Deerhunting celebrities create allure at DeerFest

DeerFest is billed as a large deer event where everything revolves around hunting the majestic four-legged creatures.

And while that is true there are around 150 vendors hawking their wares that range from tree stands to baskets with antler handles the three-day event held at Sunnyview Expo Center is just as much a who's who in the deer hunting celebrity world.

Photos: Deer hunting celebrities at DeerFest.

Attendees at the second annual DeerFest said while being able to see all the state-of-the-art deer hunting tools was nice, they were there to see the biggest names in the deer-hunting world.

"I just want an autograph, we watch a lot of their videos and it's a neat experience to be able to take a picture with them," said Mike Walker of Oxford.

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Names like Lee and Tiffany Lakosky of the popular show The Crush and Bone Collectors Michael Waddell, Travis "T-Bone" Turner and Nick Mundt were on hand.

The hunting celebrities gave their fans plenty of face time at their booths and also allowed for question and answer periods.

Some fans waited two or three hours to meet the hunting celebrities, while more than 300 people crammed around the Q and A sessions.

"It's nice that they take time to do that stuff," Eric Hrudka said. "Not a lot of people really do that."

The Q and A sessions were the highlight of the day for many of the attendees at the event. Tom Richards, of Neenah, said having guys that people watch on TV be accessible to all of their fans was really a treat.

"I was surprised by how personable they were and how much they like to talk," Richards said.

Waddell, of the TV show Bone Collectors said he was "Blown away," by the turnout at the event.

While many people were happy to get a chance to ask Waddell a question or get his autograph, the TV star said coming to the event and having the attendance he had was almost like validation for what he does.

"Wisconsin is a state that has a hunting tradition that goes way back," Waddell said. "And the flattering part about it is the fact that even though you know in Wisconsin you have a lot of hunters, to see them show up and support what you have been doing on television makes me feel good and makes you say 'Maybe we did a little something right,' because we respect these hunters' opinion."

Event organizer Hugh McAloon said he was focused on bringing even more celebrities out for the second year of DeerFest.

"They're the stars of the deer-hunting world," McAloon said. "That's what they're here to see."

While many people in attendance were there to meet the celebrities, some were there to try and compete against them on the archery range.

Mikhail Reimer of Loganville was shooting throughout the day to try and get a chance to go up against the pros. He said even if he didn't qualify, the day was still enjoyable.

"Good people, good time, and shooting bow," Reimer said. "Can't beat that."

All of the different attractions at the event boiled down to a good day for deer hunters from around the state. Some were wondering what took so long to get a dedicated event for one of the biggest sports in Wisconsin.

"It's good to see a strictly deer-hunting event," Jason Morse said. "No question, it took way too long."


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