Delta Expo Delivers on Promise of Duck Hunters Paradise
Expo attendees and industry partners brought excitement, enthusiasm, and camaraderie to the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — More than 23,000 passionate duck hunters gathered at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds July 25 to 27 for the fourth annual Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo, presented by Federal Ammunition. From champion duck-calling competitions to historic breakthroughs for the future of waterfowl conservation, Delta’s Expo had a slice of everything duck hunters live for.
“The past three days were filled with so many exciting moments that it is truly hard to tell the story of just one,” said Chris Williams, Delta’s senior director of industry partnerships. “The story that we at Delta will continue to tell is that of the best partners, members, volunteers, and staff that make this annual event a blessing for all of the 23,000-plus attendees that entrusted us with their time.”
On Friday, the event’s opening ceremony featured Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, director of Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation Wade Free, and Delta Waterfowl CEO Jason Tharpe as they welcomed attendees, celebrated Oklahoma's importance to waterfowl conservation and outdoor heritage, and shared in the official ribbon-cutting duties to open show doors.
Once inside, the sold-out exhibition hall hosted more than 200 waterfowling vendors, showcasing everything ranging from gear, guns, and guides to dog trainers, duck boats, and even a life-sized duck dog sculpture made entirely of cake.
At an event Friday evening, Delta CEO Jason Tharpe revealed that Delta had far exceeded its already ambitious goal to raise $250 million to create an endowment to add 1 million ducks to every fall flight, every year—forever. Known as Delta’s Million Duck Campaign, it was announced during the Duck Hunters Grand Banquet that the next phase will focus on scaling Delta’s proven Duck Production programs. More than 860 guests joined in the celebration, which also included live and silent auctions featuring guns, hand-carved decoys, original pieces of artwork, duck blinds, once-in-a-lifetime hunts, and more to raise money for waterfowl conservation.
“We didn’t just raise funds. We raised hope for the future of waterfowl and waterfowl hunting that will continue to help shape our programs and propel our mission forward,” said Scott Terning, Delta’s vice president of events. “Thank you to all who joined us and to all of the supporters that help make this annual event a tremendous success!”
Saturday played host to multiple events, including the Champions of Delta luncheon, first-ever Delta Expo Volunteer Summit meeting, and the second-annual Delta Grand National Double-Reed Championship Calling Contest. In a competitive lineup, Seth Fields of McKenzie, Tennessee, emerged as the competition’s winner, captivating attendees and taking home the title of “Delta Grand National Champion.” The contest was presented by Mack’s Prairie Wings and Drake Waterfowl.
The Expo’s many attractions also included the Duck Dog Stage presented by Eukanuba and Lucky Duck, the Delta Waterfowl Field-to-Table Stage presented by Banded, and Delta’s Duck Hunters Podcast Stage presented by Rig ‘Em Right and Lucky Duck.
“As the fourth-annual Duck Hunters Expo concludes, it is truly difficult to put into words what our time in OKC meant to us all,” said Williams. “Our mission is simple: we want to provide the first-class customer experience that Delta Waterfowl prides ourselves on. I’d say, ‘mission accomplished!’ We’ve already begun planning for next year—Des Moines, Iowa, here we come!”
The 2026 Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo will take place July 24 to 26 at the Iowa Event Center. We look forward to seeing you there!
Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.
For more information, contact Chris Williams at cwilliams@deltawaterfowl.org.