McKelvey 5: The Sportsman Show

So to pre-warn you, there are no pictures of dead dear or bears on this blog, however, there may be some ridiculously funny stories that hopefully I can share with you and get across to you the type of day we had.

Our church has a fish club group and it is for kids ages 3 up to retirement age if you would like to join. So this is the first year that I could go and take both kids and just really experience the Sportsman show to its fullest. Joining us in some of our pictures are some of our good friends' kids, Annie and Maiya.

So to paint the picture for you, I was raised catching fish and then actually having to eat them, and I am not a seafood or fish lover by any stretch of the word. I was not raised a total city girl, but then again, I am totally city. Some things don't grose me out, like putting worms on hooks and handling the fish, but some things were startling and some what disturbing for me at the show, and I hadn't even realized I ever felt that way.

Kai and Kolbie both knew that they would be able to go fishing in the trout pond at the show, and they could either catch and release the fish or keep the fish they caught. My kids, not wanting to kill an animal, decided they would catch and release. You will soon see how well that turned out.

When we first entered the show, there were ski boat, fishing boats, ATV's, camping gear, the works to capture the kids attention. We spent alot of time trying out each and every ATV, trying all the BBQ'd sausage and other little delacacies they were cooking up and most of all, trying out the 1/2 million dollar house boat the kids informed me they wanted to live on instead of our house. LOL! Yah, how unrealistic on so many levels.

They also had other stands set up for every Tom, Dick and Sally to sell you anything possible. Such as finger nail painting design kits, fold out chairs, dog collars, how to make your own jerky, etc etc etc. So of course the girls got their fingers painted and we strolled about trying and looking at different things.

We then came upon this hallway like pass through from one building to the next and when we walked through the huge door to the next building.......was the biggest display of out door life, with the bears, the elk head hanging, dear standing up and other animals on the ground around a display of trees and logs. However, they were stuffed and had at one time been killed. Not really thinking about the fact that Kai is nearly vegetarian and would be horrified to find out people eat these animals, both I and our friend Scott stop look at each other and nearly laugh out of shock and amazement at what we were about to embark on while trying to get to the trout pond, which happened to be in the farthest corner of the building away from us.

Malakai on the other hand, along with Annie, in a very loud voice said "Now why in the world would some one kill these animals to hang their heads on the wall and make them be statues?" An honest question to ask at the sportsman show.......right???? At that moment I looked around and saw at least 5-10 different outdoorsman, tyring not to glare at a child and instead were staring at me, the parent, for asking such an intrusive and apparently to them, ignorant question. I quickly hush Kai, and tell Scott, "we need to make a B-Line for the trout pond and get out of here and get back to the boats." He laughed and quickly agreed.

Of course there were a million and one people there, celebrating and chumming up old hunting stories and target shooting practice get togethers. So they walked crazy slow, as we are just trying to make it to the pond and exit.

We dodge our way in and around the many people, petting some alive and healthy dogs along the way and finally make it almost to the trout pond, when the kids see a fishing video. They begin to watch it, and were very interested and engrossed in how catching fish was done. So why not, they watch the video and we go get in line. We wait and we wait and finally it's our turn.

They each get a spot next to one another along this HUGE rectangular fish pond, where about 30 kids could fish at once. The kids are pumped by now, they put their already baited poles in the water and with in a minute we had 4 kids screaming, " I caught one I got one!" "HELP". Kolbie drops her pole in horror that the fish came out of the water flapping and hitting water everywhere, and immediately hides behind me, while Kai and Annie are lifting their fish out of the water swinging their poles "Saying this is heavy, help". As I and Scott literally dodge flying fish, I lean over and grab the lines and get them together. About then and nice man, who was there to help, realized quickly we were so in over our head with these 4 little kids who had rarely or never fished before. Then the kids start saying, "we want to set ours free, can I put it back in?" The man looks at me, with a pondering look on his face, "well he said," as he walked closer to me, "these fish swallowed the hooks, so they cannot go back in, in fact we need to cut the line and put them over here." I then quickly explain the the kids that the fish were so excited to see them, that they swallowed the hook and need to not go back in the water. No sooner then I tell the kids this, the man wacks the fish over the head with a club, all while the kids are watching.

Their eyes huge and in totally confusion, I tell them the fish are in a better place now and hey would you like to try to catch another one? Of course they would, well all except Kolbie that is. She is still completely and utterly scared to death of the fish now. So back in the poles go, and again in seconds more fish, and we continued to do this for about 3 rounds, ending when the fishing lines got tangled and their fish were just dangling in the air. How many were the kids able to "SAVE" and put back, yah that would be none. The fish swallowed every hook and therefore, we got to take 3 fish home and Annie and Maiya left theirs there.

Now to get back through the building and get back to the ATV's and campers. We are making good headway, when I turn around to make sure the kids were following along holding hands and staying close by, and I bump into some thing.

Of course I would run into a BOAR! At least 3 1/2 feet tall and like 600 lbs, with husks and everything. At this point I am so overwhelmed with the whole big picture, I burst out laughing and tell Scott to turn around and then I manage to say, "What on earth possesses a person to wake up and think, I think I will go kill a boar today", not seeing the hunter right there. I smile and just say Scott we have to get out of here, I can't see anymore of this. The kids soon see the boar, and all we hear behind us is " WHaaaa, Whyyy, Mom there's a pig in here." I again burst out into laughter and just start walking faster and more urgently to get out of there.

Among all the fun things we saw, I think the most disturbing things was the African animal exhibit, with animals that had been killed in Africa that were stuffed and hanging on display. That was unsettling for me, because I just don't understand the point.

I did however, sit down and I was able to sort my thoughts and explain to the kids that the animals we choose to eat, can be cared for and loved and then replenished in a more humaine way. And that we don't have to support the killing of all animals for now intense purpose, except for a trophy and bragging rights. It all ended on a great note and we honestly did like and have fun at our first experience of the Sportsman show.

So please as you know some of the funny and heartfelt stories of our day, please enjoy the pictures below. The kids were so excited and happy literally all day after this event.