The annual Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza is all about big bucks, both literally and figuratively.
Literal: The trophy wall of the Mississippi Big Buck Contest and Magnolia Records Program will be filled with antlers taken by hunters during a 2011-12 deer season that was among the best ever.
Figuratively: Being a consumer show, it will feature over 200 vendors selling a vast array of hunting and fishing trips, equipment and accessories for sportsmen and women.
Basically, when the three-day 26th Wildlife Extravaganza opens at 3 p.m. on Friday, people will look at bucks and spend them too at the Trade Mart on the Fairgrounds in Jackson. About 30,000 are expected to visit the event, the main fundraiser for the sponsoring Mississippi Wildlife Federation.
“I always say I’m not going to buy anything, but always do,” said Phil Black of Jackson. “I went as far as not taking any money or checks or cards a couple of years ago, but that didn’t work either. I went back to the Ganza the last day and bought what I found.”
Black said he refuses to take the one step that would indeed prevent spending — not attending.
“No way, too much a tradition,” he said. “I am going down there to see the big deer heads, no matter what. Been doing that for over 20 years and it’s what gets my juices flowing for deer season.”
This year’s contest should be interesting, with at least five Boone & Crockett qualifiers already confirmed by scorers. Officials with the Magnolia Records Program say they have heard of at least two others that were green-scored as B&C qualifiers that haven’t been officially scored since the 60-day drying period passed.
“If we can get some of those B&C bucks we have scored officially and one or two of those we haven’t, that would be a great show,” said Rick Dillard, a Magnolia Records Program organizer and scorer. “We will be scoring for Magnolia Records, too, and that is open to deer killed any year. The contest is limited to last deer season, but we score program deer from any season.”
Hunters have from 3-9 p.m. on Friday or 9 a.m.-noon Saturday to register their deer mounts at the Trade Mart. It costs nothing to enter and that includes admission to the show. All hunters entering deer receive a free weekend pass.
Show hours are 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults ($20 weekend pass), $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. Friday is Kid’s Day when all children 12 and under will be admitted free.
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