Scratch your itchy trigger finger at the Game and Fish Expo March 28-29

PHOENIX – Do you love the smell of gun powder in the morning or the sound of arrows whizzing through the air?

Is your trigger finger itching to catch some shooting excitement? Or maybe you have fantasized about being the fastest gun in the West.

Then load up your shooting frame of mind for the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Outdoor Expo 2009 on March 28-29 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility located just west of Interstate 17 on Carefree Highway. IT’S FREE. There’ll be shooting galore and a whole lot more for the whole family to enjoy.

Besides being able to shoot the latest and greatest firearms from companies like Sturm Ruger, Glock, Smith & Wesson, you can even get tips from top-caliber shooting experts, such as Evil Roy (Gene Pearcey).

During this two-day event, Evil Roy (www.evilroyshootingschool.com/) will once again be a popular draw at the cowboy action shooting range where he will provide tips or tricks to quickly yet accurately shoot six guns, lever-action rifles and shotguns. Roy ought to know, he has a room full of cowboy action shooting trophies and a few decades of competitive experience.

This crowd-pleasing event offers lots of exciting, hands-on outdoor recreational activities and booths:

•  Visit with more than 100 exhibitors—sportsmen’s organizations, conservation groups, shooting clubs, government agencies, and commercial vendors of outdoor products and services
• Test your skill at archery
• Take your kids to the huge catch-and-release fishing tank
• See live wildlife demonstrations (hawks, owls, snakes, more)
• Hike a nature trail/field course
• Try target shooting with different firearms on the range
• Watch custom off-road vehicles called “rock crawlers” nimbly walk over huge boulders and other obstacles
• View exciting shooting demonstrations by the cowboy mounted shooters, cowboy action shooters and more
• Attend informative workshops on fishing, hunting, and wildlife conservation
•  See off-highway vehicle and boating exhibits
•  Learn about outdoor skills, firearm safety and more

This is a great event to experience or learn more about the amazing outdoor recreational opportunities in Arizona. Activities such as camping, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, shooting sports, off-highway vehicle recreation and boating recreation are great ways to spend quality time with family and friends.

Last year’s Outdoor Expo drew 26,000 attendees. One segment being expanded this year is the Family Fun area. This area was a big hit last year and Game and Fish is adding some new attractions, such as a fishing demonstration tank with local experts sharing their secrets on fishing techniques and places to fish.

So you don’t miss a thing, there is trolley transportation available throughout the 1,650-acre shooting facility.

To get to the Expo, take I-17 to Carefree Highway (Exit 223). Go west ½-mile on Carefree Highway and follow the signs. Admission and parking are free – bring a little money for food and beverages, or for the nominal ammunition fee if you want to try out firearms on the range.

Gold sponsors for this year’s Outdoor Expo are Pierce Bullet Seal Target Systems and the American Red Cross, Grand Canyon Chapter.

There’s still time for “outdoor-related” vendors and sponsors to participate. Vendor/sponsor registration forms can be downloaded from the links above right, or by calling Stormi Johnson at (623) 236-7222.