Get ready for the up coming 25th Annual Field & Stream-Outdoor Life Illinois Deer & Turkey Expo! It's just around the corner!

The 25th annual Field & Stream-Outdoor Life Illinois Deer & Turkey Expo will return to the Prairie Capital Convention Center (PCCC) in Springfield, IL, from February 20-22, 2015.  The expo has made several upgrades for attendees that will make it easier for everyone to tour the expo exhibit floor, see the trophy deer contest display and enjoy all the how-to deer and turkey hunting seminars that the weekend has to offer.

Modifications and expansion at the Prairie Capital Convention Center are now complete, resulting in a larger lobby, more exhibit space on the street-level floor, more available space on the lower-level floor for exhibits, trophy deer display, and other activities.   With an expanded floor plan, more than 285 exhibit booths of hunting products, accessories and more outdoor lifestyle products will be sold. 

An ‘Ask the Experts’ Info Center will be available to attendees, allowing any and all questions to be answered. Outdoor Life will hold a trophy whitetail deer contest, where entries can be taken from noon on Friday, to 10:00 a.m. Sunday.  Seminars will be held all three days, ranging from how-to’s on hunting topics, to food plot development and habitat improvement.  New products will have a specialty display area, an Outdoor photo contest will be open to amateur photographer attendees, a Trail Camera photo contest is open to everyone, and chainsaw carving demonstrations will be held daily, along with flint knapping.

Other highlights include an Optics hands-on tryout area with expert help, hands-on shooting with archery, airguns, bow tryout area, archery range and exhibitor shooting booths in the Archery Pavilion.  Attendees can learn to shoot a longbow on Friday night, with an instructional session from Byron Ferguson.  The Illinois State Turkey Calling & Owl Hooting Championship will take place on Saturday, February 21.

Dozens of Door Prizes will be given away with drawings daily at the Field & Stream – Outdoor Life booth, plus spin-and-win for prizes at the booth.  As a bonus, a free one-year subscription to Field & Stream or Outdoor Life is included with paid admission.  Home defense readiness and demonstrations will be present.  Wild game cooking demonstrations will also take place during the weekend’s festivities. 

The expo opens Friday, February 20, at 2:00 pm and closes Sunday, February 22 at 4:00 pm.   Daily hours are:  Friday, 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm; Saturday, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm, and Sunday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Free on-site parking will be provided for advance ticket buyers, plus detailed maps can be found on the expo website to help guide visitors to the convention center around the show floor.  On-street signage will guide attendees to 3,000 parking spaces located within five blocks of the expo.

For advance ticket purchase information and all expo details, go to www.deerinfo.com/Illinois and click on Tickets.  The website includes a downloadable $3 ticket discount coupon on adult and military admission prices.  Yamaha, Lucas Oil, Remington and Dick Cepek are official sponsors of the event.