heaven" is a good one. Listen for it on the radio soon.

This was just a small sample of what the show had to offer. There were plenty of hunting celebrities onhand, lots of deals on new products, giveaways, seminars, and much more. I was so busy trying to cover ground that I didn't get to take a lot of photos, much less attend the seminars and auctions. Hopefully I'll have more time to take it all in next year. This show is well-worth attending if you're able.

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