Hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts strolled through Barton Coliseum in Little Rock on Sunday, weaving between rattlesnake exhibits and dozens of utility-terrain vehicles on display, during the final day of the 35th annual Arkansas Big Buck Classic.
Now hailed as "the largest hunting exposition in the South," according to the event's website, the weekend-long show -- which began Friday -- attracts more than 30,000 people each January to what began as a pay-to-play deer hunting tournament in 1990.
The event, which allows attendees to explore a variety of vendors and wranglers with wildlife from all over the country, also provides participants an opportunity to exhibit their own deer antlers in a competition that is scored during the final day of each year's expo.
The Big Buck Classic has become a "winter fair," co-founder Tommy Murchison said.
The idea for the initial deer hunting tournament, which would turn into a much larger event in later years, was first outlined by Murchison in a notebook in the 1980s. Murchison's wife, Catherine, later found the notebook and the pair decided to run with the idea.
The Murchisons began by handing out paper entry forms and distributing flyers to hunting stores across the state in an effort to attract at least 10% of the then-300,000 hunters in Arkansas.
After surviving the first two years with lower-than-expected turnouts, "it started taking off" and the couple "started building a little show," Tommy Murchison said.
Reminiscing on the last 34 expos, Tommy Murchison said, "it's hard to believe" how much the event has grown over the years, from what initially felt like a "big party" at the former Ricks Armory building for the first few years to today's giant "gathering," which now hosts thousands of hunters, their spouses and children.
Over the weekend, younger outdoor enthusiasts attempted to catch rainbow trout from a tank, perfect their archery skills by shooting arrows at hovering ping pong balls, experiment with BB guns at an inflatable range and learn about wildlife species at the event's Kids Zone.
The Zone has provided an introduction to the world of outdoor sports for kids since it was first established as part of the expo by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation in 2020.
The expo's success can be attributed to the Murchisons' ability to stay true to the Big Buck Classic "narrative" of keeping the show accessible to families while also providing vendors with business opportunities, Murchison said.
For Clifton Ward, a Dierks native who has attended the Big Buck Classic since the early 1990s, the "family friendly" nature of the event is part of what has kept him coming for more than three decades.
In 1992, Ward's friend found a newspaper advertisement for the deer hunting contest and the two participated for several years.
Since then, more offerings for younger attendees has made the annual expo a "family affair" for Ward, his children and grandchildren, who commute from parts of Louisiana and Arkansas each year.
"It's great watching all the kids go up there on stage and show off what they've done," Ward said of Sunday's contest, in which all youths receive ribbons during the awards ceremony, regardless of the size of their entry.
Although Ward has only entered the annual buck contest once, his family has been involved in various aspects of the event over the years, including its social media presence.
While the vendors and attractions are "all part of it," Ward said he looks forward to guessing the overall winner ahead of the awards ceremony each year by perusing the antlers and heads on display.
Also on hand was Bradford Marine and ATV, a boat and all-terrain vehicle dealer with six locations throughout the state. The business has been a vendor at the Big Buck Classic for several years and provides contestants a chance to win a side-by-side vehicle.
"This event is what Arkansas is about," said Lev Bradford, vice president of the marine and ATV business his father started in 1971.
Bradford described the event as one that caters to a variety of outdoor interests -- not just to hunters -- which he said makes the expo unique. He also said one of his favorite parts about the expo is meeting new people.
For Texas-based snake handlers Skip Williams and Terry Tippit, the Arkansas event is the largest they participate in each year, aside from a similar expo in McAllen, Texas.
Throughout the weekend, the two show off various tricks with a collection of rattlesnakes and educate attendees on how to interact with snakes in the wild as well as best practices to treat snakebite.
"If I can get in a sleeping bag with 100 snakes, you can get in a pen with a dozen or so," Tippit said, alluding to a demonstration the pair often performs that involves one of them getting into a sleeping bag with numerous snakes.
Attendees often think snakes are "out to get you," but really "they are trying to go under that table to get away from people," Williams said of the biggest misconception about the reptiles.
Tippit said his favorite part about the Big Buck Classic is "the look on kids' faces" as they evolve from fear to excitement and eventually, interest about snakes.
Countless other local businesses were stationed across the fairgrounds during the weekend event as well, selling everything from hunting equipment and jewelry to outdoor apparel and furniture.
Andy Kloss, marketing specialist for firearms and ammunition manufacturing company Remington, said events like the Big Buck Classic allow the company to not only share its products, but to connect with fellow outdoor and hunting enthusiasts.
"The harvest is great, but hunting is about the people," Kloss said, adding that mentors and friends he has hunted with over the years have been part of some of his fondest outdoor memories.
As the Murchisons closed the chapter on their 35th show, they look forward to maintaining a "comfortable environment" for all in ensuing years.
"When you over-deliver on something" and "you make other people feel like you gave them some value or you made them important for that day," an event can be successful, Tommy Murchison said.
"I can see this continuing on as long as we keep our perspective," he said. "That this isn't about us. This is about the whole picture."