Exciting headliners for Southern Tier Outdoor Show in October

Sportsmen and families alike will not want to miss the second annual Southern Tier Outdoor Recreation Exposition this fall. Admission is free this year.

New attractions have recently been added to the local outdoor show to be held on October 4 and 5 in Bath. The professional seminar leaders will include Gander Mountain Pro Staffer Dave Hendersonwhowill talk about "Shotgunning for Deer" and "How to Score Trophy Racks", Retriever Trainer Jim Beverly, an Outdoor Channel video host, will cover "Waterfowl Hunting" and "Training the Companion Hunting Retriever", NY-DEC Specialist Greg Fuerst will speak about "Living with the New York Black Bear", and Peter Smallidge, Arnot Forest Director, will offer a seminar on "Understanding & Managing Invasive Plants." The full schedule of seminars is available at www.SouthernTierOutdoor- Show.com.

Dave Henderson is an outdoor columnist in Binghamton and Ithaca and member of the New York and Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Associations. He is columnist/field editor of Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine, Gun Hunter, Gun Tests, and North American Bear Hunter. With over 6,500 newspaper and 1,200 magazine pieces published on hunting and shooting, he offers seminars on shotgun sports at shows and on the NRS Great American Hunters Tour.

Jim Beverly began training retrievers in 1967 and now specializes in training, clinics and seminars on the Companion Hunting Retriever. He has produced a training DVD and will be appearing on the Outdoor Channel and Callin' the Shots Waterfowl Hunting video series.

Greg Fuerst has been stationed in the Bath sub office of Region 8 with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Wildlife Unit since 1978. He coordinates the Venison Donation Coalition throughout New York and serves as the Region 8 Black Bear Specialist.

Peter Smallidge is the State Extension Forester responsible for forest management and stewardship, forest ecology, landowner education, and vegetation management. As Director of the Department of Natural Resources' Arnot Teaching and Research Forest, he provides leadership statewide for educational, research based programs that address the stewardship and sustainable production needs associatedwith the management of private forestland. He also is studying how to enhance meat goat production through controlled woodland browsing.

A special feature at the show will be hourly afternoon tours to the North Country Whitetails Demo Center, the most written about habitat and food plot site in the country, led by Outdoor Channel host and local habitat consultant Neil Dougherty. He will lead groups to his 500 plus acres of prime whitetail habitat where dozens of habitat improvement projects have been completed and are there for the viewing. A bus will leave the show on the hour both afternoons. Groups are limited to 20 for each trip and is first come, first served. Cost is $5 to board the bus, and reservations will be taken at the hospitality tent at the opening of each day. Dougherty will also offer morning seminars at the show on "Creating a World Class Deer Hunting Property."

Neil Doughtery's property layout concepts have been featured in Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, and dozens of other publications and TV shows. He is host of Quality Whitetails Television on the Outdoor Channel, producedDeerscaping and Plant 'Em Right DVD's, and with his father, Craig Dougherty, author of Grow 'Em Right.

There will be wildlife shows for the entire family throughout the weekend.

Talons, a Bird of Prey Experience, with its hawk, falcon and owl flying show will perform at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. The largest owl in the world and a rare black African Augur Buzzard who appeared in the History Channel Movie, "Life After People" will be on hand, as well as youth getting the "Camera Safari shot of a lifetime"

The Bwana Jim Wildlife Show will showcase at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Bwana Jim will bring the craziest most educational wildlife show ever seen.

Tanglewood Nature Center will offer Animal Adventures both days, Saturday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Animals will be on display at their booth all weekend, and they will showcase turtle races both days.

The show will also offer live deer, a stocked youth fishing pond, archery field, hunting simulator, and much more. Live scuba diving demonstrations will be offered every hour in a full sized pool. Visitors will be encouraged to try out the sport as well. Hunters, sports enthusiasts, and their families will be able to visit numerous exhibitors including taxidermists, outfitters, bowhunting, charters, dog trainers, outdoor equipment, scuba diving, ATV activities, gamemeat seasonings, wind power, camping, trailers, trapping products, boats, and crafts. The event will take place both in the showroom and service area of the spacious Wilkins RV, Inc. facility on Route 415 between I-86 Exits 38 and 37, and outside on several acres of surrounding land, which includes a pond. It will be a great way to spend a day. Food vendors will offer everything from pork to chicken to french fries.

The outdoor show, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County, WETM-TV, Pembrook Pines Media Group, Gatehouse Media, including The Leader, The Courier and The Evening Tribune, and Wilkins RV, Inc. drew thousands of people to its first outing last year. Visitors called it a wonderful experience and were excited about a show of this kind appearing locally. The show is sponsored by Heartland Recreational Vehicles LLC.

CCE-Steuben Executive Director Tom Tomsa said, "The show offers us the chance to provide education on how increased participation in outdoor activities helps to promote environmental stewardship and enhance quality of life. We want to introduce new ways of thinking about alternative energy that can be derived from our natural resources and explain how current environmental issues are affecting our natural resources.

Hours for the show are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday Oct 5.A $5.00 parking fee will be charged. For more information on exhibition space or the show schedule contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at 607-664-2300 or visit www.SouthernTierOutdoorShow. com.