7th Annual QDMA National Convention & Whitetail Expo is May 31 - June 3 in Chattanooga

Written By - 724outdoor.com - 05/23/2007

Link to Original Article here

Bogart, Ga. - The Quality Deer Management Associations 7th Annual National Convention & Whitetail Expo will take place May 31  June 3 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The event offers the chance for everyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting to learn cutting-edge techniques from the experts who are at the forefront of deer and wildlife management, and deer hunting.

The entire Convention is open to the public, and registration is available online at www.QDMA.com. Click on the banner for the QDMA National Convention & Whitetail Expo to download information and registration forms. Be sure to download the special discount coupon for the Whitetail Expo.

Think Tank

From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., on Thursday, May 31, the Think Tank will focus on the impacts of feral hogs and of deer predators like bears and coyotes on deer populations and habitat. Speakers include Dr. Gary Alt, former big game biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, who managed the Keystone State?s bear and whitetail programs during his career; Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Biologist Chris Jaworowski, who has developed highly effective techniques for controlling feral hogs on Alabama public lands he manages.

Professional trapper Robert Waddell, from Memphis, Missouri, will discuss coyote behavior and advanced control techniques, and Dr. Karl Miller of the University of Georgia will talk about the latest research on the impact of coyotes on deer populations and Quality Deer Management programs.

Research Sessions

Research sessions covering advanced concepts in whitetail herd management and advanced concepts in habitat management are scheduled for the morning and afternoon of Friday, June 1, respectively.

Included in the herd-management session, which runs from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., will be presentations on scrape behavior in buck-dominated deer populations; doe survival and movement with respect to hunter density and activities; factors relating to buck breeding success; and how to maximize the use of scouting cameras.

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., habitat management becomes the focus with presentations on food plot placement and habitat management to hold bucks on small properties; improving forage quality and abundance through forest management practices; native warm-season grasses and their value to deer-management programs; and how habitat diversity increases deer sightings.

Whitetail Expo presented by Bass Pro Shops

Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, the QDMA Whitetail Expo presented by Bass Pro Shops offers something for the whole family. You can meet top hunting and management experts, including Brad Farris and Troy Ruiz, from Primos Game Calls; Tennessean Brenda Valentine, the First Lady of Hunting; Hunter?s Specialties Pro Staffer Alex Rutledge; habitat experts Dr. Grant Woods and Neil Dougherty; Olympic Gold Medal-winning shotgunner Kim Rhode; Chuck Sykes, host of ?The Management Advantage? television series; and many others.

You?ll also get to tour the Bass Pro Shops King of Bucks Truck, a mobile museum that features some of the largest whitetails ever taken. There also will be a huge display of big game mounts by members of the Tennessee Taxidermy Association. There?s a special area just for kids in the show, where they can have fun and learn about deer, hunting and the outdoors.

Don?t be surprised to see Chattanooga Lookouts mascot Looie the Lookout in the Expo, too!

Exhibitors in the show include Mossy Oak camo and BioLogic, Smith & Wesson, Hunter?s Specialties, Primos Game Calls, Trophy Rock, Summit ATV Implements and dozens of others.

Chattanooga?s WUSY-FM ? US 101 ? is the QDMA?s official radio partner for the event. US 101 will broadcast live from the Expo, and will register listeners and show attendees to win a complete hunting package that includes a Mathews bow, a Thompson/Center muzzleloader, Mossy Oak camo and other gear.

Other highlights

On Friday June 1, the QDMA Hunt Auction Luncheon will offer dozens of hunts for deer and other game at live auction. The Friday Night Welcome Party presented by Cabela?s will celebrate Chattanooga?s rich history and feature entertainment by nationally renowned comedian T. Bubba Bechtol.

The Annual QDMA Awards will be presented Saturday morning during a breakfast presented by the Outdoor Channel that features Rhode as the keynote speaker. And Saturday night?s Grand Banquet & Auction will offer more than $250,000 in raffles, silent and live auctions that will include trips, guns, wildlife art, management equipment and other valuable items.

On Sunday morning, the QDMA will hold a Member Appreciation Breakfast presented by API Treestands that will feature API Founder Paul Meeks as the keynote speaker.

Registration and Tickets

Full Convention registration remains open, and tickets for every event are available ?a la carte? from the QDMA. All events are open to the public, and order forms and details are available online at www.QDMA.com. You can also order tickets by calling the QDMA toll-free at (800) 209-3337.

About the QDMA

Founded in 1988, the QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with 45,000 members in all 50 states and several foreign countries. Membership in the QDMA is open to anyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting, and committed to ethical hunting, sound deer management and the preservation of the deer-hunting heritage. To learn more about the QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call (800) 209-DEER [(800) 209-3337] or visit www.QDMA.com.