The Lincoln County Wildlife Expo is gearing up for its secondrun since its rebirth last year, and the 2009 installment of theoutdoors celebration has been built bigger and better thanbefore.

The expo will be held Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturdayfrom 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lincoln County Multi-Purpose Facility.This year’s expo will feature more than 60 hunting and outdoorvendors on site, showcasing tens of thousands of dollars inmerchandise, and more than a dozen sponsors will unload thousandsof dollars worth of door prizes throughout the event.

Plenty of food, activities and competitions for children andadults will be ongoing throughout the expo. Admission is $5 foradults, $3 for children age 7-12 and free for children age 6 andunder.

Facility manager Quinn Jordan said he expects between 3,000 and5,000 sportsmen and sportswomen to attend the two-day expo, whichreturned to Lincoln County with great success in 2008 after yearsof inactivity.

“This is really turning into a great hunting and outdoorfestival that people of all ages and genders really enjoy andappreciate,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to see what’s new andavailable for the 2009-10 hunting season, find out seasonrequirements and network with their friends and businessowners.”

An abundance of outdoor vendors will be on hand for the expo,including industry leaders like Ducks Unlimited, Gander Mountain,Primos and more. Associated companies like Brookhaven Honda andSouthern Tractor will also have exhibits and information at theexpo.

The companies and their products will be housed inside thefacility and on the floor of the arena, where larger items likefour-wheelers and boats will be displayed.

“We’ve got four-wheelers, automobiles, hunting calls, deerprocessors, archery booths, deer stands, trailers, boats, outdoorcooking, taxidermy, apparel – inside and out,” Jordan said. “Therewill be a lot of stuff.”

The expo will also feature interactive exhibits, like the 3DArchery booth, hosted by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,Fisheries and Parks. The archery contest begins Saturday at 9 a.m.and runs until 4 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the top finishersin archery scoring.

The Big Buck Contest will return to the expo as well. Eligibledeer must have been harvested in 2008, and must be brought to theexpo by noon Saturday to be entered and scored in three divisions -men, women and children.

Prizes for the big buck contest are $100 for first place, $75for second place and $25 for third place. The overall winner willreceive an additional $100.

The family favorite buck on the wall at home also has a use atthe expo, with Magnolia Records’ scoring session running from 3p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Deer presented to Magnolia must score 120points or more and have been harvested in Mississippi during anyprevious season.

Masters of the stove may also mix it up at the expo in thisyear’s chili cook-off contest.

The contest begins Saturday at 8 a.m., and all food must beprepared on site. The cook will be required to present two quartsof his or her chili for judging, which begins at 4 p.m., and onegallon for public taste-testing. The entry fee for the contest if$45, but the rewards for winners are high – $200 for first place,$100 for second place and $50 for third place.

The expo will have plenty of entertainment for children, with akids area featuring plenty of inflatable play pens from LeapingLizard for an additional fee. Local toy store Just Kiddin’ ofBrookhaven will also host a Kids’ Corner with free games andactivities.

Even the food at the wildlife expo will be in the spirit of theevent, with Mitchell’s serving caribou burger, buffalo burger andalligator dogs, Jordan said. Conventional eaters may enjoy pizzaprovided by Dominoes.

Jordan said the expo generated more than $16,000 in profits lastyear, and he’s expecting that much and more this year. All profitsgained at the expo go back into the multi-purpose facility’sbudget, he said, and with an operating cost estimated at $8,000,the two to one return ratio for the expo is a good one for themulti-purpose commission.

“It’s important to us because we need this to balance ourbudget,” said Dr. William Kimble, commission chairman. “The bulk of(facility income) is through rentals, but profit made from the expois also factored into our budget.”

Though the expo will be larger than it was in 2008, one thing itwon’t be is held in conjunction with the annual Ole BrookFestival.

The events coincided last year, and the two groups of organizersworked together to promote them both. This year, however, the OleBrook Festival has been pushed back into October, leaving thewildlife expo to stand on its own.

Kimble has no worries.

“I think the wildlife expo has proven it can stand alone,” hesaid. “I think it goes back to the community interest and strengthof the outdoors here in our area. So much of the population of ourarea hunt and fish as a hobby, I don’t think there’s any questionthe expo will stand alone.”