The Great Outdoorsman Show is always great and primes me for the spring goose hunt and upcoming fishing season. I get to wander around and look at the latest in new offerings from some of the best.
I was a little disappointed in the layout of the show this year. Last year the Native section was featured in the front but this year it was in the back and a little hard to find. I nearly missed it. One of the things missing from this year’s show was the Cree presence. In fact there were no Cree presenters at all. There were fewer presenters overall, but it is still a great show to go to prepare for the hunt or fishing or to just dream.
Top kudos go to Teepee Tseiwei. They were selling them of course. A 12 footer cost $520 with options for a liner and poles bringing the cost to $937. A 15 ft. teepee was $765 (with options $1,260) and a 17 1/2 ft cost $925 (with option $1,363). A few old friends were on hand and some of their work is shown here.
My old friend Gilles has a beautiful bed in the making and is asking about $3,500. From the details I would have to say that it is well worth the cost. It has been a year so far in creation.
This year I noticed Weatherby showed up. They have some of the best-looking guns around and according to their literature the most accurate. It is something that I would be tempted to take on spec just because of their reputation. The Weatherby .460 is the world’s most powerful shoulder-fired cartridge. It is the darling of snipers and big game hunters everywhere. For goose and duck hunters, their shotguns all have one great feature besides outstanding performance; an ambidextrous, two-position crossbolt safety that can also be switched from the right side to accommodate left-handed shooters. I was almost drooling as I hefted one of their shotguns. The weight and the way it fits into your shoulder were beautiful. All I needed was a goose or two to make my day.
Another out-of-the-ordinary dealer in hunting weaponry was Benelli. This is the company that the United States Marine Corps awarded the US Joint Service Combat Shotgun honors to for the Benelli M4 Super 90. The Marines took it and said it came through the worst they could offer and kept on going. Now we won’t be requiring combat performance, but isn’t it nice to know that a little bouncing around in the boat, on a skidoo or that isn’t going to ruin your gun? Some of these guns are a once-in-a-lifetime gift with superb etching on the side.
You’ll be pleased to know that Western life jackets and vest have added considerably to their line. Some of the new styles are quite fashionable.
