The fourth annual Oklahoma Wildlife Expo is slated for Sept. 26-28, but those planning to attend can pre-register now for the event at wildlifedepartment.com and secure their chance at one of several great prizes.

“Tens of thousands of people show up to the Expo each year, but those who take a few extra minutes to pre-register may be real glad they did,” said Rhonda Hurst, Expo coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “We’re giving away a lifetime combination hunting and fishing license and a John Deere Gator from P&K equipment. These are valuable prizes, but you can’t win them unless you log on to wildlifedepartment.com and pre-register.”

The Expo is a free three-day event hosted by the Wildlife Department and designed to perpetuate an interest in the outdoors and conservation through hands-on education and learning opportunities. Visitors to the Expo have the opportunity to shoot shotguns and archery equipment, catch a fish, ride an ATV or mountain bike, float in a kayak, build a birdhouse and more. Additionally, more than a hundred booths and activities are available that are designed to expose visitors to different outdoor pursuits and educational opportunities, and seminars are held on a number of wildlife and outdoor topics ranging from land management to training hunting dogs.

Expo visitors can also see what the Outdoor Marketplace has to offer. The huge shopping area gives the Expo’s outdoor-minded guests a place to shop for the latest in outdoor products and services that cater to their lifestyles, while providing vendors a place to showcase their goods to the people that will want to buy them.

According to Blake Shelton, country music star and special guest at the Expo last year, there is no excuse not to check out the Expo.

“If you and your family don’t come out to the Expo, you’re going to really miss out on a fun time,” Shelton said. “The Expo is the perfect family event its fun, its free and I’ll guarantee your kids will be tired at the end of the day.”

This year, Oklahoma native country music singer Devin Derrick will be sharing his passion for the outdoors and singing on Saturday and Sunday at the Expo. Ada musician Clancy Davis also will perform on Sunday.

The Wildlife Department works with a range of organizations, individuals and outdoor-related companies to host the Expo — an event intended to promote and develop appreciation for Oklahoma’s wildlife and natural resources.

To pre-register for the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.