Date: 02/25/07

Time: 12:00 pm

Name: 17th Annual Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic

Location: Interstate Center

The Illinois Deer and Turkey Classic will be holding its fifth annual expo on February 23-25, 2007, at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. Many exciting additions have been made to celebrate the 5th anniversary, and more than 20,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event. This year’s expo will host over 275 exhibit booths and more than 40 seminars. Professional sportsmen from across the country will enlighten visitors with cutting edge information about products, equipment rentals, materials and more. This year’s contests include the annual Whitetail Deer Trophy Contest and Display, one of the largest whitetail displays in the United States with over 600 entries expected; an Outdoor Photo Contest, a Hands-On Optics Contest, and the annual State Turkey Calling & Owl Hooting Championship sponsored by the Illinois Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. The ever-popular Byron Ferguson, internationally known archery trick shot specialist, will give Saturday and Sunday performances at this year’s Classic. Ferguson shoots wooden discs and pennies from the air, shoots ricochet arrows into a target’s bullseye and bursts balloons while shooting from all sorts of contorted positions. Live big game animals will be on display throughout the event, including a cougar, bear, coyote, bobcat and four sub-species of wild turkey. This year’s educational displays include a whitetail deer skeleton, a turkey skeleton, animal hides, pelts and furs and flint-knapping demonstrations. For more information call 309.829.3976 or visit www.deerinfo.com.