Big Horn Show

By Marie Neumiller

The Inland Northwest Wildlife Council Presents the 61st Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show

March 16-19 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center

Get hooked on the outdoors at this year’s event, sponsored by Lithia Spokane, Ziggy’s, Great Resort Vacations, and more. We are bringing you four adventurous days filled with outdoor recreation vendors, cooking presentations, family activities, and everything you need to start your next adventure. 

The event will run four days with a special theme each day, and three after hours, 21+, VIP events:

• Hero Thursday, sponsored by WA Army National Guard, will feature special ticket prices for our service members. Thursday evening, we will be hosting a VIP dinner auction, catered by Longhorn BBQ, which will raise funds for the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council. Along with a special presentation and fundraiser for First Hunt Foundation’s “connecting heroes & hunters program”, a program aimed at giving veterans and first responders a renewed sense of purpose.
• Join us Friday March 17th for Campfire Karaoke! Sponsored by COHO Media this night will bring music, giveaways, and our sportsman’s lounge beer garden. 
• Saturday March 18th is your opportunity to learn about preparing great dishes from your outdoor adventures. Show off your grilling skills at our SCA Steak cookoff and dutch oven competition. Saturday’s VIP after hours event will deliver great food from local chefs at our mini CRAVE date night featuring music by Jesse Quandt, and dancing led by lite feet line dancers. Bring your special someone to the Big Horn Show for a memorable date night! Date night is brought to you by US Army Recruiting.
• Sunday March 19th will be our annual family day, with a special family discount package and activities for the whole family. Fun activities include Les Schwab’s fishing world, Idaho Central Credit Union’s kid’s adventure pass, SCOPE’s Operation Family ID program, SCRAPS pet adoption drive, silver mine and more. These family features will be available throughout the show, with special prizes on Sunday.

Seminars

Each year the Big Horn Show brings seminars and special guest presentations to help you build your outdoor knowledge and give you new skills. This year we have another great lineup, including presentations like:

• Calling with Berry’s Game calls
• Dog Training with Quicksilver Kennels
• Large Carnivores of Washington with WDFW
• Chronic Wasting Disease presentation by WDFW
• Richie Harrod of Harrod outdoors
• Custom vs common rifles presented by Chris Hold
• Hunting public lands for waterfowl by Shelby Ross

Youth Activities

The Big Horn Show has activities for all ages, including our young explorers:

• Fishing Pond
• Silver Mine
• Kid’s Adventure Pass
• Operation Family Identification – presented by SCOPE (Saturday and Sunday only)
• Air Rifle Range
• And more!

Special Notes

The Inland Northwest Wildlife Council is a volunteer-led wildlife conservation non-profit based in Spokane WA. The Big Horn Show is our annual fundraiser with proceeds from the event supporting our wildlife conservation projects year-round. Local projects include disabled access to outdoor recreation, wildlife recovery, habitat improvement, CWD testing support, mentorship, hunter’s education, Spokane Kids Fishing Day, bat boxes, outdoor education, and more. We appreciate your support!

Interviews

Executive Director Marie Neumiller, President Ron Zubrick, and some of our presenters are interested and available for interviews for this event. Photos can be provided, and/or photo shoots and interviews can be arranged.

Trade show season is here and calling all sportsmen and women. It is the time to ponder and think about what changes we will make to our game this year, and wonder at the opportunities to be had this coming season. Trade shows give us sportsmen an upfront and personal glance into new products, new technologies, current trends, seminars, show specials, fishing ponds, tackle talk, gear, guides, lodges, food, and even more. It’s worth getting out to a show near you. The NW is home to competitive sportsmen and women, and the NW Trade Show circuit comes out swinging, just like its sportsmen. This traveling circus changes from city to city, each attracting local vendors, manufacturers, NW brands, and national companies.

The NW trade shows are built upon this premise: To Educate, Equip, and Execute make the sportsman and the adventurer. The NW was built upon this premise. The shows encompass this. 

