There is no perfect hunting organization out there today; at least in my opinion.  I would like to change that with your help.  I’m looking to create a hunting organization that provides exclusive benefits to its members.  Here is a list of what I was thinking as far as exclusive benefits: member discounts to stores such as Cabela’s, BassPro, etc.  Let’s say 10% discount for each member.  Discounts on all hunting publications such as Petersen’s Hunting & Outdoor Life.  Discounts on TV programming such as Outdoors Channel.  Creating a web community for member only to share hunting information.  Exclusive product testing.  Many other discounts from all hunting suppliers.

What I am thinking is a group of hunters called the Hunting Legion.

We often read in a Cabela’s catalog something “Bone Collector Approved”.  To be honest, that means absolutely nothing to me.  Actually, I am turned off when I see a product with that logo.  Its 2-3 guys that use and put their stamp of approval on a product?  It would be more meaningful to me if I knew a group of real hunters tested and field tested a product marking a stamp of approval, “Hunting Legion Approved”.

Hunting Legion t-shirts, hats, decals, beanie hats, etc would be provided to all members for low costs.  Think of the Legion as sort of a union of hunters.  We partner with groups like the NRA to be sure our voices are heard on Capitol Hill and we continue the privilege to hunt.  We share hunting stories, places to hunt, trade hunts, etc. 

With the combination of exclusive discounts, web, reviews, etc, Hunting Legion could be beneficial to all involved in this great sport.  So pass this along to friends and family, share on Facebook and Twitter, if you are a blogger, feel free to re-post on your blog.  Lets see if this is something we can get moving.  Does something like this interest you or is this a complete waste of time?  Please comment below or email me at fieldjournalsblog@gmail.com.

Today easternsportshow.com upgraded the appearance of their site and did a nice job.  The site provides tons of information on the show, specials guest appearances, a list of attendees, and other useful information.  For potential exhibitors, information is quick and easy to find.  For attendees, there are FAQs, lodging, floor plans, and other useful show information.  This year’s show runs from February 6 to February 14.

The show also does a nice job integrating with several social media sites including Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr.  On Twitter, the show has 85 followers, Facebook has 24 fans, and Flickr has 15 photos.  One thing the site is missing is the opportunity for attendees to interact with other attendees.  Their are no forums or show reviews on the site.  It would be nice to read some reviews of attendees from previous years.  Also, for this year’s show, be sure to interview your special guests and post them on YouTube.  One final important feature the site is missing is RSS.  It would be great if the site had an RSS feed where information can be pushed to my RSS reader so I am always up-to-speed with all the show information.

According to compete.com, the site will obviously pick up its most traffic around the time of the show.  It’s “off” season will see an average of about 2500 unique visitors per month.

From their own words “The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show is the largest consumer event of its kind in North America. Attracting outdoor sports enthusiasts from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Washington DC to view hunting and fishing products, plan outdoor sport and camping vacations, shop for fishing boats, RVs, SUVs, motorcycles and ATVs, and participate in a wide range of sport-related contests and family entertainment offerings.”