NRA’s 2025 Great American Outdoor Show Starts Saturday

If you had any doubt about the popularity of the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show (GAOS), its 2025 NRA Country Concert is already sold out and the show doesn’t even open until Saturday. Those lucky enough to have grabbed tickets in advance online will enjoy a performance by Riley Green with special guest John Morgan. Hunters of every kind, though, can still find more than enough to make the cost of a ticket to what is billed as “the greatest outdoor show in the world” worth the price. GAOS “celebrates hunting, fishing and outdoor traditions treasured by millions of Americans and their families.”

The show runs Feb. 1-9 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, 2300 North Cameron St. in Harrisburg, Pa. You will definitely want to download the 2025 Great American Outdoor Show App for your iPhone or Android smartphone. You’re going to need it, just to navigate through the nine halls of firearms; hunting, archery and fishing equipment; boats and recreational vehicles; and 400-plus outfitter and captain booths. The daily offering of seminars is plentiful, but don’t get complacent. While some speakers repeat their presentations throughout the week, some only speak once. In the app, you can schedule the talks you want to attend and set reminders for yourself with enough time to get to the right room.

Some of the seminars include “Tracking and Stalking Whitetails,” “Venison Skinning & Butchering” and “Big Bucks, Big Bulls, Big Mistakes,” which explores the realities of television hunting shows. In “Understanding Deer Personalities in the Wild,” Lee Ellis discusses how individual deer traits influence social dynamics, mating rituals and survival strategies. Turkey hunters might like “Hunting Turkeys Like A Professional” or “Turkey Tips & Tactics.” You can see each day’s presentations listed on the website, but the app is handy for reminders and mapping. Some of this year’s presenters include Melissa Bachman, host of the TV series “Winchester Deadly Passion”; Phillip Culpepper, host of the eponymous “Hunt Club”; Seek One, recognized for urban bowhunting adventures; Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, co-hosts of “Archer’s Choice”; veteran turkey caller and hunter Eddie Salter; and Nate Hosie, co-host of “HeadHunters TV.”

All ticket prices include an NRA membership. A one-day pass and one-year membership costs $35 per person. Prices go up from there, but so do the savings on membership. For example, you can save $15 on a three-year membership or, most significantly, $750 on a Life membership, valued at $1,500. You might also want to consider that The NRA Foundation hosts its family-friendly Sportsmen’s Auction at 5:30 p.m. this Friday, Jan. 31, in the upstairs PA Preferred Ballroom. Tables of eight range from $1,500 to $5,000 and some include a choice of firearm. The silent auction includes limited-edition merchandise, firearms, knives, art, jewelry and more. Add game tables and great food and this becomes a not-to-be-missed networking event and a great way to support The NRA Foundation and its mission to preserve American values and traditions, including safe and responsible firearm ownership.

Maybe the best part about GAOS for you is booking your next hunting adventure, and it’s extremely helpful that all the hunting outfitters are in one hall. Booth numbers are included in the alphabetical listing of hunting guides and outfitters. Whether on a desktop or the app, you have access to My Planner, which allows you to schedule in advance who you want to visit prior to going to the show. That way your time on the floor is not wasted, and you can decide if you need more than one day at the show. For instance, suppose you want to hunt in Alaska. Type “hunting, Alaska” in the Exhibitors List page search bar and you should get eight results, one of which is fishing. Research those other seven outfitters and pick the few that seem best suited to your skills, stamina and wallet. Make contact. Send an email or call to let them know the dates you’re considering and that you’re serious about booking. Ask if they’ll have any deals available during the show. At the show, talk to those guides first. If you don’t have any luck, you already have a Plan B built into your research.

If you want to try 3D target archery before you buy a setup, then know that there are lanes set up for you to do just that. Archers can also enter the GAOS Spot Challenge or the 3D Bowhunting Challenge all day Saturday, opening day of the show. Family members not into hunting? No problem. Send them to the Dock Dog Competition. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing dogs long-jumping and high-jumping into a pool? The Pennsylvania Lumberjack Competition is also held onsite on opening day. So, needless to say, it’s best to go on Saturday and plan extra days accordingly. Don’t forget to buy a raffle ticket at The NRA Foundation’s Wall of Guns event. You could win one of more than 40 firearms—pistols, rifles and shotguns—displayed on the wall. One ticket is drawn for every 100 sold, which are good odds in an event that last year drew 200,000 people. (If you win, your firearm will be transferred to your local Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL).

Whether you win a firearm or any of the competitions, you’ll win just by being front and center at a show that values hunters and this nation’s great hunting tradition.