Big Buck Classic: Show and tell for hunters, others

The Arkansas Big Buck Classic sounds like a deer hunting extravaganza. And that’s how it started. But it has evolved into something bigger and broader.

“You don’t have to be a hunter to come,” says Tommy Murchison, founder and director of the event with his wife, Catherine. “It’s not just for the guys and their little boys. The show encompasses a lot more than that.”

Yes, there’s a live deer show, the Monster Whitetails of Arkansas Display and the display and competition of hundreds of antlers and mounts from hunters across the state. The display of antlers from the most recent hunting season is a “staple” of the show, a sort of show and tell for hunters.

“What it’s grown into is a family event with something for everyone,” Murchison says.

There are dozens of vendors selling all types of outdoor equipment and, Murchison promises that this year: “We’ve probably got as diverse a set of vendors as we’ve ever had.”

There will also be RV and ATV displays, a bow fishing shoot tank, a youth bow shooting range, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Aquarium and a knife show.

The heart of the event is the white-tailed deer, but it’s not the only animal around.

For the second year, Gary Saurage of Gator Country will present a live alligator show. The Fetch N Fish Dog Show will feature talented dogs performing and demonstrating their skills while Bwana Jim shares stories and introduces young guests to a variety of

snakes, birds and other critters at the Live Animal Interactive Kids’ Show. Meanwhile, Joe Martin’s Snakes of Texas gets up-close and personal with rattlesnakes, a major draw every year.

A few activities, like the bounce houses, have additional fees. Taster cups for Saturday’s Big Buzz Chili Cookoff benefiting Shriners Hospital for Children are $5. The climbing wall is $5 for every two climbs with money going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation; it’s the ninth time the event has funded a wish.

“We always make sure we grant a wish,” Murchison says.

Otherwise, participation is covered in general admission, which Murchison says goes toward causes, such as special projects for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The event averages 36,000-38,000 visitors each year and Murchison says thousands of those are children eager to see the animal shows or try out some of the new hunting gear.

The Big Buck Classic has gotten big enough that it sprawls across the State Fairgrounds, taking up the Hall of Industry, the Arts & Crafts Building, the Farm & Ranch Youth Building and Barton Coliseum.