The Idaho Sportsman Show runs through Sunday, providing different opportunities for people who enjoy hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities.
The show features vendors who can take you on that bucket list adventure, it features the Kryptek warehouse sale and people can also find the latest gear from a variety of different businesses.
"We make packs that help hunters carry heavy loads," said Chase Pearl of Initial Ascent, a local business out of Caldwell. "We have an ergonomic frame that is designed to put pressure where it is needed and not where it is not, and when you get loaded down with 45 pounds or more, that's when our pack really performs."
The Idaho Sportsman Show also features many learning opportunities with seminars happening all day on Saturday — they have a variety of demos, including hunting dog demos and they also have activities for children
Saturday will feature the kids archery shoot, and I caught up with the Idaho Hunter Education Association, which teaches hunter safety as everybody needs to take before they can hunt.
"That is the point that we teach the safety aspect. Hunter education was set up a long time ago, I took mine back in the 60s," said Donald Sturtevant, who has taught generations of hunters. “I’ve been teaching 31 years, so I’ve seen kids grow up into parents who grew up into grandparents."
Every year, I also find something new at the show, and Sunfish Fish Farms caught my eye. This company out of Beaver, Utah came to the show for the first time, and they stock fish in ponds using a hatchery where they recycle water in southern Utah.
Brook Knotts told us Brass Pro Shops and Cabela's are their largest customers, and they can stock a wide variety of fish in ponds. Sunfish Fish Farms stocks the fish at Schwartz Sturgeon Pond here locally.
"Every day is Christmas when you are stocking ponds for people," said Knotts. "The family turns out, grandma and grandpa and the neighbors turn out. It’s like getting a new puppy dog because they have fish."
Initial Ascent moved into a new facility in December after launching its packs in 2018. The businesses at the show, including Initial Ascent, enjoy getting their products in front of people and participating in the show.
"Our favorite thing is meeting people, shaking hands, and everyone tells us a hunting story," said Pearl. "Everybody has a story with our product, and it is just fun to shake hands and really talk to the people of Idaho."
The Idaho Sportsman Show runs from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost seven dollars for adults, six for senior citizens, and children twelve and under get in free.
