Oklahoma Wildlife Expo teaches kids about the outdoors
Wildlife Expo: Shooting arrows, firing guns, riding mountain bikes; Kids learn you can have all kinds of fun outside

BY ED GODFREY, Outdoors Editor, egodfrey@opubco.com Comments 0
Published: September 26, 2009

GUTHRIE — Ten-year-old classmates Dalton Ballard and Kolby Sharp waited in line more than 30 minutes Friday for their chance to shoot a bow.

Ten-year-old Riley Gitthens practices shooting a pellet gun during the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie on Friday. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

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The Oklahoma Wildlife Expo

→ When: Today and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

→Where: Lazy E Arena and Ranch near Guthrie

→Cost: Admission is free

The two fifth-graders from Crescent Elementary had never shot a bow before and were not about to miss the opportunity to do so at the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo, being held through Sunday on the grounds of the Lazy E Ranch and Arena.

"Pull back more,” the archery instructor told the boys, "Put your hand next to your cheek.”

Kolby used every muscle his 54.2-pound body had to pull back on the string. His first arrow went flying over the 3-D target of the wild boar.

His second shot sailed under the pig. On his third and final attempt, however, Kolby stuck the pig with a perfect kill shot.

A grin as wide as the Grand Canyon appeared across Kolby’s face.

"It’s nothing like a video game,” he proclaimed. "It’s better.”

State wildlife officials hope the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo will persuade more kids like Kolby, and adults, to put down the electronic toys and spend time on outdoor pursuits.

At the Expo, visitors can shoot a bow and shotgun, go fishing for channel catfish in a pond, ride a mountain bike, climb a rock wall, learn to cast a fly rod, build a bluebird house and much more.

Inside the Lazy E Arena, kids and adults can walk through a butterfly tent, paddle a kayak on the indoor pond and even taste wild game. On the menu is fried catfish, deer bacon and buffalo chili.

"It’s awesome,” Michelle Kerr of Crescent said as she sampled some of the food. "I love the buffalo chili.”

However, her companion, 6-year-old Rayahna Knight of Crescent, refused to try it.

"Catfish is the only thing here I like,” she said.

Crescent Elementary was just one of 149 Oklahoma schools taking field trips Friday to the Expo. An estimated 7,500 kids were in attendance.

"This is really awesome,” said Dalton’s mother, Traci Ballard, one of the parent escorts for Crescent Elementary. "This is great for kids, especially kids who never do outdoor activities, who don’t have anyone to do outdoor activities with.”

Even though this is the fifth year for the Expo, more than half of the people who attended last year did so for the first time, said Richard Hatcher, director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the agency sponsoring the event.

"We are not seeing the same people who are just going year after year because it’s fun,” Hatcher said. "We are really exposing Oklahomans to new outdoor opportunities.”

When Kolby and Dalton finished shooting the bows, Dalton suggested to his mother that he needed one. Kolby, however, was eager to move on to the next venue.

"Let’s go shoot a shotgun now,” he shouted.

Kolby was ready to see if his aim was as good with a .20 gauge pump as it had been with the bow and arrow.