Huntstock – a mecca of the Northeast’s most enthusiastic hunters
Megan Plete Postol 09.18.23
On a muggy mid-August weekend, hunters from across the Northeast gathered on a picturesque farm in Westminster, Massachusetts to celebrate a shared love of hunting and all it entails. Huntstock, the event dubbed by event organizers as the re-invented hunting show, brought the goods by bringing hunting enthusiasts and industry experts all together for one jam-packed weekend.
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The event featured a full lineup of expert seminars (many of those experts hailing from New York), live demonstrations, podcasters, buck scoring, live blood tracking dog demonstrations, Youtubers, top industry brands, over $30,000 in door prize giveaways, after-parties at the Wildwood Farm Patio Bar, and a 3D archery course.
Huntstock intentionally flips the script on traditional hunting shows. Instead of a winter date, it is held in the midst of the pre-season anticipation of late summertime. The event is designed to foster interaction, held outside and on a farm instead of in an exhibit hall. The lineup is carefully curated to include not only some of the biggest names in hunting (especially in the Northeast), but also includes a younger generation of hunting content creators. This mix of established and emerging hunting influences creates a unique and vibrant festival atmosphere.
“The event grew dramatically from its first year in regard to festival attendance, amount of vendor and content creator booths, and the amount of presenters and speakers,” Huntstock Festival Manager Porter Dickinson said. “The door prizes were a huge hit and we offered more than $40,000 worth of prizes this year.”
The show, which was in its second year, brought some recognizable names too, including the ADK Trackers, which include Jim Massett, Joe DiNitto, and Steve Grabowski; the ADK Cowboys, which include Eric Boek and crew, Lanny Benoit, Hal Blood of Big Woods Bucks, Rodney Elmer and his Mountain Deer crew, John Altman, Brett Joy, Jake Bennett, Neil Pendleton, Adirondack Bucks and Beyond, and many more, representing a variety of hunting themes, including tracking in the big woods, still-hunting, bowhunting, urban hunting, calling techniques and more.
New York was well represented at Huntstock. Beyond those previously mentioned, Utica Cutlery, Primitive Patriot Outdoors, Manchild Outdoors, Featherart Studio, and Artemis Sportswomen all had representatives on-site.
For the second year, this up-and-coming show was hosted at Wildwood Farm, which had even improved facilities from the first year.
“Wildwood Farm family and staff were amazing and truly were a huge part in making this event run as smoothly as it did,” Dickinson said. “We heard nothing but praise from attendees and vendors as to how Huntstock went. It was a great group of hunters and outdoorsmen and women, gathered to share stories and knowledge, and encourage one another to continue these traditions.”
There are rumors about a potential second weekend being added to the Huntstock lineup next year, at a yet to be determined location, perhaps in New York.
