The FTA Convention hits Pennsylvania
and the NTA Convention Visits Upper Michigan
By Jared Blohm
Winter held on as long as it could, but we’re finally seeing signs of summer. And that means we’re closing in on convention season for trappers. The Fur Takers of America Convention will be held in Washington, Pa., June 19 through 21, and the National Trappers Association Convention will be held in Escanaba, Mich., from July 24 to 27.
Fur Takers of America
Trappers will head to the Washington County Fairgrounds in Washington, Pa., for the 2014 F.T.A. Convention from Thursday, June 19 to Saturday, June 21. The Pennsylvania Trappers Association Convention will be held in conjunction with the F.T.A. Convention, both of which will be hosted by the P.T.A.’s District 3. The convention motto will be “Sharing a Tradition.”
“We are looking forward to the Fur Takers of America joining us here in Pennsylvania,” a P.T.A. release stated. “With both organizations, it should be a very busy convention. It looks like there will be something going on almost around the clock during the event.”
Trapping demonstrations will be held throughout the event, and vendors selling trapping supplies will be spread throughout the fairgrounds inside and out of the buildings.
Ed Hutzel, of the Hutzel Trap Co., will be making a commemorative bear trap for the convention. The trap will be displayed at the P.T.A. District 3 booth, where members will be selling raffle tickets to win the trap. The winner will be drawn Saturday evening.
A free pig roast will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. in the auction building. The meal is sponsored by P.T.A. District 3 and the North American Fur Auctions Wild Fur Shippers Council.
Immediately after the meal on Saturday, at about 7:30 p.m., the F.T.A. will hold its auction.
A fur hat making demonstration will be conducted on Friday, and the skillet toss, MouN.T.A.in Man Race, trap setting competitions, barefoot bear trap setting and Dutch oven cooking demonstrations will be held on Saturday.
For more information, including camping and hotel information, visit www.furtakersofamerica.com/convention.html, or contact David Eckels by phone at (724) 348-6721 or email at dleckels@verizon.net.
National Trappers Association
The 55th annual N.T.A. Convention will be held on the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds in Escanaba, Mich., from Thursday, July 24 to Sunday, July 27. The Upper Peninsula Trappers Association is hosting the event.
“We Yoopers have been waiting 41 years for this opportunity to attend a locally sponsored N.T.A. Convention,” a U.P.T.A. release stated. “Sure, the U.P. Trappers Association only has about 400 members, but we are doing everything we can to put on a show that will rival or exceed those put on by associations with thousands of members. We are not only excited for the opportunity to bring the nation’s premier trapping and outdoor show to the Upper Peninsula but are also driven to make it one of the best.”
Admission is $10 for the event. Children under 12 get in free.
The N.T.A. Convention, which is the largest trapping event in North America, is expected to attract 6,000 to 8,000 trappers. The convention features hundreds of inside trapping supply vendors and dozens of tailgaters. There will also be trapping demos scheduled throughout the convention.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Pocket Park will be open for children to enjoy supervised activities such as fishing and target practice. The Michigan DNR will also have a Portable Laser Shooting Range set up with computerized games of skill.
Other planned activities include two wild-fur fashion shows with top professional models, a Saturday night dance, a fundraising auction, trapping and calling demos, trap setting contests and a women’s skillet toss. For the ATV enthusiast, a huge Polaris ATV display and Michigan’s only ATV practical skills track facility will be open for demo use as well as student training. Bus tours to some of the beautiful wonders of the Upper Peninsula such as Fayette State Park, Big Springs, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and a “wine and dine” tour to a couple of the area’s fine wineries will be available to the general public for a registration fee.
For more information, including camping and hotel information, visit www.nationaltrappers.com, or contact Tamara Masterson by phone at (248) 568-5804 or email at masterson@nationaltrappers.com.
Jared Blohm is the managing editor of Trapper & Predator Caller.
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