February 16, 2004

Expo Features Top Seminar Speakers

by James L. Cummins

The fifth annual Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Expo, which will be held on February 27 - 29 at the Canton/Madison County Multipurpose Complex in Canton, Mississippi, will feature several top attractions and seminar speakers. According to Jeff Clark, M.D., President of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, "Everyone will enjoy the many seminars. We have scheduled some top seminar speakers and are very fortunate to be attracting such talent to Mississippi."

The Foundation is fortunate that the famed Preston Pittman will be at the Expo giving a seminar on Friday and a seminar on Sunday. Preston has won many contests. Some of his wins include: The World Turkey Calling Contest, The World Natural Voice Turkey Calling Contest, The World Gobbling Turkey Calling Contest and The World All Call Turkey Calling Contest. This makes him the only person to hold five different World Titles. Some of his other wins in turkey calling are: seven National Championships, Grand National Gobbling and Grand National Champ of Champs. His latest wins are: the Grand National Champions of Champions, the Grand National Gobbling Championship, the World Gobbling Championship and the Mississippi State Championship.

Due to the popularity of his seminars, Terry Vandeventer, a professional herpetologist, will be at the Expo each day with his live snakes. Vandeventer has hunted and studied reptiles throughout the world. His snake demonstrations are seen by over 70,000 people annually. He will discuss their life histories, habits and their effects on people, good and bad.

Anyone interested in retrievers will want to come see John Kabbes, founder of Blue Ribbon Kennels conducting his seminar on Friday and Saturday. John will be at the Expo doing demonstrations on obedience, fetching and control steadiness. He will be demonstrating commands necessary for a good hunting companion and handling skills.

At the Expo, David Hall, a member of the Central Mississippi Hawking Club, will demonstrate falconry on Saturday and Sunday. The purpose of his seminars is to discuss the sport of falconry and educate the public on state and federal regulations concerning falconry. These birds are not "pets," they are hunting partners. Even though there is a strong devotion to the birds, they are free to go anytime they enter the field to hunt. If you have any questions about falconry, ask David at his seminars or stop by his booth at the Expo.

Sidney Montgomery, a well-renowned angler on Ross Barnett Reservoir and the Mississippi River, will be at the Expo on Saturday presenting a seminar on jug fishing. He will share techniques and tactics needed to catch those large, river catfish.

Paul Meek will be at the Expo giving a seminar titled "Hands-On Turkey Calling For Kids And Beginners." Along with his sons, they have taught hundreds of kids and beginners how to call turkeys. This is a seminar every parent with a beginning turkey hunter will want to bring their son or daughter to.

Show Hours are: February 27, Friday, 3 pm - 9 pm; February 28, Saturday, 10 am - 8 pm; February 29, Sunday, 12 pm - 5 pm.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.