The numbers were up about 3000 on the inaugural event held at the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre in February 2008.

“It shows that hunting is more than a sport, it’s an industry,” expo co-ordinator Pete Costin said.

Mr Costin said there were 400 exhibitors from all over the world including Mountain Monarchs and Blackstone Outfitters, from Canada, and many from Africa.

And there was no repeat of the protests that took place at the inaugural event with Mr Costin reporting zero incidents.

“The conservation movement has come to understand that conservation is about science and not emotion, and that hunters can play an important part in the management of our environment by removing feral animals,” he said.

The huge crowd stopped at noon yesterday and flags were lowered to half-mast as a minute’s silence was observed to mark the anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires.

Exhibitor Jamie Cousins, from the Victorian Hound Hunters, said the expo was the biggest and the best in the southern hemisphere.

“It’s been fantastic. We’ve had people coming through, 30 or more at a time, all weekend and we’ve signed 150 new memberships,” he said.

Mr Cousins said the hound hunting organisation had grown from about 10 Myrtleford-based members a decade ago to achieve a 3000-strong membership this year.

Mr Costin said the event had seen most motels, but not bed and breakfasts, in the Rutherglen region booked out.

“It would bring hundreds of thousands (of people) into the region,” he said.

The event would continue to be held biennially.

“We find that it takes two years for the (hunting) technology to really update, not much changes in 12 months,” he said.

Mr Costin said the event would likely move again in 2012 but would probably stay within the region.

“This is the deer hunting hub of Australia and I’m going to endeavour to keep it here,” he said.