SPANISH FORT, Ala.—After almost one full year in operation, Bass Pro Shops in Spanish Fort is preparing to host its first official Fall Hunting Classic, expected to draw as many as 100,000 people over 17 days.

The free event—a longstanding tradition within the Springfield, Mo.-based outdoor chain—features seminars, workshops, craft activities and celebrities designed to provide family-friendly fun and education. The event runs from Aug. 7 through Aug. 23.

 “Outdoor enthusiasts will be able to learn the secret techniques and strategies used by professionals to gain a better advantage in the field, see all the latest products and attend workshops and seminars,” said Spanish Fort Bass Pro Shops General Manager Chris Tulloch.

In fact, Saturday’s Bass Pro Hunting University will be led by Walter Parrot with the RedHead Pro Hunting Team at 1 p.m.; Ken Cobb, co-host of Huntin’ the World TV, at 2 p.m.; and Ryan Klesko, host of Grand Slam Adventures and a 15-year Major League Baseball veteran, at 3 p.m.

Tulloch, who noted the young store missed participation in last year’s classic by only about one week, said the area will also benefit from a “ripple effect” the increased store volume drives to other retailers, gas stations, hotels and restaurants.

“Hunting is big business,” he said.

M.N. “Corky” Pugh, director of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said hunting represents a $1.4 billion industry in Alabama, including direct expenditures of more than $847 million and sales tax of roughly $83 million.

Indeed, Alabama ranks ninth nationally in annual retail sales associated with hunting and equipment expenditures at $316 million, while trip-related expenses—which Pugh said is the true indicator of local community impact—totals about $240 million annually. The figures, he said, are available in the national 2006 Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation conducted every five years by the I.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau.

On a larger scale, a recent report by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation revealed some 34 million hunters and anglers nationwide spend an estimated $8.6 million per hour, creating a $76 billion industry.

Closer to home, Pugh said the sour economy appears to be driving a boom in the industry.

“People are choosing to hunt closer to home. Our resident license sales are up, and non-resident (license) sales are down,” he said, noting residents outpace non-residents in “days of participation” more than seven to one at 7.6 million and 1 million respectively.

Education, though, is a driving force behind the annual fall classic, and Tulloch said getting area youth involved is an overriding focus, so they can become good stewards and conservationists.

“I’ve heard it said that if you don’t have a fishing rod in the hands of a youngster by the time they are 8 years old, the chances of getting them to go fishing later in life diminishes dramatically,” said Tulloch. “I would think the same applies to getting them introduced to hunting and shooting sports.”

Other featured events during the course of the classic include the following: