| Outdoor Blast Comes To Gwinnett Aug. 3-5 |
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| By Daryl Kirby |
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Originally published in the July 2012 issue of GON
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There’s a lot going at the Gwinnett Center the first weekend in August. The main event for sportsmen is GON’s Outdoor Blast, a three-day hunting and fishing show.
The huge buzz around the Blast this year is an appearance by the Landrys of the hit TV show “Swamp People.” Plus, American Idol’s Top-10 will be next door at the Gwinnett Arena that same weekend, featuring Leesburg’s Phillip Phillips.
Highlights during the Outdoor Blast include:
• The Truck-Buck Shoot-Out: This pellet-rifle competition decides the winner of a new truck and 4-wheeler. It’s always exciting to watch an everyday Georgia deer hunter win a new truck. Qualifiers earned spots during last season’s big-buck contest. Preliminary heads-up matches take place Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and the finals are Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
• The Georgia State Duck Calling Championships: The contests begin Sunday, Aug. 5 at 10:30 a.m. See page 14 for more on these prestigious contests that attract elite callers from across the nation.
• The Kids Zone: At The Outdoor Blast, we go out of our way to make sure there’s plenty to keep the kids entertained, from archery shooting to inflatables to jump and play in.
• The SEEDS Big-Buck Contest Shoot-Out: This competition is just for the kids, with the winner earning a three-day deer and hog hunt with Woods-n-Water in south Georgia. The event begins at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday.
• The Wall of Fame: This awesome display of the top Georgia bucks from last season always draws a crowd of hunters, most probably hoping they’ll see a buck in the coming season that could put them in the Wall of Fame.
• Deer Scoring: Official Boone & Crockett measurers will be on hand Friday and Saturday. Drop off your mount, enjoy the show, and go home later that day with an official score. The deadline to drop off a mount or rack for measuring is 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
• Troy and Jacob Landry: You can meet the man who made famous the phrase “Choot ’em!” Father-and-son gator hunters Troy and Jacob Landry from the History Channel show “Swamp People” will be at the Outdoor Blast Saturday, Aug. 4, from noon to 5 p.m. to sign autographs. We hope it won’t be the case at the Blast, but based on appearances these two made last month, the line will be long, and not everyone will make it through to see them up close. For details on a special VIP ticket, see page 16.
You can also meet the folks from GON. We like to think of The Outdoor Blast as more than the traditional outdoor “trade show.” The Blast is like a three-day gathering of sportsmen, camo-wearing gals and smiling kids. Yes, the Blast features hundreds of booths, but we only allow hunting- and fishing-related companies and vendors. It’s a great chance to put the camo on and get ready to kick off a new hunting season.
Hunter Education Offered At Gwinnett Center During Outdoor Blast
Georgia Hunter Education Association, Inc., and Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division are presenting a Georgia Hunter Education three-hour CD Class on Saturday. The class will be Saturday, Aug. 4, from 9 a.m. to noon during the Outdoor Blast at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth.
Each student must complete the online Hunter Education Course by going to www.beasafehunter.org. At the completion of the online course print the affidavit and sign, or have a guardian sign if you are under 18 years of age. Next, list yourself in the Outdoor Blast Hunter Education Class online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com or be at the Outdoor Blast Saturday morning, Aug. 4, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. No student will be admitted to class without a signed affidavit. Parents or guardians of younger hunters (10-14) are encouraged to attend with the student. There’s limited seating.
The CD Hunter Education Class will last three hours. A review, firearms hands-on and tree-stand safety will be included. A 50-question test at the end of the three-hour class will also be given. Students will need to make a 76 or better to pass.
All students who attend and pass the course will receive their certification card, handouts and other hunting-related items. Many of our sponsors will donate items to be given away to students having a class test score of 90 or better. Your local DNR office and the Georgia Hunter Education Association will have booths set up on the main floor of the show to answer questions, hand out new Georgia Hunting Regulations books and other informative materials.
This is the best time to take your Hunter Education Course—quick, easy and full of extras. You will receive top-quality Instruction by DNR rangers and certified volunteer instructors. Hunter Education training can make a difference in your hunting enjoyment of Georgia’s fields and woods.
State Duck-Calling Contests Coming To Outdoor Blast On Sunday, Aug. 5
Look out for Gwinnett County ducks circling and cupping the first weekend in August. The state’s best duck callers, along with elite callers from across the nation, will be coming to Duluth for the Georgia State calling contests.
On Sunday, Aug. 5, the Outdoor Blast will host the Georgia State Duck Calling Contest, which crowns the state champ and sends him off to the world contest in Stuttgart, Ark. The sanctioned state-championship event will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The Georgia State event is open only to Georgia residents. Judges include Antonio Jones, the current World’s Champion, Zach Raulie, Florida state champ, and Keith Allen, a three-time World’s Finalist and 2011 World’s judge.
Following the state championship will be the Georgia State Meat Contest, which last year attracted a whos-who of the nation’s best duck callers including two national-champions, plus top callers from Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, Maryland and South Carolina. There’s also an entertaining Georgia Two-Man Meat Contest. For more info, go to facebook.com/georgiaduckcalling. Contestants may pre-register for any or all of the contests by calling (800) 438-4663.
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