OUT AND ABOUT: Thousands drawn to annual outdoorsman show

WASILLA — If you were among the thousands to stroll through the 2012 Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show Saturday, you may have thought that 10-foot alligator was alive.

Nope.

Maybe you thought that mountain goat was ready to jump off his rocky perch.

Nope.

Or those African antelope just wandered into the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center.

Nope, it’s just Dan Williams. Well, the work of Palmer taxidermist Dan Williams, one of dozens of exhibitors at the show.

Like California taxidermist Chuck Testa who recently found pop-culture fame on YouTube, Williams specializes in “the most lifelike dead animals” in the Valley. And for those itching to shake off the winter doldrums in the vast Mat-Su outdoors, the annual Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show is a great kick-start. Whether you’re into hunting, fishing or motorized recreation, the Menard’s the place to be this weekend.

And many of those packing the sports center find themselves admiring Williams’ work.

Friends Tammy and Jay Morck were taking in the 10-foot, 6-inch alligator and recalling the gifts Williams and his wife, Kim, brought back from Florida from that hunting trip.

“She brought us back a head and a backscratcher made out of a leg,” Tammy Morck said. “Actually, it looks pretty freaky.”

She also said the large specimen on display at the show makes her happy the Valley is far removed from the Everglades. “I’m glad it’s found in the Lower 48, that’s for sure,” she said.

While the large gator is a good visual hook, Williams said being at the show also helps connect with hunters and remind them to be prepared before they go out into the wild.

“Actually, they should get in and see us before going on the hunt,” he said, “because a lot of times they get out there and they don’t take enough salt to prep the hide and they get stuck out there. You have to take care of the hide, turn the hooves, the lips and ears.”

Although much of the winter wildlife news has been dominated with the plight of moose herds in the Valley, Williams said the large herbivores make up a fraction of his business.

“Bear’s the biggest by far,” he said. “It’s the easiest to get and we get more bears out here than anything.”

Those needing to knock of a little rust before going after those bears were lining up around the corner from Williams at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game booth, which features information on hunting in Alaska and an interactive training system. With the system, show-goers use rifles outfitted with digital sensors and take aim at wildlife nonchalantly munching underbrush on a screen about 10 feet away.

Shooters are scored on a 0-10 scale depending on where their shots “hit” the animals. There’s no charge, and casual observation showed many kids outshooting adults stepping up to the table.

Like 11-year-old Anna Van Diest, who was nearly spot-on with her steady hand. “It was fun,” she said. “It think I got some good shots. The best one is right behind the shoulder, because that’s the best place to hit it.”

Van Diest said she’s has plenty of practice hunting with her family, and the Fish and Game training tool is “a lot easier than real hunting.” There’s another big difference, she said — while on the screen she’s bagging moose and Dall sheep, her real experiences so far have netted her a squirrel.

“I skinned that out,” she said.

Whether you’re looking for a few healthy snacks to take outdoors this summer or a new RV or boat, the show’s variety is what attracts many, like Valley resident Jake Smith.

“I really like those boats,” he said about a display in the sports center’s parking lot. “They’re eye-catching, but my wife would kill me if I tried to buy something that big.”

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

IF YOU GO

What: 2012 Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show

When: Continues today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Wasilla

Admission: $5; free for those with military ID and children under 12