Hunting industry professionals went into the 2011 show season on pins and needles, wondering if this would be another year of flat sales with hunters merely “window shopping” for future seasons. Well, if the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Convention and the new African Hunting Show in early January are any indication, hunters are ready to put down their money and pack their gear for this very season.
The DSC Convention kicked things off in Dallas, January 6-9, with reported record-breaking growth and attendance. According to DSC Executive Director Ben Carter, show attendance was up 23 percent, with a total of 32,000 attendees, 12 percent more exhibitors and 12 percent more square footage of exhibit space. Additionally, Carter reports a 15 percent growth in new DSC members.
While all that is highly positive, the most important indicators of increased hunting consumer activity were reports from hunting operators, who said that bookings at the show for 2011 were up significantly from the previous two years.....
