January 23, 2007
Contacts:
Ray Lee, FNAWS: (602) 252-2518
Byron Bateman, SFH: (801) 725-8526
Tony Abbott, MDF: (801) 885-1274
1st Annual Western Hunting & Conservation Expo Ends a Huge Success with Big Numbers
SALT LAKE CITY, Tuesday, January 23, 2007 — The recently completed 1st Annual Western Hunting & Conservation Expo (Hunting Expo) in Salt Lake City was a huge success by all accounts. From Legendary Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Wade Boggs who purchased Bighorn Sheep hunts to finish their Grand Slams of North American Wild Sheep, to the 25,000 average hunters hoping to draw one of 200 dream hunts for a $5 application fee, the 550 guides, outfitters and other exhibitors, and the 10 United States Servicemen who were awarded their dream hunts in the “Hunts for Heroes” program, the debut of the Hunting Expo was an event to remember for all who attended the show.
The Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS), the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) and Sportsmen for Habitat (SFH) raised astonishing total revenue of approximately $12 million for wildlife conservation in North America. The event generated tens of millions of additional dollars for the exhibitors who sold hunts, hunting and fishing equipment and increased local economic activity. More than 90% of all exhibitors have already rebooked their booth space for the 2008 Expo—a strong indication of a great economic return for those who put their products and hunting services on display for the huge crowd of sportsmen. The show ran from Jan. 17 – 20, 2007 in the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., who was presented with the State Statesman Award for his wildlife and land conservation efforts, was extremely pleased with the turn out of sportsmen from six continents, 20 different countries, seven Canadian Provinces, three Mexican states and 49 of the 50 Unites States (all but Hawaii). The Hunting Expo pledged $1 million to go toward Governor Huntsman’s efforts to secure 28,000 acres of land in the Tabby Mountain area east of Salt Lake City, an area considered critical habitat for deer, elk, moose and other big game species as well as for public recreation.
Over a dozen free seminars were attended by thousands of sportsmen over the four-day event. The seminars were provided by world-renowned hunting experts and allowed average hunters to get face-to-face with and ask questions of the likes of Jeff Foxworthy, Karl Malone, Garth Carter and others.
Nearly 11,000 sportsmen filled the Energy Solutions Arena for a gut-busting and house-rocking performance benefiting wildlife conservation by avid sportsmen and superstar entertainers Jeff Foxworthy and Montgomery Gentry.
Major sponsors of the event, Energy Solutions, Phone Directories Company, Utah Toyota Dealers, Cabela’s, Sportsmen’s Warehouse and King’s Outdoor World, have all indicated that they were very pleased with the Hunting Expo and plan to be a part of next year’s event.
Several auction events were held throughout the Hunting Expo culminating in an historic and first-ever Joint National Convention Banquet on Saturday night. The highest selling permit was a New Mexico Bighorn Permit for $215,000. Other notable permits were the Kluane Nation Dall Sheep permit for $156,000, the Utah Governors Mule Deer Permit for $132,000, the Utah Governors Elk permit brought $100,000, and one Canadian outfitter booked over $100,000 in black bear hunts sold at $2,500 a clip.
Jeff Foxworthy summed it up best, “The coolest thing about this Hunting Expo is that it offered something for everyone, from the super rich and famous to the rest of us rednecks.” Foxworthy was impressed that everyone was treated equally, and that sportsmen from all walks of life and the three conservation groups had banned together to conserve wildlife and the great western Mexican, Canadian and U.S. landscape.
The 2nd Annual Western Hunting & Conservation Expo is slated for February 6 – 9, 2008 and will again be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
About FNAWS: The Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS) has over 20,000 members and affiliate members (from all 50 United States and 24 countries) and has contributed over $50 million for wildlife conservation. In Utah, FNAWS has been involved in over 28 wild sheep restoration projects, including assisting the Utah DWR in bringing wild sheep from Alberta, British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona.
About SFH: Sportsmen for Habitat has over 15,000 members and has funded several million dollars in projects benefiting elk, mule deer, bighorn, antelope, moose, bison and wild turkey. SFH has been involved in habitat projects involving millions of acres of public lands in Utah, and owns nearly 1,500 acres of critical deer and elk winter range. SFH has been involved in shifting Utah to become the top Western state for producing world-class trophy bull elk.
About MDF: The Mule Deer Foundation has over 11,000 members and 75 chapters throughout the western United States and has funded millions of dollars in Mule Deer Habitat Restoration. The Mule Deer Foundation is seeing rapid growth in membership as sportsmen realize that Mule Deer in the west face the largest conservation challenge. Last year in Reno, NV, the MDF sold the Utah statewide mule deer permit for $156,000—the highest amount ever brought in North American for a mule deer permit.
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For information about the Mule Deer Foundation or to join please call 1-888-375-DEER (3337) or visit www.muledeer.org.