Just after the turn of the year, an international industry show like no other is held but it’s not the show you’re thinking of. SHOT Show is the most well-known but the show that truly has no equal is Dallas Safari Club. DSC is part exhibition, part trade show, part conservation effort, and total excess in the most incredible ways.
As part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), DSC has raised millions of dollars to fund projects ensuring sustainable hunting and use of wild resources. Its mission is easy to forget when you become awe struck walking the aisles and seeing the collection of exhibitor displays.
Part educational, part entertaining, and one hundred percent engaging, this show is unmatched if you are interested in hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors.
Interactions with Outfitters and Guides
The first trip you take to Africa is the hardest one to sell yourself on. The following trips sell themselves.
Before I traveled to Africa on safari in 2018, I met my professional hunter (PH) at a game dinner in Connecticut. It is usually in the exchange of stories, review of photos, and presentation of the hunt’s logistics that trust is built between PH and client. While I only had a few minutes with Russ Field, my former PH, I had the chance to hear him do what he does best and that is advocate for African hunting.
There are hundreds of guides at DSC all displaying physical representations of successful hunts through taxidermy or photo albums with record game in each. If you were wondering if you could take your trophy home, all you have to do is find a guy like Bradley Johnson from Safari Specialty Importers who routinely coordinates that process for you.
You would be wrong to assume African hunts are all you would find at DSC. There are guides in attendance from Alaska to Patagonia, trained to hunt everything from Iberian Ibex to Himalayan Tahr. You’ll also find fishing charters from all over the world including Alaska, New Foundland, and various destinations in Europe.
If anyone is on the fence about booking a trip with any of these outfitters, there are usually people in the booth with them that aren’t paid to be there and are likely looking to pay to go again with them. The pro tip is asking the past customers what the hunt was like and typically that will give you a perspective that helps you make your best decision.
Firearms as Works of Art
The first year I attended Dallas Safari Club, I walked by one of the firearm manufacturer booths and stopped at an upright floor rack of some deeply blued, engraved, and highly polished wooden stock rifles. I casually picked one up, ensured the chamber was clear, and mounted it to my shoulder.
When the price tag swinging from the trigger guard slowed spinning, I noticed the five-digit price tag starting with a number higher than what my 4Runner sold for years ago. At that moment, I moved the firearm back to the rack with more care than I used to retrieve it.
The firearms behind glass are even more exquisite and some cost as much as a small home. While most would and could never purchase one, they are easy to marvel at. Double rifles made by the most famous names, John Rigby & Co, Holland & Holland, Westley Richards are a few of the places you’ll want to stop to admire engraving, premium wood stocks, and cartridges meant for the African Big Five.
Incredible Mobility Platforms
Vehicles on display are almost always present at large conventions and trade shows. There are almost always custom-built cars and trucks with advertisements wrapped around their bodies.
Dallas Safari Club is on a whole different level. From the moment you walk into the convention hall and see the expertly restored and maintained Defender 90s and 110s, you will have the ultimate in vehicles at every corner. From half million dollar earth roamers by Storyteller Overland to Bell Helicopters to fully customized Land Rovers by Helderburg, the vehicles displayed at DSC collectively could get you anywhere in the world in style.
Safari trucks are on display with full hunting perches to give you a higher vantage point in the tall grass. Whatever vehicle you take a look at, make sure the metal clips from your flashlight or pocketknife do not leave behind an expensive scratch you may not be able to afford.
Hunt-Specific Apparel
There is no shortage of camouflage at Dallas Safari Club in all of the most popular patterns made famous here in the United States. The same is true for mountain-hunting boots worn throughout the west and the knee high water-resistant kind worn in muddy conditions and wet fields.
What stands out at DSC is the clothing meant for more gentlemanly hunts including tweed jackets, exotic furs, custom hats, and boots made from African game like Kudu. Those boots from Jim Green Footwear also have optional construction from water buffalo which is known for durability and not to be found in your average big-box hunting store.
One unique clothier found at DSC is Braeval that offers wool-blend shirts with unique combinations of bellow pockets, reinforcements, accent trim, and breathable panels. There is also no shortage of hunt-inspired jewelry for both men and women made from gold, silver, and exotic stones. Also for the ladies, custom belts from W Kleinberg can be found in alligator hide in just about every color of the rainbow.
The Little Things
It’s really easy walking around the show and getting caught up in all the massive safari-style display tents, the expensive vehicles, and the outrageously priced rifles. When you get close to the tables where the manufacturer representatives are, you may be lucky to spot some of the little things that are worth noting.
In my rounds on the floor, I swung by Steyr arms and spoke to Jim Barton who showed me their new convertible pistols including one with the COA cut which previously was exclusive to Glock.
Jim also gave me a high-level overview of their new hunting rifles with classic-styled brown rubber butt pads and their military sniper rifle that will be used at the upcoming competitions in April. This was a pistol that couldn’t be displayed at SHOT Show this year since the exclusivity agreement hadn’t yet lapsed. In many ways, Dallas Safari Club is like SHOT show for products new to the market.
I stopped by one of the knife vendor’s tables and found out Safariland actually made the very rare sheath for one of the Randall Made Knives on display. I didn’t believe it until I actually saw the Safariland logo etched into the metal clip. As an avid collector, I learned something new that day.
Even if you feel like you’ll never go on an international hunt or own anything quite like the kit on display at Dallas Safari Club, you can always glean inspiration from what you see, handle, and otherwise experience. If nothing else, remember your admission goes toward conservation efforts and whether you hunt stateside or elsewhere in the world, you can always relate to any of the hunters who descend upon the show to talk about their experiences in the field.
Dallas Safari Club is a popular show but it doesn’t have the same attendee experience as others where you feel like sardines in a can. The fact the show is in Atlanta in a much larger conventional hall gives you breathing room and plenty of space to get to know the people in the booths. Just make sure to pack your walking shoes and provisions if you attempt to see it all in a single day. The show is massive, overwhelming, and a must see at least once in your lifetime.
