Saturday, January 25

We arrived early – 3:30 pm – for the 4:00 pm seminar and had time to check out the displays and vendors. The photo above is the stage where hunters brought their trophies.

This was a photo from the stage as people checked out vendors in the auditorium.

Mike Fedora and his wife displayed beautiful bows and archery equipment.

Beautiful craftsmanship

If you have any questions, contact them at fedora@comcast.net.

My next stop was at Bear Hollow Knives – beautifully displayed by Kevin Tobias.

You can see more on their website: www.bearhollowknives.com

The alligator was displayed by Zimmerman Taxidermy. His website is https://www.zimmermantaxidermyofpa.com/

The bobcat was also displayed by Matt Zimmerman

Weaver’s Store hunting display. http://www.weaversstoreinc.com/location/fivepointville

Fred Stauffer displayed his very interesting eyeluminators that are helpful if you have to be in the woods at night. There are a variety of colors to the light (for different situations) and it is worn on a person’s head – meaning your hands are free.

The 4:00 pm welcome was by Doug Weaver – organizer of the event. He also introduced the evening’s speaker.

Christian Berg, Editor of Petersen’s Bowhunting shared an interesting seminar.

He talked a bit about using scent equipment for attracting deer to an area.

Following the seminar, we were invited to the Café and Gym for a meal.

The menu: Pulled Pork, Venison Meatloaf, Potatoes, Baked Beans, Corn, Cole Slaw, Rolls, Drink and Dessert. The photo is my meal – which was delicious.

Back to the sanctuary

Prizes to be handed out later in the evening.

The oldest children’s prize table. The camouflage backpacks were the most popular and were gone after the first few names were drawn. Every child gets to choose a prize.

There is also a table for small children who don’t have tickets, but are called to choose prizes by the first initial of their last name.

The first kill awards were given by Kevin van Buskirk.

Happy young people smiling for the large group of us in the aisle taking pictures.

Door prizes were given out quickly and efficiently. We did not get any.

Then it was time for the evening program with Christian Berg.

He told us about some of his hunting experiences and things he has learned.

My favorite story was how he became a hunter and eventually the editor of Petersen’s Bowhunting. He grew up in a non-hunting family in Rhode Island. After graduation from high school he went to a Christian college in Pennsylvania, graduated with a degree in journalism and married his wife who is from a Pennsylvania hunting family. His new friends and family peaked his interest in hunting.

After a bit of time into his first hunt in Pennsylvania, he decided that he did not like the waiting and there were too many hunters assembled on the same farm.

As he was leaving and walking toward his vehicle, he went by a small wood lot and noticed a buck that just stood and looked at him. He carefully pulled up his borrowed gun, and pulled the trigger, but nothing! He had forgotten to turn off the safety. After releasing the safety, he carefully lifted the gun again. The buck was still staring at him. He shot and the deer dropped. He was pleased to be on target – in the chest area – but was surprised when there was no bullet hole in the chest. When searching for the bullet hole, he noticed that he hit the deer in the head – a bit off target. 🙂

Then he had to figure out how to field dress it. He did that by reading the directions that came with his drag strap. From that point on he was hooked and now hunts around the world – mostly with archery equipment.

At the end of the program Doug Weaver asked me to draw the grand prize – a $350 gift card to Musser’s Outdoors. That was fun. I did not know the person who won and was glad it wasn’t either of our tickets.