Wonders of Wildlife to be base for national event

Set for Sept. 22 this year, National Hunting and Fishing Day was created by Congress in 1971 and is held on the fourth Saturday in September each year, according to a WOW news release.

Locally, during the day, there will booths and hands-on activities – many of them free – in the WOW parking lot, 500 W. Sunshine St. Seminars by several groups, including the National Wild Turkey Federation, will be presented, and a daylong laser shot tournament will be held with prizes awarded. Children 12 and younger will earn a complimentary admission to WOW during the event by participating in activities and completing a passport to be stamped at booths.

Participating organizations include Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fitness Festival, Missouri Trout Fishing Association, Ozark Mountain Paddlers, Springfield Park Board Outdoor Initiatives and the Southwest Missouri Herpetological Society, which will have live reptiles and amphibians.

Bass Pro also will provide outdoor cooking and fly fishing demonstrations, and members of the Springfield Wolf Pack professional indoor arena football team will sign autographs throughout the day.