Due to anticipated severe weather, the Arkansas Big Buck Classic scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday has been rescheduled for Feb. 6-8.

The Big Buck Classic is a hunting expo that attracts hunters from all over Arkansas to the State Fairgrounds. In its 36th year, it is one of the top two hunting expos in the country, rivaled only by the Dixie Deer Classic in North Carolina. Its vendors occupy all of the expo halls at the fairgrounds. A chili cook-off is also very popular.

Tommy Murchison, promoter for the Big Buck Classic, said that rescheduling the show was the responsible solution to alleviate safety concerns for show-goers and to provide the best experience for vendors, concessionaires and attendees.

“This isn’t anticipated to be just a snow event,” Murchison said. “This is forecasted to be potential freezing rain, sleet and snow. Arkansans are not set up for that and the 8- to 10-degree lows that they’re forecasting.”

The expo’s main attraction is the panel of official Boone and Crockett Club scorers that score deer antlers. Any hunter that kills a buck in Arkansas can have the rack scored at the Big Buck Classic. The antlers are displayed prominently on the Wall of Honor in Barton Coliseum.

Murchison said that bad weather and hazardous road conditions will probably discourage many hunters from bringing their antlers, which would defeat the show’s purpose. That’s a legitimate concern. A friend’s son in north Arkansas killed a buck that stands a good chance of winning recognition for the biggest buck taken in Sharp County. He was very worried that he wouldn’t be able to make the trip.

“With the weather they’re anticipating, there’s no way to get the full roster of deer to come in,” Murchison said. “That’s a big issue. It’s all the things, really. It’s irresponsible to move forward and not be able to provide the show that everybody expects. In the interest of safety, responsibility, success and honoring the roster of deer, we had to make the call to do the right thing. Doing the right thing is to punt.”

Murchison said there is not a rescheduling rider in his contract with the fairgrounds, but he said the fairgrounds’ officials were very accommodating. It’s very fortuitous that the fairgrounds can reschedule it so close to its original date — going too deep into February risks losing deer hunters that are fishing and scouting for wild turkeys.

The only other time the Big Buck Classic faced an existential threat was in 2021, during the covid-19 pandemic. Tommy and Cathy Murchison canceled the 2021 show, but held a combined show in 2022 in which deer taken in 2021 would be equally recognized. It was a logistical nightmare, but the Big Buck Classic’s staff pulled it off. The 2022 show was one of the most memorable, for all the right reasons.

“We had met with the governor (Asa Hutchinson),” Murchison said. “He was trying get the state opened up, and we were the first event of the year. The health department had approved our guidelines, but then there was another little surge that came up, and we were going have to tighten down a little more. We made the decision that we can’t do this. We’re asking people to give you money and be inconvenienced. Today we’re in the same situation where it would be irresponsible to try to put this event on.”

One advantage to the later date is that it gives deer hunters a couple of extra weeks to kill a buck that can win the contest. That’s worth an astonishing prize package that includes a beautiful trophy, a commemorative jacket and a Can-Am side-by-side UTV.

In addition to seeing and scoring antlers, the expo offers a dazzling array of products and services. You can book an African safari with several African outfitters. Domestic outfitters offer guided hunts in many states for elk, wild turkey, pheasant and other game.

Turkey hunters can inspect turkey callers from several call makers. There’s all kinds of hunting apparel and hunting accessories, including blinds. I bought a really cool blow gun for fishing last year that came with a special blow gun fishing rod, a reel and a supply of special darts.

There are also a number of family-friendly shows and demonstrations, including Bwana Jim’s Wildlife Show. The live raptor display is perennially popular.

Show times and admission prices are the same as scheduled. Visit bigbuckclassic.com for more information.