Arizona Game and Fish Expo a Hit

The family loaded up on Saturday and made the trek across town for the Game and Fish Expo. It was the first time we had attended, and boy oh boy we were not disappointed!

The weather was awesome, with a slight breeze and temps breaking 90 for the first time this spring. Please – right now – mark you calendar for next year’s expo. This event was one of the best planned, well-run events I have attended in a long time. Whether you are a hunter or not, whether or not you ever wet a line… If you have any interest in anything Arizona outdoors, there is something there for you. Admission is free, parking is free. Food is similar to what you would find at the state or county fair and priced similarly as well, so plan accordingly. That being said, the Boy Scouts were selling water for a buck a bottle and you can’t beat that!

I think nearly every outdoor organization was represented there from Desert Flycasters to the Arizona Elk Society to the Audobon Society. There was chance for people to shoot guns of nearly every kind. Cowboy cooking demos. Fishing presentations. Rock crawling and off-roading. Very few commercial entities (non-outdoorsy) were present, so no dealing with hawkers selling insoles. Cowboy shooting. Wildlife education. Desert tortoise adoption. Really…

Seriously, now I am mad we haven’t made it before this. The efforts Game and Fish are making in relation to community outreach and education are awesome. As stated, the event seemed adequately staffed and the staff were professional and helpful. The event was well laid-out and clean. Lots of port-a-potties. A great big “thumbs up” to Arizona Game and Fish, along with all of the staff, vendors, organizations and volunteers that made this a success.

The Desert Rat

I have been a freelance outdoor writer since High School (a long time). I have two successful blogs - Desert Rat which focuses on hunting and fishing in Arizona, the southwest and beyond. If you like smoking, barbecue and other fun cooking stuff, visit the Dry Rubbed Rat. On both sites you'll find cool product reviews, interviews, industry news and more. My "other" job is in Facilities Management. I was born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada; I lived in northern Maine for about 6 years before moving to Arizona 15 years ago. I live in Queen Creek with my wife, daughter and dogs.