Bass Pro Shops’ annual Fall Hunting Classic baits thousands of hunters and outdoor sportsmen from Aug. 2 to Aug. 18.
Held at Bass Pro Shops across North America for more than 20 years, the event is back at Balzac’s CrossIron Mills mall location for the fifth year.
“Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts have attended this free event to learn how they can be more successful in the field while staying safe and comfortable with appropriate clothing and gear,” said Bass Pro Shops’ Communication Director Tammy Sapp, adding that hunters get a firsthand look at the latest products on the market as well as access to free classes and seminars.
“Hunting is an activity that brings families together and allows them to spend time in the outdoors. We love knowing that Bass Pro Shops plays a role in passing this family tradition down from one generation to the next,” she said.
The event kicked off with a bow and cross-bow trade-in on Aug. 2. Day two featured free classes by Bass Pro staff member and outdoor writer Brad Fenson about long-range shooting, fall bear hunting tips and techniques, and information about hunting on public and leased land.
“This is what people are most interested in right now. A large percentage of our customer base is people who are just into shooting sports,” said Hunting Manager Mike Bailie.
Bailie said that not only does he think hunting and shooting sports are a “great way for people to get outdoors, enjoy nature and learn about the behaviour of animals,” but also that it’s valuable for conservation.
“Especially with the way our cities are expanding and our little townships are expanding and (there’s) a lot more people in Alberta, the wildlife areas are getting smaller and smaller. So conservation needs to be done.”
He added that conservation through hunting works hand-in-hand with Alberta Conservation and the Alberta Sustainable Resource and Development, which researches animal population sizes to determine the appropriate number of hunting tags to issue each year and for which area. Some of the most common animals in the region are white tail deer, mule deer, elk and moose, he said.
“Certain areas have too many of one particular species. When those species get overpopulated, they tend to crowd into an area, and generally what happens is they get a disease from being too close to one another and they die,” said Bailie, adding that animals being hit on the road is another issue.
The Fall Hunting Classic features a broad range of seminar topics including game camera placement, scent control, shooting sports, hunting techniques, long-range gun tips and how to cook game.
