Utah Hunt expo -SMH

[Wrong Burgundy]

I have attended waaaay too many industry tradeshows, and this is all 100% correct. Consumer shows are a different beast in a way; you know you have arrived when you walk through the doors and are greeted by sh*tty elk bugles ripping off in your face from the Bullz N Buckz Booth, and the fresh, slightly pre-diabetic aroma of funnel cakes hits your nose like an unexpected slap from an ex-girlfriend....ah, it is show time...#KUIULIFE.

Overall they are a soul-sucking gathering of great companies, OK companies and "how did you get a booth in here, Brayton?" companies hawking everything that will make a dollar under the bright, stark fluorescent lights of some convention hall somewhere. Hunt Expo is not really any different. Don't get me started on ATA in Louisville, KY....
But I will give SHOT show one small pass, as it is in Las Vegas, and the only thing good about SHOT show is leaving SHOT show and driving down Spring Mountain Road as fast as you can to hit up one of 100 great Asian restaurants scattered on it. It is like a time warp. It is you and the locals who really like to eat good food. It's like the Strip doesn't exist. And the further you drive away and find those out of the way spots, you get to leave the Strip and the armies of no-necked, pleated khaki pants wearing, logoed golf shirt industry hellspawn pushing and mooing their way to a PF Changs or a $75 ribeye at Wolfgang Pucks. But I digress...

The Hunting Show D-Bag is a scary, yet fascinating creature.....beware the HSDB.

 

[bennirio]

Being a "Utard", I haven't been to the expo the last 5 years. I think I'm leaning more towards the Matt Rinella way of thinking. The commercialization of public land specifically hunting, is crazy to behold. I choose to support my local RMEF and NWTF chapters rather than SFW and the Mule Deer foundation. Glad to hear I'm still not missing much by not going minus people watching.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I wear kenetreks everyday. Am I a hunt Expo Braxton?

 

[2rocky]

I stumbled onto the Sheep show one year at the Peppermill and had a good chat with Big Fin and Oak and a few other HT'ers.

Other than those guys it was like a cross between the National Finals Rodeo crowd and either the Kardashians or the Real Housewives ( a small but visible segment).

The ISE shows "Duck Hail Call Hall" still echoes in my memory as well as meeting the Eastmans and Cam when he was still with the magazine. I remember thinking at the time those guys were the most legit at the whole show.

 

[Elkmagnet]

They literally wear their Kenetreks and a loaded Mystery Ranch to walk around a show floor

I've never been able to figure out what they keep in their packs to make it so full. I'm guessing shredded newspaper?

__________

To be fair, I was at SCI a few weeks ago and it was just as bad there. The paramilitary gear the guys at SHOT Show were wearing was the worst I've seen though. Who needs cargo pants tucked into combat boots at The Venetian?

Almost she season bro.
#Milesforpiles

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

I wear kenetreks everyday. Am I a hunt Expo Braxton?

As long as this is not you waiting in line anywhere, you will be OK.

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

Don't.....ever....forget.....

 

[Elkmagnet]

Its a competition between the hunt bro culture of the hunt expo and the tacticool costumes at shot show.

 

[thomas89]

Anybody wearing their camo pack too? That seems to be common at the "shows" as well. Just get decked out in their Sub Alpine head to toe with brand new never worn Kenetreks or Crispis and run around with their *insert brand* camo pack while eating their peak refuel meals.

Not new never worn, those are their show boots!

If I had to guess 90% of those dudes drive around most of hunting season and then shoot a forky on the second to last day and always preface 'gram photos with:

"he's not the biggest on the mountain"
"freezer was getting empty"
"can't eat the horns"
"time for duck season"
"he'll do"
"ran out of MtnOps, couldn't hammer any longer"

Et cetera, et cetera.

Not that there's anything wrong with driving around for hunting season or shooting forces, but let's just relax and have some fun while we do it. And FFS lay off the MtnOps, it's a gimmick.

 

[shrapnel]

Do you enjoy the expo, Shrapnel?

Yes, is there something wrong with that?

 

[Big Fin]

If ever there is an event for Matt Rinella to set up his "Change my Mind" table, it is the Expo in Salt Lake City. That would be a "hair on fire" experience for him.

Since I got "disinvited" following my 2011 Hunt Talk posts, I've been to one Expo. If not for a sponsor obligation I couldn't fulfill due to a different cancelled venue, I wouldn't have attended that Expo. I went in 2007, 2008, and 2009, thinking it was truly a wildlife conservation endeavor. Then, in 2010, having to fight against SFW and MDF on our wolf delisting efforts, it became painfully obvious what a charade it was and how it was taking wildlife opportunity and funding "the machine," with the tag pimps and their agents happy to buy the hunts that keep the machine running.

To appease the serfs, 200 of Utah's tags get sold for $5 raffles. On the surface it seems like a good cause, until one looks deeper to see these proceeds are used to keep organizations afloat.

If there is such a thing as a "wildlife bordello," it is going on right now in SLC. I could go on and on, but the world has tired of my ramblings on the topic.

 

[Nameless Range]

What do a colonoscopy and the Hunter Expo have in common?

Butts and guts?

 

[elkantlers]

What do a colonoscopy and the Hunter Expo have in common?

You would be surprised.

 

[Bambistew]

The fact that instafamous personalities have booths at trade shows is mind-blowing. The fact that people buy their "merch," is equally mind blowing. Its almost like the sports team culture, but way weirder. Grown ass men worshiping another man's prowess as a shed hunter or hunter is super confusing to me.

 

[Gellar]

I feel like I have attended…I logged into instagrammar this morning. Someone should tell SLC that hunting blinds can lead to prostitution.

 

[TheJason]

@Bambistew snooze you Lose…

 

[Bambistew]

@Bambistew snooze you Lose…

I hope that 90% of those were sold as gag gifts, but sadly, I expect it to be 10%.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Yeah I just check IG all the people there just post it…. Don’t even have to pay to go. You could probably find someone on YouTube videoing themselves there lol
Matt

 

[Gellar]

I wear kenetreks everyday. Am I a hunt Expo Braxton?

We’ve been meaning to tell you…

 

[mtmiller]

Yeah I just check IG all the people there just post it…. Don’t even have to pay to go. You could probably find someone on YouTube videoing themselves there lol
Matt

I am not seeing it on my IG. I must be following the wrong people....or not.