Wild game a favorite at the Expo

            Most sportsmen would agree that eating well makes an outdoor adventure all the better. At this year's Oklahoma Wildlife Expo Sept. 25-27, visitors can get a taste of some of the best outdoor cooking, as well as get a few tips on how to prepare their own camp foods, wild game and more.
            Held at the Lazy E Arena, just north of Oklahoma City, the Wildlife Expo is Oklahoma's largest outdoor recreation event, offering guests the chance to shoot shotguns and archery equipment, ride mountain bikes and ATVs, catch fish in a fully-stocked pond, experience kayaking, attend seminars and even sample wild game and camp cooking for free.
      At this year's Expo, wild game meat will be served at the popular Taste of the Wildlife booth, where last year more than 1,000 pounds of fried catfish, more than 1,000 pounds of venison and about 220 gallons of buffalo chili were served to Expo visitors. Dutch oven demonstrators also served about 7,000 samples of camp-style food at last year's Expo and provided seminars on the basics of Dutch oven cooking in the outdoor area of the Expo.
      “Visitors to the 2009 Wildlife Expo should make it a point to try each of the foods served at the Taste of the Wild booth,” said Rhonda Hurst, Expo coordinator for the Wildlife Department. “They should also be sure to attend a Dutch oven seminar to learn a new recipe or even learn about this style of camp cooking for the first time.”
      In addition to sampling game meat and camp food, visitors can also attend a cooking seminar with renowned chef, restaurant owner and wild game cook Michael Fusco. Fusco, who owns Michael Fusco's Riverside Grill in Tulsa, shows the ins and outs of handling and preparing wild game with culinary expertise every year at the Expo.
            “Michael Fusco has partnered with the Wildlife Expo from its beginning and has always been a favorite among Expo visitors,” Hurst said.
            The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is partnering with a wide range of other state agencies, private individuals and outdoor-related companies to host Expo. The huge event is designed to provide hands-on learning opportunities for all types of outdoor enthusiasts while promoting and instilling an appreciation for Oklahoma's wildlife and natural resources.
            Whether catching a fish for the first time or building a bird house to take home with them for free, visitors to the Expo get the chance to soak up a full weekend of free outdoor knowledge, skills and experiences as hundreds of volunteers and Wildlife Department employees work to keep the event exciting, educational and entertaining.
            “If you want to try over a hundred outdoor activities, then be at this year's wildlife Expo Sept. 25-27,” said country music star and outdoorsman Blake Shelton of Ada, who has made an appearance at the Expo in the past. “If you love to hunt and fish like I do, then take someone to this year's Wildlife Expo.
            The Wildlife Expo will be held at the Lazy E Arena, just north of Oklahoma City. Expo hours will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Sept. 25-27. Log on to wildlifedepartment.com regularly to stay up to date on this year's Expo activities.
            This year's Expo will again feature “School Day” Sept. 25, when busloads of school students from across the state will arrive and enjoy a day at the event. Educators interested in planning a trip to the Wildlife Expo with their students this year should call (918) 299-2334 for more information.
 
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