Wood carving competition remains hottest event of Sportsman?s Show

The Northeast Michigan Sportsman?s Show will have reached the decade mark this weekend, but the fastest growing event started only four years ago with the introduction of the wood carving competition.

The Sportsman?s Show, which was started in 1996 by the Presque Isle County Tourism Council, will be conducted at Onaway High School Friday through Sunday.

The Tourism Council has affiliated itself with the International Wood Carving Association. The fish spearing decoy competition in Onaway has the largest and deepest judging tank in the nation.

?That?s really drawing the attention of carvers. I can see that as starting to blossom,? said executive director Kammie Dennis. ?That has become a very big part of the show.?

The competition has three divisions: fish spearing decoys, decorative fish, and decorative bird carvings. Current IWCA rules will govern the competition. Decorative fish and bird divisions will feature competition at novice, intermediate, and open levels.

TOURISM COUNCIL member Mark Schuler said the competition was ?strictly spearing decoys in the beginning. They?ve gone to decorative fish, they?ve gone to working decoys, and an endangered species competition was added this year.?

Schuler also added that there would be vendors selling their work and not taking part in the competition. ?We had a vendor call this morning who wants to bring up vintage decoys and tackle for display and to sell,? said Schuler Monday morning.

The competition has become so popular Tourism Council officials are considering changing the layout of the show to accommodate some of the participants that come from beyond the adjoining states. The annual show, which has been conducted traditionally during the first weekend in December, and for 10 years has followed the end of the firearm deer season, is an opportunity for sportsmen to do some unique Christmas shopping.

VENDORS INCLUDE wildlife art and collectables, outfitters, fishing, hunting supplies, lodges, along with taxidermists, ORVs, snowmobiles, and custom knives.

Walleye champion Mark Romanack, who is a well-traveled outdoor writer/photographer, will be hosting a couple of seminars sponsored by Parrott?s Outpost.

Romanack has risen quickly to the top of his field and has been a member of the Outdoor Writers Association. The author of 11 books on fishing, he is the leading authority on the subject of walleye, bass and Great Lakes salmon fishing. Romanack also will

share his passion for hunting waterfowl, upland birds, turkey, and other big game.

Returning for its fourth year is the trout pond, where participants can fish for money.

Santa will be on hand for the kiddies to take photos in a wildlife setting, and the chili show, a staple for every year since the beginning, returns with two categories: regular chili and wildlife chili.

VINTAGE SNOWMOBILES will also be on display to promote the Rogers City show next year. One change from a year ago is the extended hours Saturday. ?Last year we were open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.? said Dennis. ?We did a survey the year before and vendors thought 5 p.m. would be good. Last year we shut it down at 5 p.m. and some of the vendors said they wanted to be there until 7 p.m.?,p> The new hours will be Friday, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.