For immediate release

Contact: Tom Huggler, Publicist (989) 714-1407

Henri Boucher, show producer

Adam Starr, show manager

(800) 328-6550 / (616) 447-2860

Here once a year, OUTDOORAMA is Michigan’s No. 1 show for family fun and conservation education

February 24 to 27 event features Big Buck Night, Wildlife Encounters

NOVI — Outdoor enthusiasts look forward to the shortest month of the year because that’s when Outdoorama, sponsored by RAM Trucks, comes to town. The 38th annual edition of Michigan’s most popular show is February 24 to 27 at Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue in Novi.

Many of the state’s more than one million anglers and hunters will pack what used to be called Rock Financial Showplace for great deals on boats and sporting gear, for conservation education and dozens of free seminars, and for family entertainment and features.

Returning to crowd fanfare are favorite attractions like “Big Buck Night,” “Wildlife Encounters” and “Ultimate Air Dogs” with Milt Wilcox hosting daily demonstrations and weekend competition.

Although hunting and fishing are at the show’s core, Outdoorama has long appealed to Michigan’s huge core of conservationists, those lovers of nature who also hike and camp, boat and canoe, and who pursue bird watching, wildlife photography and other outdoor pursuits.

“Outdoorama is all about celebrating our state’s outdoors heritage while keeping in mind our responsibilities toward the environment,” said Adam Starr, show manager. “That’s why the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, which started the show nearly 40 years ago, still plays a major role.”

Adding to the show’s broad appeal is the 4th Annual Cottage & Lakefront Living Show, which runs concurrently at Suburban Collection Showplace. Patrons to either event receive free crossover admission. “We’ve kept the admission fee low again this year,” Starr said. “It’s $10 for adults and $4 for children 6 to 14. Kids 5 and under get in free.”

A large number of lodges, outfitters, guides and charter boat captains from Alaska to Africa have reserved space in the show. Great values on fishing boats, duck hunting boats, pontoons and pleasure boats will be at the show along with docks and other accessories.

Besides Ultimate Air Dogs, family fun activities include a Trout Pond with live rainbows, pellet shooting range, free Casting Kids Contest hosted by the Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation NATION, a video fishing simulator, and the Sportsman’s Grill with fried fish all four days of the show.

Many specialty vendors with hunting equipment, fishing gear, and camping supplies had already reserved space before the show sold out for space in late December.

Dozens of sport clubs and organizations, many of which are MUCC affiliates, will staff booths with volunteers to hand out literature and explain club programs.

Ray Eye, considered by many to be America’s top turkey-hunting expert, heads a stellar seminar lineup of top hunting and fishing experts. Eye, a radio-show host and former national champion caller from Missouri, tantalizes crowds with “Chasing Spring,” his popular multi-media presentation. Other speakers include Greg Abbas on turkeys, white-tailed deer expert Fred Abbas, and food-plot teacher Ed Spinazzola.

Tim Fox from Shooting the Breeze Hunt Club, will demonstrate basic bird dog training tips. Fishing seminars are headed by Mark Martin and Mark Romanack on walleyes, David Rose on panfish, and Don Miller on muskies.

Traditional skills expert Jim Miller offers demonstrations on building birch bark canoes, making fire with a wooden stick, and tanning hides the Native American way.

The Huron Valley Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will host a calling contest on Saturday. Experts from Country Smoke House in Almont will demonstrate how to field dress and butcher a deer. Among the nearly 100 seminars, all free with admission, are several on outdoor photography at the Cottage & Lakefront Living Show.

Terry McBurney from Ada will head up a major display of collectible gear for outdoor sport. Patrons can bring their artifacts to the show for a free appraisal. There are even vintage boats and collectible outboard motors, thanks to expert Dick VanRaalte from Grand Haven’s Starboard Marine Restorations.

The first 500 attendees on Thursday and Friday receive a free, collectible Dardevle spoon from Eppinger Manufacturing Co. in Dearborn.

The show that celebrates Michigan’s great outdoors is February 24 to 27. Bring the kids and grandchildren.

Show hours are Thursday and Friday, 2 to 9:30; Saturday, 10 to 9; and Sunday, 10 to 5. For more information, call 800-328-6550 or go to www.Outdoorama.com and www.CottageandLakefrontLivingShow.com. Follow us on FaceBook and Twitter.

     After selling some outdoor gear a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to purchase another piece of gear to use in the outdoors.  I’ve been wanting to purchase an underwater fish camera for quite sometime now and I finally made a purchase this past week.  After some research and debate I purchased the Marcum vs 380 underwater camera system.

