ESCANABA, MI — The National Trappers Association Convention and Outdoor Show is being held at the U.P. State Fairgrounds, located in Escanaba, MI. Dates are July 27 through 29, and the  hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EDT) all three days. Admission costs $10 for a 1-day pass, $20 for a 3-day pass and kids under 12 are free. Food and refreshments will be available.  

New to this event is the Kids’ Cave, which was a big hit at the last two NTA conventions.  In the “cave,” the demos are done by kids! “A great way for youngsters to learn is to be taught by their peers!” said Bill Pipp, a long-time member of U.P. Trappers.

Examples of Cave events include seminars, prize drawings, hands-on stations with archery, BB guns, fishing, trap setting, laser shooting range, etc.  

Several matching games using furs, skulls, pictures and tracks round out some of the educational aspects of the cave.

And the most exciting event in the cave is the coin scramble. Lots of cash and prizes are buried in the straw (even some folding money!) and tokens that could be used to shop for and purchase more great items.

The demo schedule features 24 demos during the three days, along with the “She Side,” another new event for Escanaba, which will feature 14 demos, all done by female presenters.

On the main demo stage, one of the demos generating a lot of interest this year is a roundtable discussion on beavers, featuring Robert Connor from Canada, Dave Eckles and Paul Dobbins. This much beaver trapping expertise all in one place is outstanding! 

Connor got interested in trapping around 1968, when he was 12 years old. Connor had been watching muskrats swim in the creek behind the house and he wanted to trap them. In 1970, his family moved further north in Ontario to a more-wilderness area, where lots of kids in his school were trappers. Connor then started going out with his buddies and sold his raw fur to the local buyer. From there he went on to a registered Canadian trapline.  He concentrated on beavers, but also learned to capture foxes, lynx and wolves. 

In 1993, he was hired as an agent for the railroad, doing full-time nuisance-beaver trapping. Those years saw him capture several hundred beavers annually. Today, Connor continues to run three registered traplines. He belongs to several area fur councils, was involved with the Ontario Fur Managers Federation and has served as vice president of that organization. 

Connor is joined by experts Paul Dobbins and Dave Eckles. This will make for a very informative, educational demo. 

For more information on demos, presenters or any other convention items, go to www.uptrappers/nta-convention.com.  

Note: A few demos are restricted to NTA members only. 

Over 120 inside vendors will be at this event, with most offering convention sale specials. Countless tailgaters will be there to sell and swap their wares. 

One never knows what kind of treasures you might find. 

There will be lots of food vendors on the grounds.   

Thanks to local native Al Dubord (expert Alaskan trapper) many of his friends from Alaska will be attending, including many of the cast of the TV show “The Last Alaskans.” 

The ever-popular Marty Meierotto (from “Mountain Men”) and his family will be there as well. 

This event is a good chance to meet many outdoor celebrities and experts in person.  

For questions or more information, call local convention coordinator Roy Dahlgren at 906/399-1960, email trapperroy@outlook.com or visit www.uptrappers.com and go to the 2023 National (NTA) Convention page.