Chris Brackett
The host of two popular hunting shows on the Outdoor Channel is in central Iowa through the weekend to appear at the Iowa Deer Classic, an expo that’s expected to draw thousands of hunting enthusiasts.
Chris Brackett, who calls himself a lifelong Midwestern hunter and fisherman, appears on both “Arrow Affliction” and “Fear No Evil,” which he says is a serious look at what makes hunters tick. “Arrow Affliction is where we shoot doves, ducks, geese, pheasants and quail out of the air with a bow and arrow,” Brackett says. “That is what everybody really knows me for, my skills with bow hunting and bow shooting.”
The 36-year-old Brackett is native of Peoria, Illinois, where he says he’s still a “river rat,” spending as much time as possible in the great outdoors. “It’s an American dream, you know?” Brackett says. “I gave up everything at the post office, I used to be a mailman, and now get to do two amazing shows and educate and entertain people.”
The Iowa Deer Classic features a series of workshops, demonstrations, competitions and 150,000 square feet of exhibit space for all sorts of hunting equipment, including: gear, hunting blinds, ATVs, decoys, targets and clothing. “We’ll do a question and answer session but we’re also bringing our nets to do some shooting demos where I shoot some of the targets out of the air from behind my head and behind my back with my bow,” Brackett says, “stuff people don’t get to see but just on television when they watch our show.”
The expo is underway today through Sunday at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.