PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — More than 60 vendors and 2,000 visitors turned out for the annual Spring Sportsman’s Show, held over the weekend at The Forum in Presque Isle.
The event, originally slated for March, had been rescheduled due to weather.
The show is the largest fundraiser for the Aroostook Sportsman Association, the new nonprofit sister organization of the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club. It’s one of Maine’s three largest outdoors expositions, which include Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show in Orono and the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show in Augusta.
“I spent a lot of time on the floor talking to people as they came out, and they seemed to be quite pleased with the show,” said co-coordinator Bob True, who organized the event with fellow Aroostook Sportsman Association member Nick Archer. “We had a very good turnout.”
Attendance was about half of last year’s, which True attributed to nice weather on Saturday and other events on the same day, such as Madawaska’s Top O’ Maine Trade Show and a large craft fair in Mapleton. Still, visitors were happy and vendors have already committed to return next year, he said.
On Saturday afternoon, people of all ages roamed the aisles and visited with wood crafters, fly-tyers, guides, Maine Fish and Wildlife staff and conservation experts.
At the Aroostook Chapter Maine Trappers Association booth, Jerry Dow of Presque Isle talked with visitors and pointed out some of the different pelts chapter members have harvested, from coyote to silver fox, marten to mink.
Meanwhile, excited young anglers fished for trout at the crowded L.L. Bean-sponsored fish pond. Some watched with rapt attention as adults showed them how to hold their poles, and others jiggled their lines in hopes of a nibble.
All the games are a hit with kids, but the fish pond is always the most popular, True said. The trout were furnished by the fish hatchery at Micmac Farms of Caribou.
Games also included electronic shooting ranges and hunting simulations. New this year, an air archery range donated by the McCrum family of Washburn and Mars Hill proved quite popular, True said.
Among the new vendors this year were a Fort Kent sports center, a wood crafter from southern Maine and 14-year-old fly tyer Carter Ouellette.
At the show’s end, winners were drawn for prizes sponsored by the Aroostook Sportsman Association. Kate Theriault (hometown unknown) and Elliot Lee of Smyrna Mills won BB guns. Bicycles went to Zachary Jackson of Caribou, Emma Sendaron of Caribou, Bristol Antworth of the Presque Isle area and Kevin Hayden (hometown unknown).
Aiden Dillon of Limestone won the grand prize of a canoe.
Presque Isle Fish and Game and Aroostook Sportsman Association members will meet soon to discuss the show and start making plans for next year, True said.
The show worked out, thanks to being able to share The Forum with Aroostook Friends of NRA on Saturday, but they likely won’t hold it this late again.
“We’ll probably do it a little sooner,” True said. “We’re hoping to come back even bigger next year. The vendors were very happy and had a lot of positive feedback.”
