OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Few snacks have the unique flavor and ability to conjure up good memories and excitement for the outdoors like the ever popular treat known as jerky, which will be celebrated at this year’s Oklahoma Wildlife Expo through hands-on learning seminars that teach visitors how to refine their own jerky-making skills.
Put simply, jerky is dried meat. But there are many ways to create the delicious mixture of flavors, texture and satisfaction enjoyed by sportsmen who know how create their own nutritious snack from game meat they harvested themselves. The nutritional value, resistance to spoilage, and versatility of jerky has been known most likely for centuries and was used by early Native Americans and explorers as a high-energy food.
At this year’s Expo, slated for Sept. 25-26, visitors can learn about a variety of techniques, equipment and game meats used for making jerky, and they can sample different types of jerky as well at one of several seminars hosted at the event.
In fact, in addition to trying their hand at all kinds of outdoor activities like shotgun shooting, kayaking and mountain biking, visitors can enjoy a range of outdoor cooking and learning opportunities. The Expo’s popular Taste of the Wild booth offers wild game samplings like fried catfish, venison bacon and buffalo chili. Last year thousands of pounds of wild game samples were prepared and handed out free to Expo visitors, making the booth one of the most popular exhibits at the Expo.
Visitors can stop at the booth as they work their way through more than 100 booths and activities set up at the Lazy E Arena, just north of Oklahoma City.
Additionally, Expo visitors can try Dutch-oven-prepared food samples in a camp setting as well as attend seminars on Dutch oven cooking.
The Wildlife Expo is Oklahoma’s largest outdoor recreation event, offering guests the chance to try shooting sports, ride mountain bikes and ATVs, catch fish in a fully-stocked pond, experience kayaking, attend seminars and more — all for free.
“If you like sampling good outdoor food, you need to come to the Expo,” said Rhonda Hurst, Expo coordinator for the Wildlife Department. “Booths and seminars serving up good food and teaching you how to improve your own outdoor cooking skills are a favorite at the Expo, but on top of that there are so many other reasons to attend, like watching a child learn to bait a line and catch a fish, or taking a friend or spouse to learn how to shoot a shotgun and hit a moving clay target.”
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation partners with a wide range of other state agencies, private individuals and outdoor-related companies to host Expo every year. The huge event is designed to provide hands-on learning opportunities for all types of outdoor enthusiasts while promoting and instilling an appreciation for Oklahoma's wildlife and natural resources.
Whether catching a fish for the first time or building a bird house to take home with them for free, visitors to the Expo get the chance to soak up a full weekend of free outdoor knowledge, skills and experiences as hundreds of volunteers and Wildlife Department employees work to keep the event exciting, educational and entertaining.
The Wildlife Expo will be held at the Lazy E Arena, just north of Oklahoma City. Expo hours will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Sept. 25-26. Log on to wildlifedepartment.com regularly to stay up to date on this year’s Expo activities.
