CASPER—  A day outside is a great way to learn new skills, have fun and connect with family, friends or just yourself.  The Wyoming Game and Fish Department hopes you’ll start your outdoor adventures at the Wyoming Hunting & Fishing Heritage Expo, Sept. 11-13 in Casper.

The Expo, held at the Casper Events Center and surrounding shooting complexes, is a free educational event for all ages and skill levels featuring activities like shooting, fishing, canoeing and archery.  The event provides more than 150 hands-on activities, exhibits and demonstrations designed to help more people understand and participate in Wyoming’s hunting, fishing and wildlife watching heritage.  The Expo is hosted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

This marks the 11th annual Expo, and will feature a change in dates.  Typically the Expo had been held the weekend after Labor Day and was a Friday, Saturday and Sunday event.

“The format and fun of the Expo hasn’t changed, but we’ve altered our dates in hopes of attracting more schools to this premier educational event,” explains Wendy Hayes, conservation education manager for the Game and Fish and coordinator of the Expo.  “By hosting the Expo later in September and offering it Thursday through Saturday, we hope more schools will be able to attend and learn about Wyoming’s wildlife and wild places.  We want everyone to understand the importance of wildlife and wildlife habitat to Wyoming and to have the chance to learn outdoor skills and stewardship.”

The first two days of Expo are structured for school groups. Students of all ages are invited to attend.  Call the Game and Fish for more information.  All through the three-day event, students age 10-18 can pursue the Youth Shooting Pentathlon by participating in shotgunning, .22 rifle, muzzleloader, pellet gun and archery. Participants completing the pentathlon receive a certificate and have their name entered in prize drawings.  The first 1,000 students completing the aquatic outdoor skills stations on Saturday receive a free fishing pole, donated by the North Platte Walleyes.

Special features of the 2008 Expo include the LaRamie River Black Powder Brigade Mountain Man Camp; Michael Band Hand Terry: Native Americans of the West; Eastman’s Hunting Journal world-class trophy deer display and trophy scorer; Safari Club International’s Sensory Safari; National Wild Turkey Federation’s Grand Slam Turkey Display; and demonstrations by Laramie Peak Hunting Retriever club and Wyoming State Trap Shooting Champion Mary King.

“We’re also excited to partner with the BLM’s National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, which is located next door to the Casper Events Center,” adds Hayes.  “Expo participants can take a wagon ride to visit the Interpretive Center and watch Pony Express Rider demonstrations.  Activities like this and the mountain man camp, atl-atl throwing or the bear trail will help demonstrate the value and depth of Wyoming’s rich outdoor heritage.

More than 131,000 people have attended the Expo in the past ten years. Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.  Volunteers are still needed to help instruct some of the activities.

For more information, visit the Game and Fish’s Web site at or call (888) EXPO-WYO.