     I wanted a color system at first but I couldn’t justify spending another $250 – $300 for color viewing!  So I opted for a name brand system that was within my budget and the Marcum fit the bill.  There were a couple of other cameras that were in that price range but I knew the Marcum name and that is what sold me on this unit.

     It is simple to put together and understand all the functions on this unit and it was also ready to go with the battery already being fully charged.  I hit a local lake with it along with my oldest son with an ice shanty in tow.  

     The  first problem we encountered was trying to decide how far away to put the hole for the camera from the holes we would be fishing from.  We opted for about three feet away since all three holes would be inside the ice shanty.  That was our first mistake.  It was too close to view both of our ice lures in the water.  We concentrated the camera on his lure at first and then hooked the video camera up to the video out on the monitor.  Everything rolled along nicely and the monitor provided some fun watching how the fish reacted under the water to our lures and bait. 

     After spending a half hour or so in the first location we moved to a deeper spot on the lake.  This time we put the camera hole about 6 feet away hoping it would provide a wide angle view of our fishing lures.  We were only about 2 – 3 feet apart with our holes we were fishing from but the camera could still only pick up one of our lures.  We didn’t have much luck at this spot so we ventured to one more location and this time I had an idea for the perfect set up!  Instead of putting the camera directly in front of the two holes I put it to the side of the two holes on about a 15° angle.  This way both of our lures could be seen in almost a straight line but slightly offset.  It worked perfectly this time! 

     The only other problem we encountered while we were using the camera was that it was hard to get the camera pointed in the correct direction.  This will take a little time at getting use to how to set the cable as it is going down to the correct depth and settling it in the proper direction.  I’m sure I can come up with a rig to hold it in the proper direction if I put my mind to it.  Other than that it worked flawlessly!  I was quite pleased with it and it’s performance.  I just wish my video camera would have recorded the video I had plugged into it!  I think the record head on the camera was dirty and I wound up with garbled video on the tape.  I know it came into the camera clean since I saw it on the video camera’s flip out viewing screen.

     All in all I’m happy with the unit, the only thing I would change is the location of the plug ins for the video out cable and the underwater camera cable itself.  They are both on the back of the unit and it seems to put a small bind on the cables by having to route them through the carrying bag to the front of the bag to access them.  Other than that I can’t wait to get back out on the ice to use it again!  I hope this helps anyone making a decision on purchasing this camera or any other camera for things to look for before purchasing a unit like this one.  I hope to have some video posted soon that I will link to this story.

     What I thought was going to be the start of a great day on the ice to do some ice fishing turned sour quickly.  My oldest son Mikey and I headed to our local state part to do some morning ice fishing with some new gear we had gotten right after Christmas.  We were eager to try out our new underwater fish camera to see what it looked like under the ice.

     As we pulled through the park entrance I could see what looked like vehicle tracks in the snow off to both sides of the road.  They all resembled the usual donut shaped outline as if someone had purposely drove into the prairie grass area and proceeded to tear it up!  Likely some bored youth out on the night before with nothing better to do.  I thought well the grass will grow back next spring.  Then driving a little further in I could see where it looked like a truck had gotten stuck off of the side of the road.  You know that is going to leave some deep ruts in the grass.  Not thinking any more about it I drove on into the park.  We were approaching the guard shack that had been closed since waterfowl season and I could see the window frame hanging by a thread on the side of the shack along with the glass broken out of it! 

     Seeing this set me on fire!  Doing a few donuts in a restored habitat area is bad enough, but when you start destroying property you’ve taken it to a new level.  To go and destroy something for the simple fact of being bored is simply asinine!  The photo below is after the park workers closed it up with a piece of plywood until spring repairs can be made.  What these people don’t understand is that these parks will eventually close if things of this nature keep happening.  Budgets are strapped as it is, they don’t need to be using what little money they have to fix and replace things that other people feel the need to destroy!  These parks and rec areas will be gated and closed if these types of things continue to happen.

     This same park previously let waterfowl hunters use a small lake at the campground after the camping season closed.  That was until someone decided to shoot up one of their out buildings!  Now the access to that lake is gated off and is off limits to hunting.  I’ve seen signs in the park shot full of holes as well.  I don’t consider people like this to be hunters, anyone who would destroy what they are using isn’t an outdoors man in my eyes.  Not only do we need to worry about the youth who get bored, but we need to watch for so called hunters who like to destroy our outdoors as well! 