What to expect:

The Big Horn Show in Spokane is my favorite, and not just because it’s close to home. The Big Horn Show gets its name from its origin over 60 years ago, starting off as a competition for big game trophies using Boone and Crockett. It still brings in champion trophies, but alongside totes seminars, music, and some of the NW’s finest vendors and manufacturers. It’s a small city in a big town! Fly in! It's just a pond hop away. Proceeds go to INWC a 5013c.

Boise is home to Kyrptek. Making a presence with their camo apparel sale tent out front, Boise wears Kryptek proudly. They support the military and their local community. It’s Boy-see, not Boise, folks! Wear your boots! Buy a belt! It is also a pond hop away. Great access to the airport and nice hotels makes this a great weekend getaway. Buy luggage here to bring home your goods.

Tri Cities is sponsored by Griggs Ace Hardware! It’s a smaller show, but has all the fixings a show could offer.

Yakima! It’s not a big show and you will get to know people by the time you are through. It is a strong community. People here enjoy learning about new things going on in the industry, and I love that. The rifle range and the stories are prominent. The SunDome is fun, the people are friendly, and the tacos are muy bien. Bring the kids!

The Puyallup is a large show and brings in people far and wide: from Alaska to Nebraska, you will find it here. Stryker Rods comes in from Oregon, so pick up your NW manufactured rod while you have the chance. Buy an RV. Buy a boat. They have it in Puyallup. Book your hotel early for this one! Do the Puyallup!

Portland is the show that never ends. It goes on and on, my friends. Wear your Danner’s or your Nikes: you will get your steps in here. There is no sales tax in Oregon, so save 9% on top of the bargains already being offered. The beer flows in Portland, so be safe! Have fun! I wear my knife.

Wenatchee is home to Mack’s Lure. Go out and meet the legendary Bob Loomis and his younger self, Britton. Tell them Hillary sent you, and take a selfie! #NWFishing #MacksLure

The Big Sky Montana Sportsman’s Expo is here to stay. Can’t find their website? No worries! Check out their social media @montanasportsmansexpo. Big toys, big furniture, big EVERYTHING is in Montana. Bring a trailer. It’s worth the haul!

The BC Sportsman Show is just an hour and 45 minutes away from Everett. A lot is to be had in BC. Find a lodge and fisher’s package. Connect with hunters and outdoor adventurers. Meet manufacturers. Friends are to be made in BC and friends are to be kept, AYE? Buy a BOOT! Or a boat, it will be swell either way! Book a fishing charter for sure.

Redmond, Oregon. Don’t get this confused with Building 45 and the floating bridge. This is South. The traffic is much better, so hit the road and make the drive. Many people like to save on the sales tax in Oregon. The experience from vendors and guests is always the same, they say it is a great time. I have never been, but I trust Ed Iman, King of Walleye, when he tells me so.

If I missed any of your shows, please excuse me. I haven’t heard from you and can’t always be everywhere at one time. I would love to see what you are doing. Email NW Fishing! 

Check your dates and pick your shows. Attending more than one is part of the fun! It’s a family and, like families, some family members won’t go to certain shows. You’ll see them at the next show, I bet.

Maybe I’ll see you there? Safe travels!

NW Trade Show Schedule

• Jan 27-29 Tri Cities Sportsmen’s Show-Pasco, WA
• Feb 1-5 Washington Sportsmen’s Show-Puyallup, WA
• Feb 15^th-19^th PNW Sportsmen’s Show- Portland OR
• Feb 24^th -26^th Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen’s show- Wenatchee, WA
• Feb 24^th -26^th Central Washington Sportsmen’s Show- Yakima WA
• Feb 24^th-26^th Montana Sportsman’s Expo-Kalispel MT
• March 2-5^th Idaho Sportsmen’s Show- Boise, ID
• March 3^rd-5^th BC Sportsman’s Show-Abbotsford, BC
• March 9^th-12^th Central Oregon Sportsman’s Show- Redmond Oregon
• March 16-19^th Big Horn Show- Spokane, WA