Gear, guides, great stories: First-ever Dunkirk Sportsman Show
Photo by Josh Larsen Saturday’s seminar lineup at this weekend’s Dunkirk Sportsman Show will include locally famous NYS Outdoor Guide and champion turkey hunter, John Arneth, presenting Turkey Hunting & Calling.
Photo by Josh Larsen photo 2026 Team-of-the-Lake Champion, Team Kra-Mar, with Captain Bud Marsh, will present Walleye Fishing 101, a seminar at this weekend’s Dunkirk Sportsman Show. His seminar will focus on practical walleye techniques, including trolling.
Photo by Josh Larsen Saturday’s seminar lineup at this weekend’s Dunkirk Sportsman Show will include locally famous NYS Outdoor Guide and champion turkey hunter, John Arneth, presenting Turkey Hunting & Calling.
Photo by Josh Larsen photo 2026 Team-of-the-Lake Champion, Team Kra-Mar, with Captain Bud Marsh, will present Walleye Fishing 101, a seminar at this weekend’s Dunkirk Sportsman Show. His seminar will focus on practical walleye techniques, including trolling.
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There's something special about a good outdoor show.
For hunters and anglers across Western New York, it's not just about finding a new piece of fishing tackle, checking out a boat or talking turkey hunting. It's about bumping into old friends, meeting new outdoor personalities, learning something useful, enjoying some good food and maybe walking away with a prize or two.
That's why the first-ever Dunkirk Sportsman Show, set for this Saturday and Sunday at the Clarion Hotel in Dunkirk, should be on the calendar for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.
The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, right on Chadwick Bay. Admission is only $5, with free parking, while kids under 15 and seniors get in free.
This isn't simply a walk-around-and-look-at-stuff event.
The Dunkirk Sportsman Show will feature fishing and hunting equipment, gun and ammunition sales, boat displays and sales, charter captains, food, crafts, giveaways and a comfortable lounge where visitors can sit down, relax and talk with fellow outdoorsmen and women. Outdoor television hosts and personalities will also be on hand.
For me, the seminars alone make this a "gotta go" show.
Saturday's lineup begins at 11 a.m. with licensed NYS Outdoor Guide and champion turkey hunter John Arneth, presenting Turkey Hunting & Calling. At 1 p.m., Mick Alfonso, host of Woodland Pursuit, will discuss Filming Your Hunts. At 2 p.m., walleye tournament champion Captain Bud Marsh presents Walleye Fishing 101, followed at 3 p.m. by Steelheading and Jigs with the WNY Steelheaders.
Marsh brings some serious credentials to the walleye discussion. He is the 2025 WNY Walleye Cup Champion, 2025 Duel in Dunkirk Champion and 2026 Team-of-the-Lake Champion with Team Kra-Mar. His presentation will focus on practical walleye techniques, including becoming more consistent with trolling.
Arneth will concentrate on turkey calling, scouting and setups, while the WNY Steelheaders will share techniques for catching the steelhead that will soon be moving into our local tributaries.
Sunday's seminars continue at noon with Brandon Fain and the Fundamentals of Duck Calling, followed at 1 p.m. by WNY Deer Search discussing deer tracking and the use of trained tracking dogs. At 2 p.m., the WNY Steelheaders return for Basic Steelheading, followed at 3 p.m. by John Larsen presenting Pro Outdoor Branding.
There will be plenty beyond the seminars, too.
Falconer Power Sports will be there both days for anyone with questions about ATVs, UTVs, watercraft or utility trailers. VT Power and Lighting, a veteran-owned Frewsburg company, will also be on hand to discuss electrical solutions for hunting camps, homes and businesses.
Events like this matter beyond the walls of a hotel convention center.
A strong local sportsman show keeps outdoor dollars circulating right here in Western New York. Hunters and anglers buy equipment locally, eat locally, stay locally and hire local guides, charter captains and service businesses. Just as importantly, these gatherings help remind all of us that hunting, fishing, boating and outdoor recreation are important parts of our regional identity and economy.
So grab a buddy, bring the family, make a day of it and come see what this new show is all about.
The Dunkirk Sportsman Show is shaping up to be exactly what Western New York's Chautauqua outdoor community needs: a place to learn, shop, share stories and celebrate the outdoors.
For questions, contact Josh Larsen at primitivepatriotoutdoors@gmail.com or 716-490-4226. Vendor registration is believed to be closed.
Dunkirk Sportsman Show -- Sept. 12-13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Clarion Hotel, Dunkirk. Admission $5; kids under 15 and seniors free.
Bring your appetite, your curiosity and your outdoor stories. You just might leave with a little more gear -- and a few more reasons to get outside this fall.
Gotta love the outdoors.
Outdoor Calendar
Sept. 9: 3D Archery, Evans Rod/Gun, 4 p.m. start, $10 fee, 15 targets, free instruction 4-6 p.m.; Info-call Jerry Gorski, 716-698-3008.
Sept. 9: Fly Tying Class, 6-8 p.m., free, Falconer Rod & Gun Club, 329 Falconer St., Jamestown; info: 716-467-0782.
Sept. 10: 3D Archery & Spaghetti Dinner, 4-7 p.m., members $5, non-members $8, dinner $8; West Falls Conservation, 55 Bridge St., West Falls, NY; Info: (716) 652-4650.
Sept. 10: Erie County Federation of Sportsmen, monthly meeting, 6:30-9 p.m., Springville Field & Stream, Chaise Rd., Springville, Info: 716-592-7941.
Sept. 10: 3D Archery, 20 targets Bear Lake Rod and Gun, 4 p.m. start, $10 fee, open to public, 4391 Stockton-Cassadaga Road, Stockton, NY; 716-397-9717.
Sept. 12: NYSDEC Hunter Ed, Erie County Cornell Cooperative Extension, 21 South Grove St., East Aurora, taught by Robert J Avery, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., register at: https://decals.events.east.licensing.app/em/events/190, or call 585-226-5463.
Sept. 12: Combined Trap/Skeet Tournament, benefit for Great Falls Council Scouting America (Buffalo office); 8:30 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. shooting starts; team, adult and youth categories; East Aurora Fish/Game, 1018 Luther Rd., East Aurora, NY; Info: 716-876-7735.