Adirondack Outdoorsman Show
Event to continue today at Johnstown Moose Club
By JASON SUBIK, The Leader-Herald
Published on Sunday, February 25, 2007

The Leader-Herald/Bill Trojan Above: Nicole Eschler of Northville holds her son, Malachi Eschler, 2, as they look at and touch a deer head mount on display during the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show Saturday.

JOHNSTOWN — For Janet Lincourt, the Second Annual Adirondack Outdoorsman Show offered many attractions for her little man, 10-year-old Brandon.

“ There are so many interesting things here,” she said. “[Brandon is] into hunting, fishing, guns, knives - you name it.”

Brandon and his mother are from Ephratah where Brandon said he and his friends often hunt squirrels with a BB or pellet gun. At the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show, he discovered a Savage model 24 B-DL 20-gage shotgun from one of the many venders at the event.

“ I’m looking to get one of these,” he said. “Look mom, it’s not even heavy.”

The show was conducted at the Johnstown Moose Club located at 109 S. Comrie Ave. (Route 30A) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The show continues today at the same time.

The event was sponsored by Mike Hauser’s company Twin Cities Sports Promotions and featured many hunting and fishing vendors as well as local experts on the outdoors such as authors Pete Schoonmaker, Ed Noonan, columnist Ron Kolodziej, Spider Rybaak and Don Williams.

Williams writes a column for The Leader-Herald and is the author of nine books on the history of the Adirondack region. Hauser called Williams a life-long friend and a local Adirondack legend. He said when he was a little boy, much like Brandon, it was Williams, in his capacity as Kingsborough Elementary School principal, who used Hauser’s love of the outdoors to keep him in school.

“ My mother was getting very concerned about my not going to school,” Hauser said. “So Mr. Williams brought me into his office and asked what I would do if wasn’t in school. I told him I’d go fishing. So the next day he brought in several fish mounts to show me. From that moment on I realized there was indeed enough time to go fishing and go to school.”

Hauser said by the halfway point Saturday the show had received 700 guests. He anticipated that the 2007 show would have more than 3,000 total visitors, beating last year’s attendance.

Williams said his books usually get a good response from the visitors at the show. His latest book is titled “Adirondack Ventures.” He said the book is about the many outdoor-recreation-based businesses created in the region around the turn of the 20th century such as golf courses, ski resorts and animal parks.

“ That was around the time that people started using the automobile, so they could travel and take vacations, and that’s when the interest in the outdoors just took off,” Williams said. “It’s interesting how things develop in cycles. Around the 1950s people had lost interest in using wilderness guides and the governor actually disbanded the wilderness guide associations. Now they are very popular again.”

Robert Cobb, of 3 Fink St. Dolgeville, is one such wilderness guide. He attended the show and set up a table promoting his licensed-guide service called “Fishin’ Bug.” He said he takes customers on trout fishing trips to Otsego Lake. He said some visitors at the show expressed interest in hiring him.

“ You get some yeses, some nos and some maybes,” Cobb said.

He said he will show anyone who hires him where the fish are.

Next to Cobb the Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation Inc. had its display table.

GSLFF Secretary Jack Smith said “where are the fish” is one of the top questions he is asked by visitors at the show.

“ I tell them where they are,” he said with a smile.

Smith said his organization feeds trout into the Great Sacandaga Lake at 14 different locations each year in the hope that the fish will breed and keep the lake’s fish population strong.

He said one of the other major topics discussed among fishermen at the show is the potential threat of Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia to local fish.

Smith said a minnow with VHS disease will “look good on the outside, but on the inside their kidneys, bladder and heart erupt and the fish dies.”

He said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has not yet checked the Great Sacandaga Lake to see if has any VHS infected fish. He said he hopes they will.

One of the prizes in today’s show’s raffle will be an Orvis fishing outfit valued at $500, Hauser said.

Admission to the event is $4 for adults and $1 for children 12 and younger.

Jason Subik covers Montgomery County. He can be reached at http://us.f606.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=montco%40leaderherald.com.

Sunday, February 18, 2007 — Time: 11:10:25 AM EST

60 exhibits set for Adirondack Outdoorsman Show
By JAMES A. ELLIS, The Leader-Herald
Published on Sunday, February 18, 2007

JOHNSTOWN — With the Adirondack Mountains, numerous lakes, rivers and streams right in the Glove Cities’ backyard, Mike Hauser thought an outdoorsman’s show seemed like a perfect fit.

He was right.

In 2006 Hauser organized the inaugural Adirondack Outdoorsman Show and it was well received by the local outdoorsmen.

Feb. 24 and 25 the event will return to the Johnstown Moose Club with more to offer for outdoors enthusiasts.

“Going into last year’s event, I was not sure what to expect,” Hauser said. “I had a hunch that we were in the middle of a hotbed of outdoorsmen but was not sure how such an event would be received. I was careful in the planning and actually spent nearly three years preparing databases of potential vendors and featured guests.”

The timing of the event coincides with a time when many outdoorsmen are starting to get the itch to head back to the streams and lakes.

“As an avid fisherman, I personally find the months of February and March the hardest [cabin fever] as I await the April 1st opening of trout season,” Hauser said. “I felt this time of year would be the best gamble. My hunches were accurate and what I found was that many fellow outdoorsmen must have the same difficult time I have this time of year and are looking for some type of activity to sooth their cabin fever.”

This year’s show includes 60 exhibits and items for sale ranging from hunting, fishing to snowmobiling, four-wheeling, books and furniture.

“Initially, it was a tough sell getting vendors & featured guests to participate in the first event,” Hauser said. “They are all returning and we were able to easily expand and allow new vendors in this year. The one area that will see expansion this year is in the fishing category. We have added several vendors with just fishing related tackle & supplies. Another area that will see expansion is that of trapping supplies. The lighting has been improved for the main exhibit hall this year.”

Bob Kazmierski, founder of the Wildlife Sports & Educational Museum returns with a display of record deer mounts and information about the museum in Vail Mills.

Also returning will be Adirondack author/historian Don Williams with his newest book; “Adirondack Ventures” Spyder Rybaak, an expert on fishing all waters in New York and has authored two books on the subject will be in attendance along with local outdoor columnist Ed Noonan and Ron Kolodziej. New to the show this year is Pete Schoonmaker, an expert on muzzle loader hunting and author of several books on the subject

Also new to the event this year will be a special “Sportsman Raffle” being sponsored by the Fulton-Montgomery Sports Historical Society.

“The grand prizes are a 16 gun all-steel locking gun safe and a complete Orvis fly fishing combination outfit [fly rod, reel, line, vest, creel and net],” Hauser said. “Secondary prizes will consist of dozens of pieces of outdoor gear and supplies.”

All attendees will be entered to win more than $1,000 worth of gift certificates for Gander Mountain and Dick’s Sporting Goods. A special line of hats and t-shirts will be available with the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show logo.

The hall is located at 109 South Comrie Ave. and the show will run from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. both days.

Section: Sports