Staff photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Shawn Atchison competes in the Southeastern Classic Turkey Calling Championships while Paul Davis, right, watches Sunday at the NorthWest Georgia Trade and Convention Center in Dalton as part of the Northwest Georgia Hunting and Fishing Expo.DALTON, Ga. -- There weren't any lions or tigers, but bear skins, deer antlers and even a mounted zebra head filled the hall this weekend during an outdoors expo at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center.
Roughly 2,000 nature enthusiasts came from as far away as southern Alabama to look at boats, show off their turkey and owl calls and give their children a chance to see some snakes at the Northwest Georgia Hunting and Fishing Expo.
"Let's not kid ourselves. We're all just a bunch of rednecks," joked Justin Medley, president of the Chattanooga Bass Association. "This time of the year, people get cabin fever. It's just a nice way for people to get out."
Medley said he talked to a couple hundred people about joining his organization and had seen hundreds of others who came to learn about everything from hunting and fishing to preparing the catch for meals.
That's one of the main points of the exposition, said Paul Davis, one of the event organizers.
Davis has judged National Wild Turkey Federation turkey call competitions for years and said he sensed a strong demand for such an event in Northwest Georgia.
"This area hadn't ever seen nothing like this," he said. "We thought we'd get something for the people up here."
Davis set to work last year organizing what became the expo. He drew enough vendors to the first event to fill half a hall at the convention center.
This year he packed a hall full with about 75 booths, still leaving space for a giant glass tub for bass fishing demonstrations and a NWTF-sanctioned turkey call competition.
Expert turkey callers from across the Southeast showed up for the $1,000 open division and $700 friction division prizes and a chance to qualify for the NWTF turkey calling championship.
Friction division competitors must make the best calls they can by rubbing two items, often wood, together. Open division competitors are allowed to use any combination of vocals, friction and other noise sources -- a feat that takes a while to perfect.
"Hours, months, these guys live it," Davis said. "It's kind of like a tune-up for turkey season."
But the expo wasn't all turkey calls and fish tales. Curious kids and grown-up reptile lovers could catch a snake show and even hold a serpent or two.
"There's so many misconceptions about snakes," said Jason Clark, president of Southeastern Reptile Rescue, after helping a few kids handle a 25-pound red-tailed boa constrictor. "We feel if we can get you to appreciate snakes, we can get you to appreciate all of nature."