Attractions
Items of Interest at the Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic:
Lee and Tiffany
“Let them go, let them grow” is a phrase that hunting duo Lee & Tiffany Lakosky from the outdoor/hunting television show, The Crush with Lee & Tiffany, have learned to live by! It’s not easy to let a big whitetail walk away, but when you know he has the potential to grow into something that isn’t just big, but is a true awe inspiring monster buck...it takes the sting out a little when you sit back and watch him disappear back into the woods. Lee Lakosky says, “To get a GREAT buck you have to pass on a really GOOD buck. It’s not about the size of a buck’s rack, but rather the age of the deer when it comes to managing your herd.” The Lakosky’s philosophy for managing their land and farms has proven to be a winning one, but it has taken years of blood, sweat, and tears to get them to where they are today.
Both Lee & Tiffany started from humble beginnings in Columbia Heights, MN. They met as teenagers but didn’t realize their joint affinity for the outdoors, or for each other, until both were attending college. Tiffany had done a lot of fishing in Northern MN growing up, but had never been hunting before. Lee had been hunting in Minnesota for 7 consecutive years without laying eyes on a single buck, but he remained patient and it didn’t deter his love of hunting. Good things definitely come to those who wait! At the beginning of their relationship, Lee was working at an archery shop and Tiffany decided she wanted to get involved in the sport that Lee loved so much. As fate would have it, Tiffany is an absolute natural with a bow. With plenty of support from Lee, Tiffany took down her first buck, a MN six-point, and was hooked! The couple married in 2003. Shortly after they exchanged vows, Tiffany received an unexpected phone call from Lee...he had quit his job as a chemical engineer and asked her to take a leap of faith with him and move to Southeast Iowa. It was no easy decision, but Tiffany, who was a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines at the time, knew the passion that Lee has for hunting whitetail and was there to support him all the way.
Lee and Tiffany worked day and night to establish their farm and a strict whitetail management program. As the record breaking bucks started falling, the word was spreading about the energetic couple and Scentlok Technologies took notice. The company approached Lee & Tiffany to host a reality based hunting show called Gettin Close and although Tiffany would still have to work as a flight attendant to make ends meet, they gladly took on the challenge of making their dream a reality! The fast-paced, light-hearted style of the show was a big hit with viewers and the show quickly rose to the top of the Outdoor Channel’s programming list. After 3 successful seasons of Gettin Close, Lee & Tiffany shook things up a bit and began filming on a new show called, The Crush. Not only did the loyal following of Gettin Close tune in to watch the new show, but it captured additional viewers as well with it’s fresh approach and family oriented editing. Lee sums up the show’s success by saying, “We want to take the viewers along with us, to experience both the highs, and the lows.” Season 3 of The Crush will begin airing on the Outdoor Channel in the Fall of 2011.
Lee & Tiffany share their private lives, their hunting hits & misses, and their hearts with the outdoor enthusiasts of the world. In return, the hunting industry as a whole and their ever growing fan base has shown them a lot of love. Tiffany says, “my favorite thing, is to see the next generation come to meet us at an outdoor show. Little boys & girls come through line with their families and these kids are SO excited about hunting...it’s just awesome to see them light up when they tell us about their first buck, turkey, or even a squirrel!! It means so much to me when women and little girls tell me that they never thought they could hunt, and then they see Lee and I on TV having so much fun out there and they think if she can do it, so can I!”
Through all of their success, The Lakosky’s have stayed true to themselves, and to each other. Lee often reflects on how far they’ve come...”I never in a million years thought that we would get the opportunity to do what we do for a living. It truly is a dream come true! There is not a day that goes by that I don’t count our blessings.” After nearly a decade of putting down some of the best looking whitetails in the industry, Lee & Tiffany have proven themselves as the real deal.
Bass Tubs
At BASS TUBS we offer innovative and entertaining live fishing seminars. We will travel on site and offer educational fishing seminars with the latest state of the art 4000 gallon aquarium. The Bass Tub is over 40 feet in length. We use live fish during demonstrations so your audience has the opportunity to see the fish and lure presentation in action. Your audience will have fun, get involved and enjoy a great interactive and educational fishing experience. The fishing seminars and demonstrations are directed by professional fisherman perched on top of a mounted boat on the end of the Bass Tub. Demonstrations are made with a variety of proven fish catching, casting and retrieval techniques. You are able to see the fish swimming and chasing the lures. Each professional fishing demonstration will include a variety of baits and presentations, and be packed full of professional angler tips and tactics.
