The Minnesota Deer Classic -- an annual celebration of deer and deer hunting -- has something different this year: new owners and a new location.

The 31st annual show, long held at the cavernous Coliseum Building at the State Fairgrounds, will be at the Schwan Center of the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine. Last fall, the Sports Center bought the show from creator and longtime owner Hugh Price, who is retiring.

"It was a business we were looking to get into, and the opportunity was there," said Barclay Kruse, spokesperson for the NSC, which holds four sports shows.

The show has some new features this year, but it's still a place where hunters can admire hundreds of deer antlers brought in by fellow hunters to be measured, check out new products and destinations and learn tips from experts.

The Deer Classic will offer two outdoor activities: At a 3-D Archery Shoot in the NSC Stadium, 50 targets, ranging in size from a mosquito to a moose, will be set up. And people can bring their dogs to a World Qualifying Shed Dog Hunt Trial, to be conducted by dog trainer Tom Dokken.

DOUG SMITH