Outdoors enthusiasts flock to show

By MICHAEL ANICH, The Leader-Herald
POSTED: February 15, 2009

JOHNSTOWN - This year's edition of the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show - going on this weekend at the Johnstown Moose Club - has truly become an outdoors show.

Organizer Mike Hauser of Twin Cities Sports Promotions explained Saturday that the event, continuing today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., was conducted exclusively indoors for about six years. But this is the second consecutive year the popular show is being conducted both inside the Johnstown Moose Club and outside on the grounds of its Route 30A property.

Hauser said 60 vendors and displays are on hand this fall, but plans are already under way to expand the outdoor portion of the show to include more of the club grounds for 2010.

"We're going to have about 75 vendors, which is more than we've ever had," Hauser said.

The Adirondack Outdoorsman Show is geared toward the tastes of hunters, fishermen, boaters and outdoors enthusiasts. The show is held on a semi-annual basis - in February and September.

R.J. Rooney, a member of the State University of New York at Cobleskill Forestry Club, shows off the proper competitive chain saw-cutting technique Saturday during the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show at the Johnstown Moose Club.

Hauser, who created the show out of personal boredom between fishing and hunting seasons, said "thousands" of people were expected to see the outdoorsman show by the time it wraps up later today.

Among the activities, the State University of New York at Cobleskill Forestry Club is scheduled to provide lumber jack demonstrations today.

"It's one of the really unique things going on outside this time," Hauser said.

Club member Kevin Poole explained various chainsaw cutting techniques Saturday. He said the club competes in lumberjack sports at different colleges, including Finger Lakes Community College, Paul Smith's College and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.

Also outside today at the show will be tomahawk and knife-throwing demonstrations by Craig Talarico, rock-climbing demonstrations by Electric City Rock Wall, a trout pond for kids courtesy of Peck's Lake, and land navigation techniques by the regional search and rescue team 5-1.

Although skies were mostly overcast and somewhat rainy Saturday, the event continued.

"We enjoy it immensely," said vendor Linda Sehlmeyer of The Gun Shop in Lake Luzerne, Warren County. "We enjoy the customers."

Bruce Mattison, left, and Anders Faltskog of Skiff Lake Outfitters — a Canadian trophy hunting group — admire a pair of antlers at the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show Saturday at the Johnstown Moose Club.

Sam Damico, a show-goer from Pine Bush, Ulster County, said this was his first time at the Adirondack Outdoorsman Show. He said he goes to many similar shows in various locations.

"I enjoy the exhibits and meeting the different people here,' he said.

A featured guest at the show is John Greviskis, host of "Ship Shape TV," seen locally on Fox Sports Net. The popular boat improvement show is televised across North America several times each week. On Saturday, he was explaining and selling a boat purification product containing chlorine dioxide.

"Chlorine dioxide has been used for 100 years in the food preparation and hospital business," Greviskis explained.

One of the more visual displays at the show belongs to the Wildlife Sports & Educational Museum in Vail Mills, run by museum founder Bob Kazmierski of Bob's Taxidermy of Johnstown. Kazmierski said his museum opened in 2005, and he has a sampling of the more than 100 white-tail deer mounts featured at the museum.

"It's probably the largest and biggest white-tail deer collection in the United States," Kazmierski said.

Exhibits at the show containing items for sale pertain to: hunting and fishing gear/supplies, guns, fly fishing, archery, trapping, boating, camping, hiking, snow shoeing, guides and charter services, taxidermy, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, collectible knives, antique hunting and fishing gear, wildlife art and books and Adirondack furniture.

Admission to the event is $5 for adults and $1 for children age 12 and younger. Door prizes of free gear and equipment are being given away.

For more information on the outdoorsman show, visit the Web site www.adkshow.com, call Hauser at 725-5565 or e-mail [email protected]

Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected]