Starting Feb. 1, the 2017 Safari Club International (SCI) Convention opens at Las Vegas’ posh Mandalay Bay Hotel and Resort. I’ll be wading in among the crowds to check it out for the first two of the show’s four days.

Is It Big?

The 2016 SCI Convention attracted over 18,000 attendees. This year’s event may surpass that number as visitors from six continents cruise over 650,000 square feet of exhibit space. Many attendees will look to book hunts, rendezvous with old friends and shop for the latest guns and hunting equipment. There are also dozens of informative and educational seminars covering various topics including new hunting techniques or information on how to refine old ones, imaginative ways to prepare wild game and tips on the best care for your equipment and gear.

After-hours members can then come together to celebrate the accomplishments of the organization and enjoy top entertainment and speakers. SCI’s evening auctions — this year there are a total of 10 live and 11 silent auctions — offer-top-of-the line guns, once in a lifetime hunts, the finest artwork and more.

Every purchase provides crucial funds to help preserve our hunting heritage and enable conservation efforts to occur around the globe.

You can follow along with us here or on Grand View Outdoors Twitter feed and SCI’s social pages here and here.

For more general information, visit www.showsci.org.