e U.P. Trappers Association is gearing up for another annual gathering this summer.
This year’s Trappers Convention and Outdoor Expo will take place at the U.P. State Fairgrounds on July 11 and 12. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, and admission will cost $10 for those 13 and older.
The convention will feature vendors selling gear and furs, a $25 Friday night fish fry, and a full schedule of demonstrations. Presenters include nationally-known speakers like Paul Antczak from the History Channel’s Mountain Men, as well as regional trapping experts.
“We have a mother and son demo coming from Pennsylvania,” said Convention Chairperson Mary Theoret. “They go out and trap together every day! They were here last year, and they were a very popular demo.”
Theoret says the convention is an opportunity to introduce new people to trapping, including children.
“We’re going to do some mink boxes for the kids and a hay scramble,” she said. “When they do the mink boxes, they get to take a mink box home and a trap, and that will get them going into trapping. Trapping is the most humane way to manage animal species. I think the public needs to learn more about it, and they can learn by coming to the convention.”
The Trappers Association is still accepting vendor applications. Particularly, there is a demand for crafters.
“We have a lot of outdoor vendors and sporting vendors,” Theoret said. “We have a request from the women to have more craft vendors. The longer the women stay at the convention, the longer the men get to stay!”
Anyone interested in becoming a vendor can contact Theoret at (906) 241-6155 or mltheoret@gmail.com. Tickets for the fish fry cost $25 and are limited. To secure tickets, call Julie Gartland at (906) 786-1227.
For more information on the U.P. Trappers Convention and Outdoor Expo, visit uptrappers.com.
