News 12's Keith Kocinski was at the Garden State Outdoor Sports Show in the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center Sunday, where nature lovers come from around the state to enjoy fishing and hunting demonstrations, paintball, ax throwing and more.

This year marked the 36 annual event.

"It’s a gorgeous state,” says one attendee. “It’s amazing with all the hunting and fishing and you can do here. It’s simply amazing."

The four-day event has nearly 200 exhibits with hunting gear, paintball and airsoft ranges, powersports, archery areas, fishing demonstrations and ax throwing. 

According to U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation makes up nearly 2% of New Jersey's gross domestic product, supporting nearly 140,000 jobs. 

Casey Scanlon is a professional angler. He says the outdoors were an important part of his childhood and recommends passing it on to the next generation.

"Whether it’s conservation or just keeping care of the resource that we have, it’s great to get kids outside and involved in something that, you know, that is really going to take their lives in a better direction,” he says.

Organizers say thousands showed up this weekend although they are still counting the final numbers.