The Sportsman's Corner

With a lull between most autumn and spring sportsmen's hunting and fishing seasons, a way for sportsmen to fill the void is to visit one of the outdoor shows that are held during the winter. Probably of most interest to Cove sportsmen are three shows that are not too far from the Cove.

The first of these is the gigantic Great American Outdoor Show scheduled for the Farm Show Complex near Harrisburg between Feb. 1 and Feb. 9. As always, this show hosts thousands of booths featuring outdoor events and products. Perhaps of most interest to Cove sportsmen are the booths that feature deer hunts. Although there appeared to be a significant deer kill locally on private properties this past deer season, the same cannot be said about state game lands that are destitute of deer. If you are a hunter who does not have access to a private property where the deer population is still healthy, you might be able to set up a hunt at one of the commercial hunting properties that will host booths at the show. With a little luck, you might be able to find one where the price of a hunt is affordable.

The next show that is available to Cove sportsmen is the Allegheny Outdoor Show that will be held at the Pittsburgh-Monroeville Convention Center between Feb. 14 and 16. The price of a ticket for this show is $10, with children 12 and under being admitted for free. This show has free parking and free shuttles to transport visitors from the more distant parts of the parking area.

The final of the three shows that might appeal to Cove sportsmen is the Jaffa Outdoors Sports Show that will be held at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona from February 21 through February 23. Admission is $7.00, $3.00 for children between 6 and 11. Though smaller than the other two shows, the Jaffa show features local vendors and sportsmen's groups. My son, Bob, visits the Jaffa show regularly, and he has come up with some nice turkey calls that he has given me, along with the comment, "Even you can use these simple ones, Dad."

Local sportsmen's groups that regularly have booths at the Jaffa show include the John Kennedy Chapter of Trout Unlimited (Blair County), the local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania. These organizations do much work to benefit sportsmen and deserve their support.

Attending one or more of these shows might help you take the "edge" off winter.