Hunters from all over the state will convene August 4-6 at the Meadow Event Park complex in Doswell for the 40th annual Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show where they will find a massive display of hunting gear, guides, mounted trophies and more.
Event owner Annette Elliot is no stranger to shows as she also owns and operates Showmasters Gun Shows that holds events around the mid-Atlantic region. She’s owned the show for four years and after surviving the Covid years, notes the show thrived in 2022 and will be bigger than ever this year.
“Once we cleared that Covid nonsense and moved the show to Doswell we’ve had more exhibitor participation and much higher attendance,” Elliot told W2 recently.
This year’s event will mark the 40h annual show. Hugh Crittendon began the traditional hunting show, sold it to David Posner, who then sold it to Elliot.
Besides a modern venue just off I-95, the show features exhibitors displaying everything from ATVs to tree stands, guns to apparel, hunting trips and more.
The show features the 84th annual Virginia Peninsula Sportmans Association’s Virginia Big Game Contest. The contest will feature most of the largest deer, bear, and turkey harvested throughout the state during last hunting season. Each will be scored and display and the top entrants will be recognized Sunday afternoon.
To put this in perspective, last year VPSA put on display 335 of the largest deer, bear, and turkey harvested in Virginia! This section of the show is always impressive to view.
When asked what to expect this year, Buddy Faison (VPSA Director and outdoor social media influencer) stated he expected a record year. Faison said that “the deer, bear, and turkey posted on social media this year will prove to be record breakers once the VPSA measures them in August.”
Anyone that thinks they can call turkey is encouraged to enter the National Wild Turkey Federation sanctioned state turkey calling contest running in conjunction with the event.
Attendees can also meet and chat with television personalities like Kip Campbell from Red Arrow, Tim Andrus from Rush Outdoors, Carson Koury from Final Draw and trick archery shooter Byron Ferguson. There will also be free game butchering and cooking demonstrations by Chef Albert and Captain Anthony Cubbage. Of course, you’ll want to sample the food at the Pig, Deer & Beer Cafe.
Outdoor shows offer hunting and fishing enthusiasts a place to gather, learn new tactics, book trips, meet friends and learn in person vs. an online video. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to call waterfowl but were unsure, you’ll find a number of call makers selling at this event AND they will personally show you how to use their call.
Listening to champion waterfowl caller and W2 Pro Team member Travis Stauch is a real treat and he’ll be at the show with his Ramrod Guiding business.
There’s also those amazing Dock Dog shows, decoy painting with the Virginia Waterfowlers Association and the Re/Max Encore and Green Top Sporting Goods Kid’s Trout Pond.
For a list of the exhibitors, seminar schedule and details about the show, visit www.sportsmanshow.com for more information. To find out how to enter your deer, bear or turkey mount in the VPSA Big Game Show, visit www.vpsa.org.
