If you’re a Hoosier outdoorsman who’s as passionate about your Second Amendment rights as you are about hitting the backwoods or waterways, mark your calendar for the 71st Annual Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show, running February 20-22 and 25-March 1 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is setting up shop with a booth packed with licenses, permits, guides, and hands-on educational goodies like snake exhibits, live birds of prey from Hardy Lake’s Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Center, and K-9 demos by Conservation Officers. It’s not just a family-friendly spectacle—it’s a prime opportunity to dive into Indiana’s wild side while rubbing shoulders with the folks who enforce our hunting and fishing regs.

For the 2A community, this DNR presence is a golden networking nexus. Conservation Officers aren’t just badge-wearing wildlife cops; they’re often armed to the teeth with duty pistols, rifles, and tactical gear, operating under Indiana’s robust concealed carry laws that align seamlessly with our shall-issue permitting. Picture this: chatting up COs about their K-9 units mid-demo, then seamlessly pivoting to real talk on self-defense in the field—because nothing bridges the gap between public service and personal liberty like shared stories of bear spray vs. bear encounters or the latest in lightweight AR platforms for hog hunts. With Indiana’s pro-2A stance (no permit needed for constitutional carry since 2022), events like this subtly reinforce how outdoor pursuits and firearm freedoms intertwine, potentially swaying fence-sitters who see armed officers as everyday heroes rather than threats.

Don’t sleep on the implications: snag your hunting license on-site, eyeball those raptors up close, and forge connections that could pay dividends during legislative sessions or range days. In a state where DNR partnerships with sportsmen have historically bolstered habitat conservation funding—often tied to excise taxes on guns and ammo—this show underscores why 2A advocates should champion public lands access. Head there armed with questions, a stack of business cards from your local gun club, and an open mind; you might just leave with more than a fishing permit—you’ll leave empowered in the fight to keep America’s wild places free for generations of shooters.