     It is our money that pays for these parks by purchasing state park passes, outdoor gear (Pittman Robertson Act 1937), hunting and fishing licenses, etc….  It is our money that restores ares of habitat and pays for the wages of park workers and CO’s.  I know that this was only a window that was broken and a few donuts in some restored habitat area, but it is continuous acts of outdoor vandalism that will spark the beginning of some of our favorite outdoor places to being closed!  If you see someone destroying property, habitat, trees, or even littering say something and report it!  This is your land too!

Walleye Caught In 2009

     It looks like if all goes well the fisherman here in Michigan will see an increase in the amount of walleye being released into the wild this upcoming year!  According to WOOD-TV 8 in Grand Rapids Michigan and Michigan-Sportsman.com, the Michigan DNR is going to go ahead with increasing the stocking program now that it has an effective way to treat the walleye eggs from viral hemorrhagic septicemia better known as VHS disease.  The DNR has spent several years testing different ways to protect and “Wash”  or disinfect the eggs to keep them from spreading the disease into Michigan’s inland waters.

     The DNR is going to take 50 million eggs and distribute them into rearing ponds along with direct stocking, according to their plans.  This will be an increase of 8 times what they have done in the  previous two years!  Stocking was cut back in 2006 due to the spread of VHS into inland waters.  They also added that they hope to be back to full stocking levels within two years.  This is all good news to Michigan’s fisherman!  To read a complete report of where the DNR started with VHS and how future stocking is going to be done you can find the complete DNR report here.

Be sure to stop by the Up North Journal web page and check out another exciting episode of Beyond The Wild.  In episode 10 the UNJ crew heads to northern Michigan for the trout season opener so the boys can show Mike and Mikey what trout boot camp is all about!  Mike and Mikey get their very first taste of hitting the beautiful trout streams of northern Michigan on opening day of trout season to see if they could run with the big dogs.  This months show covers camp life and then what it is like to hike into the back country and wade some of Michigan’s finest streams to hunt down some elusive brown trout!  The last segment of the show is pure fish harvesting, it is as good as it gets folks so stop by the website and check it out at:  www.upnorthjournal.com and click on the video player on the front page.

On this week’s show we talk with none other than Jimmy Big Time himself to see what he’s been up to.  It is a look into the character Jimmy Big Time as well as an interview with the man, the myth, the legend himself.  Be sure to check out Episode 163 of the Up North Journal Podcast at:  www.upnorthjournal.com

On this week’s show, I take you out into the field on a Turkey Hunt with me.  We have a great interview with Wildlife Deer Biologist Dr. Grant Wood of GrowDeer.tv about how to maximize your hunting on small plots of land and how a public land hunter can maximize his hunting potential, something for everyone!  Mikey covers the Game Bag this week with a little bowfishing and finally I take a stand on the new Montana state law that outlaws trail cams!  Just visit our website at:  www.upnorthjournal.com and click on the audio player to listen to this week’s show.  Don’t miss next week when we interview Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo of Archer’s Choice!

Join us on this episode of Beyond The Wild for an awesome trip to New Zealand where Up North Journal Pro Staffer Jay Miller hunts for a majestic Red Stag!  We also will give you a glimpse into the Michigan Trout Opener where some of the Up North Journal Team heads north to what is refered to as Trout Boot Camp!  It is an episode your sure to enjoy, so head over to our website www.upnorthjournal.com and click on the video player on the front page to watch this exciting episode!

For Immediate Release:                                                

April 27^th, 2010

     Be sure to tune into next week’s Up North Journal Podcast Episode 158 starting May 3^rd, 2010 for an exclusive interview with Chris Brackett of Brackett Outdoors and formerly of Arrow Affliction.  The Up North Journal Team turned fellow UNJ Pro Staffer Chico Lopez loose for the one on one with Chris.  Be sure to catch the inside scoop on Chris’ new show for the upcoming season as well as what it takes to make it in the outdoor industry!  Chico asks him everything from his beginnings in hunting to the quirky questions everyone wants to know!  Be sure to stop over to the website and check out the 45 minute interview with Chris Brackett starting Monday May 3^rd, 2010 at www.upnorthjournal.com.

Contact:

Mike Adams

michaeladams@upnorthjournal.com

I’m proud to announce that episode 6 of Beyond The Wild is now on the network.  You can view our latest installment at: http://www.upnorthjournal.com/ and simply click on the video player.  This episode we take you to the frozen waters of the Saginaw River in Michigan for a little walleye action.  After spending a day on the ice we then take our catch to the table with a recipe your sure to enjoy!