Everything outdoors under one roof

Outdoorsmen and women will want to keep their sights on May 13-14 for the second annual Cody Outdoor Show.

“The biggest thing is John Godwin from A&E’s Duck Dynasty — he is going to sign autographs and give a speech,” said event organizer Jesse Adams. “I was very excited, Duck Dynasty has a great pull on our society and stand for what we believe in for the hunter and religious aspect and go against media all the time.”

The goal is for people to be able to come in and set themselves up for hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities all under one roof, Adams said.

Similar to last year, 70 vendors will be at the show, trucking in from across Wyoming, South Dakota, Bozeman, Missoula, and over 15 from Salt Lake City and six from Idaho. The show will open May 13 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and then May 14 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Riley Arena in Cody.

Some of the vendors include Maven Optics, Best of the West, Arrowhead RV and Fremont Beverages.

The Cody Outdoor Show has been called a “pure show” Adams said, meaning visitors will only find vendors directly related to things such as hunting and fishing.

“We are all about keeping the show as pure as possible,” Adams said. “Maven Optics is a big one.”

For those unfamiliar with Maven Optics, they create customized binoculars — any detail down to the color and engraving can be made to fit the customer’s needs.

Last year’s event had about 3,500 people checking out the vendors while kids got hooked on fishing at the two fishing ponds.

“It is a big deal for the kids,” Adams said. “It is going to be an annual show, it is never going to stop.”

Adults can join in on the fun too with a pellet range and archery tag, which is basically a combination of paintball and dodgeball but with bow and arrows instead.

Archery tag will be held both days, with a tournament slated for the second day of the show and an award for the top team.

“If anyone wants to try archery, this is a good place to start, it is a fun game for everyone,” Adams said. “You need to keep your form so you don’t slap your wrist.”

Future goals

The Cody Outdoor Show is still just an outdoor show, but the goal is to make it a non-profit organization to promote outdoor recreation, Adams said.

Right now the show is pairing up with Big Game Forever and after the show is over on May 14 they will hold a benefit banquet at the Holiday Inn in Cody from 6-10 p.m. Big Game Forever began a chapter in the Cody area within the last couple of months, and the outdoor show is sort of their launch off, he said.

An auction will be held during the banquet with six different hunts up for bidding. Raffle tickets for prizes such as guns and camouflage will be sold as well, he said.

“Our mission is to help kids get acquainted with the outdoor experience,” Adams said. “Fifty percent of the kids in Cody haven’t been to Yellowstone or fished or hunted. We want to help get those kids outdoors and get them acquainted with fishing and hunting. This is great for getting them into fishing and guns and bows and excited for the outdoors and get the connection with mom and dad — the father and son experience.”

It’s not just kids who are unfamiliar with hunting and fishing that Adams is aiming to help, but adults too.

“If you have never done it, it is a scary step — we want to get more people involved in the outdoor experience,” Adams said. “The advantage of being outdoors is it shapes the person you are in your future. When showing a kid how to pack for a 5 a.m. hunt, he has to be up early and ready to go with food and water and that relates to school, getting homework done and it structures his day-to-day life in our view.”

Fresh air and exercise aren’t the only benefits for adults either, he said.

“It connects me more with who I am,” Adams said. “On a daily basis you are looking at a screen, connecting on social media, but if you can go connect with what God has made around us and the wildlife — it helps you realize where you come from.”

Adams said once things get going, they would like to help get kids out hunting or help parents purchase hunting tags.

“We hear they can’t afford it, or don’t have the time, and we want to be the source for getting them out there,” Adams said, adding that an adult version could be done as well.

Another possible project for the future is working with the schools to give presentations to students with different lessons about wildlife and the outdoors for each age group.

“Social media is pounding a different direction, tying to get people into thinking we don’t care about wildlife and that is the opposite — we pay a lot to help protect wildlife, we don’t slaughter deer ... we are here to manage,” Adams said.

Admission to the show is $15 for the day or $20 for both days, and $5 coupons can be found online or in the Powell Tribune.

For more information, go to codyoutdoorshow.com or tinyurl.com/FacebookCodyOutdoorShow.