Birds of Prey
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources welcomes The Center for Birds of Prey to the 2012 Palmetto Sportsman’s Classic. Located just north of Charleston, The Center was established in 1991 in response to the overwhelming need to provide medical care for injured birds of prey. Since then, nearly 6,000 birds have been treated in their medical clinic, many of which have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild. This year’s Sportsman’s Classic features the Educational Staff from The Center for Birds of Prey who will be presenting live birds of prey in free flight demonstrations. These majestic creatures will be studied and observed along with discussions of the concepts of our ecosystem and the environmental issues these birds face every day. Recognizing that the health of our wild bird populations directly reflect the health of our environment, we will discover how our decisions today will make a difference in protecting our natural world for tomorrow.
Roark Ferguson
We are very pleased to have "Educator/Entertainer Extraordinaire" Roark Ferguson, one of the most sought after speakers in the animal industry today, returning/appearing at the 28th Annual Palmetto Sportmen's Classic. Roark is a renowned Conservationist, Herpetologist, and Wildlife Adventurer. With more than 20 years experience on stage, screen, and talk shows, Roark has captivated and educated standing room only audiences nationwide. His life's work is changing public perception about misunderstood creatures in an enlightening and entertaining manner. This has also allowed him to appear on and provide animals for, National Geographic, Entertainment''s "Wild On", Comedy Central's "Insomniac" Animal Planet's "Amazing Animals", Animal Talk Radio, TNT's "Blue Ribbon", Turner South's ""Southern Living Presents", Southern Styles, MTV's Sweet Sixteen Dance Party, PBS, Lowcountry Live, the movies "The Tempest", "All for Liberty" , "Cold Soldiers" and most recently appear as guest naturalist on 3 episodes of Animal Planet's Backyard Habitat. Careful scientific observation, highly entertaining anecdotes, a passion for performing, unique insight and commitment to coexistence with wildlife make this an event you will not want to miss.
Affectionately known as "The Big Snake Daddy" Roark has often maintained the largest collection of reptiles in the history of the State of South Carolina encompassing a very diverse group of nearly 1,100 snakes, numerous crocodilians, as well as other herpetofauna. Throughout his career he has successfully bred and raised countless species of reptiles, mammals, and birds of prey, placing many on display at worthy institutions.. Roark operates South Carolina's Reptile Rescue working with statewide law enforcement, Charleston Animal Society, the South Carolina Dept of Natural Resources (alligators & gopher tortoises), U. S. Fish & Wildlife, and directs a 21 acre exotic wildlife rescue. Roark is President of the South Carolina Association of Animals and Reptile Keepers, President of the Southeast Hot Herp Society's SC Chapter, the former Zoological Director of Alligator Adventure, Crocodilian Advisory Consultant to the SC Aquarium, Founder and former President of the South Carolina Herpetocultural Society, a member of the SC State Animal Advisory Review Board and serves on numerous wildlife and conservation advisory boards working to keep reptiles and exotic animals available to hobbyists and professionals alike . Roark's work with crocodiles is unprecedented. He is the only person known to have successfully trained a healthy adult crocodile.
Retriever World
Hunting Retriever’s are soaring in popularity. Retriever World’s demonstrations are highly educational for those who seek to learn more about how to train their retrievers. This seminar shows you how to develop all of the skills that are necessary for your dog to become a super-hunting retriever. You will see some of the amazing steps used to start puppies with basic obedience, teach hand signals, and see the skills needed to train a top-notch hunting dog. Retriever World will be bringing Hunting Retriever Champions to this year’s 28th Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic. Professional Retriever Trainer, Roy Coffey will be present all weekend to speak with you about training your own dog. Make sure you don’t miss the dogs in action. The kids will certainly love to see the dogs perform. Retriever World is a nationally known company and will be offering Sporting Dog Training Equipment at the Classic. You will see some of the most highly advanced training supplies and equiment used today and learn why and how they are used.
Wood and stone carving by William McKinney
See him use naturally found dead wood and stones to create beautiful art.