Expert Seminars All Weekend at the
Open Season Sportsman’s Expo
Learn from the best in the outdoors at the Ohio Open Season Sportsman’s Expo, featuring expert-led seminars happening all day, all weekend long at each show location.
From hunting strategies and fishing tips to gear setups and outdoor skills, our seminar speakers are industry pros who know their stuff — and they’re ready to share it. Whether you’re new to the outdoors or a seasoned pro, you’ll find seminars designed to help you sharpen your skills and get more out of every season.
Stay tuned for the full seminar schedule.
Schedule subject to change.
Meet Your 2026 Ohio Seminar Speakers
Maximizing Habitat Ecosystems for Wildlife
Art Helin – Art Helin Outdoors
Taking Habitat management to the next level, Develop the best habitat for the entire ecosystem creating healthier wildlife, better age structures, better food, water, cover and carrying capacity.
Ultimate Whitetail Stalking and Tracking
Randy Flannery - Wilderness Escape Outfitters
Registered Master Maine Guide and renowned Tracker/Stalker, Randy Flannery, will show how to master the skills of aging, sexing, and reading deer tracks. He will also share, map and compass skills, how and where to find big bucks, how to walk up on big bucks in all conditions, how to react to big bucks when you jump them, how to shoot fast and accurate, and other big woods hunting skills.
Proper use of Deer Lures on Mock Scrapes, Scent Post, Hanging Ropes, and Using Deer Calls
John "Smokey" McNicholas – Smokey’s Deer Lures
Smokey McNicholas, a professional trapper by trade, has been making his lures and baits for over 20 year in the hills of West Virginia! He makes the first and only real Preorbital Gland Lure, not synthetic and bottled in glass, not plastic! These products have attracted the biggest bucks around, a fact proven by “Smokey’s Deer Lures” winning the Ohio Valley Big Buck contest 3 years in a row. Find out what makes these products work and learn firsthand the way to combine them for successful results. Remember this is the only place to find the true Preorbital Gland Lure!
Water Management for EHD Prevention
Zach Haas - Creek Bottom Land Management
Food Plots that Yield Optimal Antler Growth In 7 Easy Steps
Robie Pruitt - Antler King
Robie Pruitt, a.k.a The Clover King, has 30yrs experience planting Antler King food plots, His passion for deer nutrition has led him to a new passion of helping others. These easy steps will show you the proper way to obtain optimal growth from your food plots.
Bowhunting Turkeys
Keith Beam - Deadly Kinetics
With years of hands-on experience harvesting turkeys with a bow across diverse terrain and seasons, Keith combines technical skill with real-world strategies that work. In his seminar Bowhunting Turkeys, he breaks down proven techniques, setup tactics, and calling strategies to help hunters connect on toms with confidence and consistency.
Top Tree Genetics for Whitetails
Frank Brock - Morse Nursery
Frank Brock is a wildlife habitat expert and trusted advisor with Morse Nursery, a leading provider of high-quality trees and forage solutions for landowners and conservationists. With decades of experience in genetics, forest management, and whitetail habitat enhancement, Frank helps hunters and land stewards make smarter decisions about what to plant and where. In his seminar Top Tree Genetics for Whitetails, he’ll share practical insights on the best tree varieties and genetic traits that boost nutrition, cover, and long-term wildlife success for whitetail populations.
Rx Fire in Ohio
Eric Hayes - Keeping it Native Land Management
Prescribed fire (Rx Fire) is the best management tool in our stewardship belt. Led by Eric R. Hayes Jr., KINLM Fire Steward, this session explores how Rx Fire for Habitat and Hardwoods on your property is a powerful option. We'll detail how these methods can dramatically improve forage and cover for game and non-game species. Attendees gain some of the basic foundational knowledge required for Rx fire implementation, planning and the necessary permitting process in Ohio. Learn to apply the hottest tool in land management—safely!
Retriever Training & Duck Calling
Troy Thompson - Bird Down Retrievers
Troy Thompson is the owner of Bird Down Retrievers, a Pro Staff member for Buck Gardner Calls, and a retired Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer with over 45 years of waterfowl hunting and retriever training experience. Now a crowd favorite at outdoor expos, Troy brings his seminars to life with live retriever demos, duck calling tips, mock duck hunts for kids, and plenty of real-world advice on hunting waterfowl with well-trained dogs.
Deer Herd Nutrition and Feeding/Baiting Strategies
Ryan Pridgen - Tar River Outdoor Products
Prigden's session will cover the essential nutrients the deer herd needs based on the various stages of growth throughout the year. As part of that he will cover methods to provide supplemental nutrition as well as strategies to hunt around feeding/baiting strategies.
