Nothing beats face-to-face

This article was first published in my email newsletter in December of 2024. I've added it to my website, because I think the information is useful in general, not just for the month it was published. If you'd like to keep up with the latest hunting information, including my open dates and available hunts, you can subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of this page.

Two of the biggest hunting events in the U.S. are coming up this January, back to back, and I plan to be at both of them.

First, there’s the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Convention, January 9th to 12th, in Atlanta. Ordinarily, the DSC Convention is held — no surprise — in Dallas. But the convention center isn’t available this year, due to major renovations, so the Convention has relocated to Atlanta.

Here’s some more information about it: DSC Convention

Second, there’s the Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) Convention from January 16th to the 19th. That’s being held at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, in the Houston Metro area.

Here’s some information about that event: HSCF Convention

Like I said, I’ll be at both of them. I’ll have a booth at each, so if you’d like to meet me and maybe plan a hunt, this would be a great time. You should check the exhibitor directory when you get to the convention, just to confirm, but right now I’m scheduled to be in Booth #3613 in Atlanta and in Booth #2009 for the Houston Convention.

Let's talk a bit about why you would want to attend.

WHY ATTEND EITHER CONVENTION

If you’re a serious hunter, you’ll want to attend one of these conventions.

I’m partial to the DSC Convention, because I’ve been doing it for nearly twenty years, and, in that time, I’ve seen it grow into the premier national event for hunters and for the companies that service hunters. But the Houston Convention is great, too, and for the next few years — while the DSC is kicked out of Dallas — the Houston convention is going to be a lot more convenient for quite a few people. It will probably get a big boost from the DSC move.

The reasons for you to go to either of those conventions are the same.

1. You want to learn

2. You want to meet people

3. You want to see what's new

SEE WHAT'S NEW

Let’s start with that last point — seeing what’s new.

The hunting industry is always innovating. There are new rifles, new scopes, new boots, new packs; you name it. And a lot of manufacturers consider events like these — especially the DSC Convention — to be the right place to introduce new products. There will be plenty of potential buyers in attendance, and a lot of those people have friends who are potential buyers.

One product I’m interested in seeing — it hasn’t been announced yet, but I know it will be introduced at the DSC — is a new 7mm round from Federal. My understanding is that it’s designed to work well in shorter-barreled rifles, and that it’s got really good velocity. That makes it pretty interesting for hunters here in Texas, where we often hunt from trucks and we use suppressors. Anything that lets me use a shorter barrel is interesting to me.

And of course, you can bet that Federal has been working with at least one gun manufacturer to develop a rifle to take advantage of this new round. So we should see a new rifle at the show, too.

But it’s not just ammo and rifles. I bet we’ll see a lot of new gear across the board.

MEET PEOPLE

There will be thousands upon thousands of people attending these events — hunters, outfitters, rifle and bow makers, optics manufacturers, clothing manufacturers, everybody — and this is a great chance to meet them face to face.

Let’s talk about meeting outfitters, since that’s something I understand.

If you’re planning an overseas hunt — in Africa maybe — it can be hard to coordinate all the mechanics of your hunt, due to the time difference. Phone calls are hard to manage. But the big international outfitters will be at the conventions, so you can talk to them there. It’s probably not a bad idea to try to arrange a get-together ahead of time. Sometimes the convention floor can be pretty busy.

Meeting your outfitter makes sense for U.S. hunts, too. If you’ve looked at my website, you know that I provide a lot of information about how my hunts work and about the best time of year to schedule specific hunts. But what if that ‘best time’ doesn’t work for you? What if you want to do an aoudad hunt with your sixty-five year old dad, and you want my advice about whether it would be too rugged for him. Those are things that can best be discussed one-on-one, in person.

Also, let’s be honest here: If you’re going to hunt with an outfitter for three or four days and be together twenty four hours a day, you’d like to be sure you’re personally compatible. So come talk to me. You’ll probably figure out pretty quickly whether or not you’d enjoy hunting with me.

LEARN THINGS

These conventions are great places to learn things.

First of all, there are formal learning opportunities. The seminars and workshops that have been offered over the years at DSC conventions have been incredible in the breadth of their topics and the quality of the speakers. So check the schedule and, if there are things that interest you, schedule the time to attend.

Second, there are the opportunities you’ll have to talk to manufacturers of gear. Those people are experts in their field, and they can really help you understand the differences between products and help you to decide which options make sense for you.

Third, there are outfitters like me. If you’re thinking about a hunt but you don’t feel like you know enough, just come talk to one of us. We’ve been doing this for years, we’re experts, and we love to talk about hunting — at least I do.

BOTTOM LINE

So that’s where I’m going to be for a good chunk of January. First in Atlanta for the DSC Convention, then in Houston for the HSCF Convention. If you haven’t attended one of these in the past, this is a good year to start. Especially if you live on the East Coast — you’ve got the DSC Convention right in your home turf this year.

Whichever event you visit, I’d like to meet you. Stop by and say hello