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Our 2007 Show Wrap Up

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Outdoors lovers take aim at this title

Competition will test shooting, casting and other skills.

By Christian Berg
Of The Morning Call

The ranks of hunters and fishermen are filled with colorful characters who have plenty of tall tales about their accomplishments.

If you ask about a recent outdoor adventure, you're likely to hear a story about the perfect, 250-yard rifle shot made on a running buck or the 8-pound largemouth that was landed after a grueling, 45-minute fight on 2-pound test line.
Entertaining as they are, those stories do little to prove actual woodsmanship and angling prowess. And, at least until now, there was no practical way for local outdoorsmen to prove once and for all just who is the best.

All that will change June 24 with the first-ever Mr./Mrs. Lehigh Valley Outdoorsman Competition. The event, open to competitors ages 16 and up, will be held during the new Lehigh Valley Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza at the Kempton Fairgrounds in Berks County.

The free competition will test the mettle of local outdoorsmen in nine events. Top competitors in the first five events — .22-caliber rifle shooting, archery, rod casting, black powder shooting and a multiple-choice test of outdoor knowledge — will move on to compete in the finals, which will include deer dragging, tomahawk throwing, log chopping and treestand climbing.

Preliminary competition will take place from 8 a.m.-noon, with the finals from 1-4 p.m. Trophies will be presented to first-, second- and third-place finishers in the men's and women's divisions. First-place winners also will be given the title of Mr. or Mrs. Lehigh Valley Outdoorsman, which essentially affords them an entire year's worth of undisputed bragging rights.

''It ought to be a lot of fun for people that are in it, and it's going to be fun for people who are watching it,'' extravaganza organizer Bob Danenhower Sr. said. ''The main events are going to be set up at the bottom of a hillside that's all grass. People can sit there and watch the events. We'll have a public address system and the whole nine yards.''

The Mr./Mrs. Lehigh Valley Outdoorsman Competition is being organized by Matt Bednar of Whitehall Township and Jen Rapchak of Coplay. The boyfriend-girlfriend duo loves the outdoors and said the events will be a fun way for people to get more involved in the show.

''We think the competition is going to get serious among some of the people,'' Bednar said. ''It's bragging rights for sportsmen in our area.''

Rapchak, an avid deer hunter, said she's already recruited several female friends to help out with the event and hopes lots of women will sign up to compete.

''It's going to show that women can get out there just like the men can,'' Rapchak said. ''I think there's more women out there who would love to do it. They just need to know that it's OK, and there are other women out there who can help them get involved.''

Although men and women will compete in the same events, they will be tailored for each class of competitor.

''I realize we are going to need different bows for the women and things like that,'' Rapchak said. ''They will still have to achieve the same level, but there are ways we can tailor it to encourage women to be involved.''

Regardless of whether competitors are male or female, Danenhower said, the competition will rely as much, or more, on skill as it does brute strength.

''The neat thing about this event is you don't have to be muscle-bound to win,'' Danenhower said. ''It will help to be physically fit, but if you can score high on the skills and have a little bit of luck on your side, you could walk away winning.''

The outdoor skills competition is one of many attractions that will take place during the Lehigh Valley Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza, which will occur June 23-25 at the Kempton Fairgrounds. The extravaganza, sponsored by Rothrock Motors, will also feature 3-D archery shoots, running deer archery target, outdoor flea market, trout fishing pond, Lehigh Valley big buck display, frontier-style primitive encampment, trapping demonstrations, a laser shooting simulator, expert seminars and more.
Admission is $4 for adults, $1 for children ages 8-12 and free for children under 8. Parking is free.
There is no entry fee for the Mr./Mrs. Lehigh Valley Outdoorsman Competition, but pre-registration is required. The entry deadline is June 19. To sign up, visit the Lehigh Valley Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza Web site at http://www.lvhfe.com or mail your name, age, address and telephone number to: MLVO Competition, 4642 Kernsville Rd., Orefield, PA, 18069. Participants must pick up their competitor packet and free extravaganza entry pass at the admissions gate.