Salt Lake Hunting Conservation Expo

[BigHornRam]

Here's an email I recieved reguarding the up coming FNAWS/MDF convention in Salt Lake. I will be helping out with the MT FNAWS booth which will be next to the MT FWP booth. Hope to see some of you there.

Fellow Sportsmen/Conservationist, Please pass this along to your email networks.


IN just 7 short months, over 500 Exhibitors will begin setting up for the First Ever Joint Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in SLC, held at the Salt Palace Hall, Jan. 17-20, 2007 (Wednesday – Saturday). As guides and outfitters are getting ready to leave soon for hunting camp, please take NOTE:


The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF), the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS) and Sportsmen for Habitat (SFH) staff and leadership are planning what promises to be a MUST ATTEND show if your dream is to take a world class Buck, Bull, Ram, or Billie.



Over the next weeks and months, you will start seeing registration forms, hotel information etc. If you plan on flying into SLC, you should get airline tickets now, as this same time frame is the Ski Season and the Sundance Film Festival.



The Salt Palace Convention Hall and Delta Center are just a 7 minute drive from the SLC international airport, and there are several major hotels within 3 blocks of the Convention Venues.



Here are just a few reasons you will be interested in Attending:



Support some great wildlife conservation and hunters rights organizations, who have united to minimize overhead and convention costs, and maximize opportunities for conservation funding and land use and wildlife management policy making.


You must apply in person at the WHCE to be eligible for approximately 200 of the west’s best trophy mule deer, elk, bison, moose, bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep, mountain goat, antelope and wild turkey permits. There is no differentiation between Utah residents or non-residents for these 200 permits, and NO bonus points or waiting periods for those who apply in Utah’ normal big game draw are counted in the 200 Convention Permit applications.


One of the largest special “Governors” auction tags ever assembled for North America’s best Wild Sheep, Mule Deer, Elk, Moose, Goat, Bison and other hunts from around the world will be offered in auctions during the 4 day show.


Over 500 Exhibitors – top guide and outfitters and hunting equipment suppliers and manufacturers will be there to provide you your dream hunts, art work and equipment. The Exhibit Hall will also have some exceptional collections of monster bucks, bulls and rams, and seminars by industry leaders.


Friday Evening, you can obtain tickets exclusively via MDF, FNAWS and SFH for an awesome evening of entertainment by Jeff Foxworthy and superstar country music group, Montgomery Gentry. Karl Malone, the legendary MBA MVP has promised to provide some additional excitement to the evening at the Delta Center. Foxworthy, Montgomery Gentry and Malone are all world class entertainers and athletes, and are also avid sportsmen/conservationists.


Saturday evening will top of the weekend with a big time Gala, where there will be lots of fun, once in a lifetime auction items, brief presentations by leading opinion and policy makers. There will be special items to support the US Olympic shooting team, and our Armed Forces members


A world class, hunting archery range will be available inside the Exhibit hall for a fun shoot/tournament.


Meet up with a bunch of your old hunting buddies, make some new friends.


More specific information will be coming out for registrations, etc. Before you head out this fall, make sure you have your arrangements made to fulfill your hunting dreams for 2007 and beyond.

 

[AZ402]

We will have a booth there, should be an interesting event.

 

[A-con]

Keep us posted. Is there a web site ?

 

[Tuffbucker]

Ill be attending!

 

[BigHornRam]

AZ,

I'll call a 15 minute Fantasy Hunt truce and buy you a beer then!

 

[AZ402]

Sounds good, I think our booth is somewhere near Doyles monster booth he is having at the show.

 

[schmalts]

This is the convention where the ORGS robbed the UT drawing of 200 tags. Go figure.

 

[BigHornRam]

Schmalts,

Here's a email I received talking about the success Utah is having with their sheep herds and where some of this money is going to. You may not like it, but it is getting results that will more than cover the 200 tags you claim are being "robbed". Go to the show and have a good time. You might even draw one of those big rack Utah elk tags you have the hots for.



FNAWS and the DWR fund a PHD student who is monitoring and studying 6 new sheep herds started in the last 6 years along the populous Wasatch Front.


Jericho Whiting reports the following Lamb counts as of June 10.


Nebo – two year old herd, Montana stock 11 lambs.

Rock Canyon – 5 year old Herd, Alberta stock, 12 lambs

Timpanogas -6 year old herd, Rattlesnake stock, 9 lambs

Antelope Island – 6 year old herd, BC and Nevada stock 35 lambs

Newfoundland Mts. 4 year old herd, Antelope Island and Nevada 32 lambs

Stansbury Mts. 6 month old herd, Antelope Island stock, 19 lambs.



Flaming Gorge 2 year old herd, Montana Stock 17 Lambs – last years count, this years expected higher.



These herds are having 60-80% or so lamb survival.



FNAWS has spent over $450,000 in habitat funds to secure the habitat for these new herds. The DWR has done an awesome job getting sheep captured and turned loose. Additional efforts have been made to keep predation at a minimum, and based on survival of collared sheep, predation is minimal.


These herds are doing very well, as are the other 15 or so additional Rocky Mountain and Desert bighorn herds in Utah.


FNAWS is out looking for additional mountain ranges that need some habitat work completed to restore more sheep to more native mountain ranges. 10,000 Bighorn and 200 plus annual sheep permits may be achievable in the future. That is a long ways from perhaps a thousand sheep and 9 permits, with existing herds facing serious risk, risk that has been eliminated.


Your money at work.