by Karen Mehall Phillips - Friday, January 6, 2017
Pictured above: Three-month-old Reagan from Rockwell, Texas, attends her first DSC show with Mom and Dad and their friends.
Part of the fun of attending a Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Adventure Convention & Sporting Expo is that you never know who you’ll see on the show floor. Within the first few minutes on day two, I’d already chatted with noted hunter and NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum member Tony Makris, now launching the 23rd season of his award-winning “Under Wild Skies” hunting show. I turned around and recognized a family who I met on my plane to Dallas as they shopped for elk ivory jewelry for Mom. It’s a small world considering I grew up 45 minutes away from their hometown of Bowie, Md. But it’s an especially small world when it comes to the universal bonds forged amongst us hunters who simply want to enjoy the great outdoors.
“DSC is a great close to the holiday season and is the perfect gathering for our hunting family,” said Tony Makris. “For me, every year is like coming home for the holidays. It’s happening right now. Please join us!”
All things considered, perhaps that is the best part of a DSC show—hunters coming together simply because we love hunting and want to support our fellow hunters, hunting and wildlife conservation into the future for the good of game and non-game species alike.
And speaking of the future, I’d say it’s in good hands after meeting young hunter Kaylee Ann Stacy, who at age 10 dreams of chasing kudu and is already a DSC Life member. I enjoyed chatting with her and her Aunt Mary, who I'd met at the DSC Ladies Luncheon and Auction as we rushed to bid on a few of the hunting trips, wildlife art, collectibles and other goodies up for grabs. Back on the show floor, I caught a glimpse of pro golfer Sergio Garcia from Spain. Was he here to book a Spanish ibex hunt or was he scoping out his next U.S. big-game hunting adventure?
As for why this show is so special, DSC Executive Director Ben Carter explained, "We have the best expo of its kind,” referring to the 1,800 booths and seminars going on this week. “We've got the best guides, outfitters, gunmakers, wildlife artists, clothiers, hunting vehicles, celebrities and everything else you can imagine in the outdoor world."
The DSC Adventure Convention and Sporting Expo at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, 650 South Griffin St., continues through Sun., Jan. 8. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Trust me: It’s an event no hunter will want to miss! For more details, click here.