Chronicle Outdoors

The Great Rockies Sports Show will touchdown in Bozeman this weekend with seminars and exhibits from around the Northwest. Kicking off Friday from 4-8 p.m., the show, now in its 10^th year, will carry through Sunday evening at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.

“People are moving to the Bozeman area for the great outdoors,” said show organizer Bill Reier, Jr. “During January, February and March, people are feeling the effects of cabin fever. The show is a chance to get back to the outdoors.”

This year’s show will feature a live grizzly bear demonstration featuring a five-year-old Alaskan brown bear named Tonk.

“We teach people about bear safety,” said Grizzly Experience owner and bear handler Dexter Osborn. “During those exhibitions I will be in the cage and Tonk will display some of his natural behaviors. We want people to know how to stay safe if they encounter a wild grizzly.”

Osborn said his program focuses on bear safety, but also gives show patrons the chance to experience a grizzly bear up close and personal. He said grizzlies get a bad rap in the movies and news, but each has their own unique personality.

Osborn said the chance to see a grizzly firsthand helps people get a better understanding of the species and the relationship between bear and handler.

“People can see the bond and relationship that can be formed with these animals in a safe and a professional manner, while keeping in mind that this is still a grizzly bear,” Osborn said on Monday.

Show attendees will also have the opportunity to feed Tonk a “bear kabob,” Osborn said.

Dovetailing with Osborn’s exhibition will be a display on bear safety, Dutch oven cooking and “Leave No Trace” land use by Bob Hoverson of the U.S. Forest Service. Hoverson, the program manager for the Northern Region Pack Train, is based at Ninemile Ranger Station north of Missoula.

“We’ll have a hands-on interactive display of ‘Leave No Trace’ techniques and practices,” Hoverson said. “What we teach is livestock oriented – horse and mule use – but it applies across the board.”

Hoverson said the display will feature a life-size plastic mule to demonstrate and explain packing techniques. He said proper packing is essential to limit wear and tear on the land.

“We know from experience using proper techniques and practices, we can limit impact and recreate responsibly,” Hoverson said. “We are trying to keep areas from being shut down, to allow people to recreate. We teach people to pack efficiently to minimize the number of stock they take and the impact on the land.”

For those already itching for the dawn of the 2011 big game season, longtime Montana hunting guide Grant Soukup of Churchill will present a program on September bowhunting for elk.

Soukup said he’ll discuss the different techniques and styles of hunting outdoorsmen can employ to maximize their success. A slideshow will accompany the presentation.

“Everybody wants to know that one thing that is going to make them really successful on their hunt,” Soukup said. “The one thing is that there is not one thing, but a whole cycle of things. Bowhunting an elk is really personal and really close. Elk are magnificent animals, so you want to do it right.”

Among the Great Rockies Sport Show’s other attractions will be fish wall featuring mounts of coldwater and warmwater species, a fly tying theater with local experts tying throughout the day and a kid’s corner sponsored by the Montana Trappers Association with track identification and a hands-on pelt display.

Also, Larry Lack, an official Boone and Crockett/Pope and Young measurer will be on hand to score trophies for the Montana Heads &

The Great Rockies Sports Show will touchdown in Bozeman this weekend with seminars and exhibits from around the Northwest. Kicking off Friday from 4-8 p.m., the show, now in its 10^th year, will carry through Sunday evening at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.

“People are moving to the Bozeman area for the great outdoors,” said show organizer Bill Reier, Jr. “During January, February and March, people are feeling the effects of cabin fever. The show is a chance to get back to the outdoors.”

This year’s show will feature a live grizzly bear demonstration featuring a five-year-old Alaskan brown bear named Tonk.

“We teach people about bear safety,” said Grizzly Experience owner and bear handler Dexter Osborn. “During those exhibitions I will be in the cage and Tonk will display some of his natural behaviors. We want people to know how to stay safe if they encounter a wild grizzly.”

Osborn said his program focuses on bear safety, but also gives show patrons the chance to experience a grizzly bear up close and personal. He said grizzlies get a bad rap in the movies and news, but each has their own unique personality.

Osborn said the chance to see a grizzly firsthand helps people get a better understanding of the species and the relationship between bear and handler.

“People can see the bond and relationship that can be formed with these animals in a safe and a professional manner, while keeping in mind that this is still a grizzly bear,” Osborn said on Monday.

Show attendees will also have the opportunity to feed Tonk a “bear kabob,” Osborn said.

Dovetailing with Osborn’s exhibition will be a display on bear safety, Dutch oven cooking and “Leave No Trace” land use by Bob Hoverson of the U.S. Forest Service. Hoverson, the program manager for the Northern Region Pack Train, is based at Ninemile Ranger Station north of Missoula.

“We’ll have a hands-on interactive display of ‘Leave No Trace’ techniques and practices,” Hoverson said. “What we teach is livestock oriented – horse and mule use – but it applies across the board.”

Hoverson said the display will feature a life-size plastic mule to demonstrate and explain packing techniques. He said proper packing is essential to limit wear and tear on the land.

“We know from experience using proper techniques and practices, we can limit impact and recreate responsibly,” Hoverson said. “We are trying to keep areas from being shut down, to allow people to recreate. We teach people to pack efficiently to minimize the number of stock they take and the impact on the land.”

For those already itching for the dawn of the 2011 big game season, longtime Montana hunting guide Grant Soukup of Churchill will present a program on September bowhunting for elk.

Soukup said he’ll discuss the different techniques and styles of hunting outdoorsmen can employ to maximize their success. A slideshow will accompany the presentation.

“Everybody wants to know that one thing that is going to make them really successful on their hunt,” Soukup said. “The one thing is that there is not one thing, but a whole cycle of things. Bowhunting an elk is really personal and really close. Elk are magnificent animals, so you want to do it right.”

Among the Great Rockies Sport Show’s other attractions will be fish wall featuring mounts of coldwater and warmwater species, a fly tying theater with local experts tying throughout the day and a kid’s corner sponsored by the Montana Trappers Association with track identification and a hands-on pelt display.

Also, Larry Lack, an official Boone and Crockett/Pope and Young measurer will be on hand to score trophies for the Montana Heads & Horns Competition.

“It is a place for people to come and showcase their big game trophy,” Reier said. “People can come down with trophy heads, horns and antlers and enter them into the contest. Prizes will be awarded for top scores with plaques and ribbons.”

The Great Rockies Sports Show will be in Bozeman this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Entrance fee for the show is $6 for all three days. For more information, visit www.greatrockiesshow.com.

Horns Competition.

“It is a place for people to come and showcase their big game trophy,” Reier said. “People can come down with trophy heads, horns and antlers and enter them into the contest. Prizes will be awarded for top scores with plaques and ribbons.”

The Great Rockies Sports Show will be in Bozeman this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Entrance fee for the show is $6 for all three days. For more information, visit www.greatrockiesshow.com.