Impressions From The Wild TV Huntfest In Chilliwack, BC

© By Othmar Vohringer

 

On Saturday, June 23rd, Heidi and I drove to Chilliwack to visit the Wild TV Huntfest. It was the first time that this event was held in British Columbia. The first time I heard about the Huntfest was last year when they had a series of events in Alberta and Ontario. Naturally I was very curious to visit this new kid on the block as far as hunting trade shows go when I learned that they would come to my home province.

From what I had heard so far about Huntfest I had quite high expectations. There were not as many exhibitors in attendance as I had hoped for but I had expected that given that this was their first event in British Columbia. The atmosphere was friendly throughout and it started right at the entrance to the building: a polite event staff attended to the visitors and everybody we talked to- both visitors and exhibitors alike- seemed to be having a good time.

New World Record Mountain Goat Taken In British Columbia

© By Othmar Vohringer

According to the Boone & Crockett Club hunter Troy M. Sheldon of Alexandria, Ky. Has bagged the new mountain goat world record. After the required drying period the official Boone & Crockett judges panel verified the goats official entry as the new world record. It surpasses the old world record by a substantial 6/8 of an inch.

Troy Sheldon took the animal in the Stikine River area while hunting with Heidi Gutfrucht of Northwest Ranching and Outfitting. As an interesting side note; Sheldon used a Tikka T3 .270 (my personal favourite calibre) to make a perfect 319-yard shot across a ravine.

Hunfest Is Coming to Chilliwack, BC

© By Othmar Vohringer

Huntfest is coming to Chilliwack, BC from June 22 to 24, in the Chilliwack Heritage Park

With over 150 exhibitors from the hunting industry, wildlife conservation and hunting related organizations, Huntfest is one of the biggest Canadian events of its kind that focuses on everything hunting related. Visitors can attend over 20 seminars and special events. Among the speakers are moose hunting expert John McDowell, Linda Cline from Someday Retrievers, Cody Robbins from the hunting TV show “Live to Hunt”, Eva Shockey, daughter of famous Hunting TV host Jim Shockey, plus many others.

This is the first time that Huntfest is coming to British Columbia and you’re in for a treat. If you purchase you ticket early you could be in for a win of a 10’000 dollar shopping spree at Wholesale Sports or you could win a moose hunt with 4 Buck Adventures Outfitters in Ontario, valued at 3’000 Dollar. For more information on the “Early Bird” specials read here.

Huntfest has is creation of Wild TV. Wild TV is Canada’s only channel that provides viewers with 24/7 top quality outdoor programming from Canada and around the world.

To read more information about Huntfest in your area visit:
Huntfest Chilliwack, BC. June 22 to 24, 2012
Huntfest Edmonton, AB. July 13 to 15, 2012
Huntfest Orangeville, ON. July 27 to 29, 2012

Remembering A Special Father

(Originally published in the Merritt News)

© By Othmar Vohringer

It has been 30 years now since the passing of my father but there has not been a single day in my life that I did not think about him in some form or other. Sometimes it’s just a fleeting memory or a comment he would have made. My father, and my mother as well, have been guiding beacons throughout my entire life.

My father was in many ways an exceptional man, his commitment to family was all consuming. He never talked much about his own early life before marrying my mother. All I knew as a boy, and even today as an adult, was that he did not have it easy by any stretch of imagination. The only reference he made to his childhood was: “World War I stole my youth and World War II tore my family apart.” I can remember him and his mother occasionally speaking of his father, sisters and a brother but they had no idea where they were or what had happened to them. The wars took a great toll on his family and on life in general. With such experiences it was no surprise that for him family became the nucleus of his very being and purpose in life.