For the past 26 years, families have traveled to the campus of John A. Logan College on the fourth Friday of September. They attend the Southern Illinois National Hunting and Fishing Days, an event designed to teach hunting and fishing skills as well as the ethics, safety and conservation issues associated with them.
The event is arguably the largest of its kind in the nation. Upwards of 40,000 people attend the event in the southern Illinois community of Carterville. This year the event takes place on September 28-29. The hours will be Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission and parking is free as are the activities. Vendors will be present supplying food and outdoor products.
Children’s activities will include a youth goose calling contest at 8:30 am on Saturday as well as archery, shooting sports and fishing. Free bait and tackle is available for the later. There is adult supervision and instruction for all activities.
Dogs and waterfowl activities figure prominently in the celebration. Handlers provide demonstrations by dock dogs, agility dogs, retrievers, search and rescue dogs, police dogs as well as coon and fox hounds.
The waterfowl calling series will begin with the Don Gasaway Youth Goose Calling Contest on Saturday at 8:30 am. Both male and female youth callers are welcome. There will be two divisions, 12 years and under as well as those 13 to 16 years of age. There is no entry fee. Read on….