Mark Zagger is shown with a small portion of his season’s catch of well-handled furbearers.

ESCANABA — The National Trappers Association’s annual Convention/Outdoor Show will be July 26-28 at the U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba.

Among the many trappers and outdoor experts attending will be Mark Zagger of Cazenovia, N.Y., who is well-known for his expertise on capturing coyotes.

Using his innovative techniques, he averages 135 coyotes a year, with a best of 185 captured in one year. Amazingly, he puts up these kinds of numbers only trapping for three weeks or so each year.

Zagger began trapping in 1976. He attended college as a wildlife biology student, where he closely studied mated pairs of canines. In 1989, he started his own nuisance wildlife control business in central New York state.

While Zagger successfully traps his home range, he has had great success in Midwestern and Western states as well. He was one of the first trappers to use “trapline dogs” before it became more common. His dogs played a major role in helping him put up his capture numbers.

He will share his information on the use of dogs as trapping partners in his presentation. Zagger also will describing a set he invented that he calls the “pipe dream,” a totally weather-resistant set.

Zagger has written many magazine articles and contributed to books related to canine trapping. He also has created Coyote U, a coyote trapping instructional course.

“The 2018 lineup of presenters just keeps getting better and better,” said Doug Zajdel, longtime member of U.P. Trappers District 3.

“All of these great demos, along with food vendors, sporting goods dealers, tail-gaters and interesting items/events for all members of the family make the NTA 59th annual convention a ‘must-see’ event for any outdoor enthusiast,” he said.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time all days. Admission is $10 a day or $20 for a three-day pass. Those age 12 and younger are admitted free.

For more information on the event, contact convention coordinator Vickie Wright at 231-907-0977, vwright@nationaltrappers.com or Roy Dahlgren at 906-339-1960 or go www.uptrappers.com.

The National Trappers Association is committed to defending and promoting the safe and ethical harvest of furbearing mammals and to the preservation and enhancement of their habitats.

Fifty-one state trapping affiliates make up the core of the national organization, representing thousands of fur harvesters from every portion of the country.