By Heather LaRoi
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
Jim Ronquest, a veteran duck caller from Arkansas, has a few words of advice for anyone stopping by his favorite section of this weekend’s Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival in Oshkosh.
“It’s very noisy. Bring plenty of Tylenol,” said Ronquest, of Rich-N-Tone Duck Calls, with a laugh. “It’ll sound like you’re in a virtual (wildfowl) refuge with the tone turned up way high. You’re trying to emulate calling a flight of ducks way off in the distance with what we call a hail call. It’s very loud and high-pitched.
“If you’re the one making the racket, it’s fine.”
Ronquest expects to have plenty of company.
“We have absolutely blown the doors off the number of duck callers this year,” said festival chairman Jack Nugent, of Waupun. “There’s going to be more duck caller booths than you can shake a stick at. If you like the noise, come and enjoy.”
But duck callers are just one small part of the action when the seventh annual Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival gets underway Friday at the Experimental Aircraft Association Convention Grounds in Oshkosh. The festival, which is touted as the largest outdoor festival of its kind in the world, runs through Sunday.
“Certainly hunting and fishing are a big part of outdoor recreation but of our nine interactive villages, that’s only two of them,” Nugent said. “We still have seven others. We have myriad different things to do that don’t necessarily have anything to do with hunting and fishing.”
Boasting a huge variety of activities, seminars, demonstrations and exhibitions, there should be something for everyone in the family — including the family dog — at the festival.
The event drew more than 77,000 people last year and Nugent wouldn’t be surprised to see those numbers go up this year.
“Wisconsin venues have been blessed with big crowds this year,” he said. “Summerfest was up, the state fair was up, EAA was up tremendously. The Department of Tourism just reported to us that we’re getting a lot of visitors from Minnesota and Illinois. They’re not flying so much because of the fuel prices, and they’re not driving out West.”
He hopes for good weather but if not, well, the show goes on.
“You have to remember the middle name is ‘outdoors,’” he said.
What to expect at the Duck’s Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival
The Villages: The festival has nine different villages, each with its own displays and lineup of activities. Village themes and some of the highlights include the following:
• Archery Village — Hands-on activities cater to all skill levels. The Bowhunter Challenge is a 3-D target bowhunting competition. Byron Ferguson, master of the longbow, will give demonstrations and offer tips throughout the festival.
• ATV Village — Visitors can test drive the latest ATVs on a specially designed dirt track complete with mud pits, hills, ruts and logs. Or try out the rugged utility vehicles.
• Biking and Camping Village — Climb rock walls or test ride the latest makes and models of mountain bikes on a specially-designed off-road course. The newest camping equipment and gear also will be on display.
• Conservation Village — Local, regional and national conservations groups and organizations will be on hand. The Conservation Village is also the site of the popular chili and salsa contest.
• Exhibitor Village — From gadgets to gear, this is where to find the latest for all hunting, fishing and camping pursuits. The Exhibitor Village is also the place for cooking demonstrations, where local chefs whip up wild-game dishes.
• Fishing Village — Learn the latest fly-fishing, spin casting and bait casting techniques. Or paddle a canoe or kayak around the lake.
• Off-Road/4x4 Village — Rev up the engines and test drive the latest trucks and SUVs on a specially-designed off-road track.
• Shooting Sports Village — The newest shotguns, rifles and handguns on the market will be on display, along with demonstrations from world-renowned shooters. Tom Knapp, considered one of the top exhibition shooters around, will perform throughout the festival. Cowboy Action Shooters recreate the “Old West” with their own brand of shooting demonstrations.
• Sporting Dog Village — Home of the DockDogs Big Air Competition, where dogs get a chance to set the new world record in canine long jump and win $5,000. Experts also will share training tips and techniques.
Getting around: Yes, the festival is spread out over a huge area but there are five trams that constantly circulate around the grounds to take you where you want to go.
“There’s places on some of the trams for wheelchairs and for strollers and so forth,” Nugent said. “Each of the trams also has a conductor that is knowledgeable of the grounds and tells people what’s going on.”
Because the event gets a significant amount of repeat visitors, he points out that “We’ve been very careful not to do too much tinkering with layout so people know where things are. Everybody’s pretty much in the same spot.”
What’s new this year: Top outdoor experts from national publications such as In-Fisherman, Wildfowl, Petersen’s Hunting and Guns & Ammo, will present seminars and offer tips and
techniques on a wide range of topics.
As a sampling, Craig Boddington of Guns & Ammo and Petersen’s Hunting will present “The New Magnum Cartridges,” with information on how the new cartridges fit into different hunting needs. Rob Neumann of Walleye In-Sider and In-Fisherman will present “What Science Says About Walleyes.”
Presentations will take place throughout the three-day festival.
Just for kids: Each village has a special Kid Zone with activities and equipment for young outdoor enthusiasts to try. Look for the Kid Zone banners. Some favorites to try include bow and arrow shooting in the Archery Village, rock climbing or test riding bikes in the Biking & Camping Village, shooting a .22 or pellet guns at the Kids’ Range in the Shooting Sports Village, and petting the ducklings or doing crafts in the Conservation Village.
“One of the old favorites always is the catfish tank,” Nugent said. “Kids can catch a catfish and they can release it or, if they can convince mother, they can take it home and fry it up.”
Plus, there’s always hot dogs and cotton candy.
More for kids: The festival also features “Passport to Adventure,” put on by “Into the Outdoors,” a weekly Wisconsin-based television series aimed at kids. How it works is that each child receives a passport on entering the grounds. He or she can then earn passport stamps by completing designated activities. Kids who complete seven of the 10 designated events can turn in their passports for a chance to win prizes.
What’s new for kids: The Biking & Camping Village gives kids the chance to operate remote-controlled four-wheel-drive Rock Crawlers.
For the dogs: “You’ll see dogs here of all shapes and sizes,” Nugent said. “As long as they’re on a lead and have been vaccinated, they’re certainly welcome. In fact, we encourage it.”
He does discourage people from bringing puppies to the festival, however.
“It’s because of the stress that can be put on them, particularly if it’s a little bit warm,” he said. “It’s just not a good place for a puppy.”
Dogs on a lead get free admission.
The Sporting Dog Village also features retriever and handler demonstrations.
— Heather LaRoi writes for the Appleton Post-Crescent