Artwork by
Dennis Murphy

For the students, by the students

March 14, 2004 - The 16th Annual Missouri Deer Classic was held at the Boone County Fair Grounds on March 13th and 14th. Close to 10,000 spectators came to this year's Classic to take in all it had to offer with hundreds of vendor booths, free seminars, and special displays. The seminars included Moose Hunting by T.R. Michels, Deer Biology by Lonnie Hansen and many others.

"I believe in volunteering in anything that helps the promotion and teaching of archery to the next generation, because I feel it is part of our heritage," David Williams, one of the volunteers at the Classic, said.

The MO Deer Classic is put on to help support three not for profit organizations: Missouri Bow Hunters Association, Archery Big Bucks, and Missouri Taxidermist Association; all profit realized from the Classic is split equally between the three. These three organizations are designed to help promote safe and smart hunters. They do this through a number of youth hunting classes they put on as well as scholarships; one such scholarship is set up for the University of Missouri wildlife biology majors.

"This is the 8th year I can remember coming to the Deer Classic and every year is more fun and more exciting than the last," 13 year-old spectator, Stewart Hayes, said. "I love coming here and spending all day learning new stuff about hunting."

"This is a fun family oriented activity where everyone can get involved," Don Roper, President of Archery Big Bucks and Vice-President of MO Bow Hunters, said. "I accredit this success to my wife, Claudette Roper, who has been involved in running the MO Deer Classic for the past 15 years. She is the spear head of the Deer Classic and is the real reason the Classic is what it is today."

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