NCTA 2025 State Convention

53rd Annual Trappers Rendezvous

Johnston County Livestock Auction Arena

520 County Home Road

Smithfield, North Carolina 27577

 

Ever wonder how to trap? Want to improve your trapping skills? Want to learn how to target certain species? Well how would you like to learn from the pros?

The NCTA will host their 2025 state convention September 26th and 27th from 7:00 am till 5:00 pm both days with a buffet feast Friday night. The NCTA is a family oriented organization so bring your family for fun and a good time.

For more and updated information visit the NCTA web site nctrapper.org and the North Carolina Trappers Association Facebook Group

This year’s dynamic line up will demonstrate different trapping techniques for different species of furbearers. If you want the best of the best to personally teach you, this is as good as it gets and all demos are free    

 

 Kevin Myers – North Carolina

Kevin is the current President of the NCTA. He is also a “Master Water Trapper”.  Kevin catches several hundred muskrats and raccoons annually. He continues to challenge himself by adding new states and new species to his repertoire.

In addition, he is a licensed NC Fur Buyer and fur processer. Kevin is also a Wildlife Control Agent.  He has volunteered to teach the NCTA Advanced Trapping and Fur Handling Classes from their inception.  Mixed species water trapping is his specialty, primarily targeting raccoon, muskrats, beaver and otter. He is also licensed to use explosives to clear beaver dams that cause property damage due to flooding.      

Kevin has a passion for getting others involved in trapping.  It is only natural for him to do a demo that is primarily directed towards young trappers and help them with techniques they can use on their own trap lines. In addition to the Youth demo, Kevin will be assisting with the fur handling demo.

 

 

Kenton Althiser

Kenton Althiser is the owner of High Creek Wildlife. A lifelong outdoorsman, he started wildlife control in 2017 after a back injury took him out of construction. He is a full time professional trapper and specializes in water trapping and ground burrowing animals. Nuisance beaver make up the majority of his business with annual contracts for control for private landowners, municipalities and corporate clients. He also catches a lot of ground hogs and skunks and is very efficient in the use of cage traps His presentation will be focused on the effective use of cage traps to remove nuisance beaver in high visibility environments.  He is also proficient in the use of cable restraints for problem beaver and will include cable restraints in his presentation.

 

Joey Smith – North Carolina

Joey Smith joined the NC Trappers Association and started trapping in the late 70's. Nearly 50 years later, he has run a countless number of traplines and caught over 500 otter while doing so. His demo will demonstrate the most effective and efficient ways to target otter on your trapline.

 

Tommy Bryant – North Carolina

Hello my name is Tommy Bryant, My love for trapping started with beaver and otter but quickly spread across to coyote and fox. I find myself having to trap something all year just to keep my sanity. A typical season for me will be trapping turtles from April-August. I run a VA line in September for coyote control, then back to NC for October-November for coyote/fox.  In December I target beaver and otter briefly before switching back to coyote/fox in January/February. I finish out the season in March with a few more beaver just in time to gear up for another season.

I didn’t grow up in a family of trappers, in fact no one in my family even hunted. Once I found trapping there was no turning back. I started attending demos/classes by top trappers across the country and reading every book and article I could find. I spent thousands of hours studying game camera videos just to learn the habits of the animals I was trying to catch. I’ve caught triple digit coyotes for several consecutive seasons as well as triple digit red fox and grey fox this past season. I have trapped in numerous states and plan to add more this season. Trapping for me is a passion that never burns out! 

 

Zachery Trollinger – North Carolina

My name is Zachary Trollinger.  I started hunting and trapping in 1997 after an event in Cub Scouts.  After Cub Scouts I joined Boy Scouts, which led into bull riding and horse training.  I took a break from trapping and hunting in 2006, and bull riding in 2011 to start a family.  I got back into trapping and hunting in 2010 and have been skinning and putting up my fur since then.  I started my own business, Wildlife Damage Control and Repair, in 2019 and it continues to grow.  My wife and I bought a farm in 2022 and teach trapping classes to educate new trappers in trapping methods as well as fur handling.  I will be skinning and fleshing a variety of furbearers at the convention. 

 

Jeff Dunlap - Michigan

Jeff is an accomplished professional trapper and lure maker from Michigan. He grew up in the trapping and fur industry.  Jeff also owns and operates Dunlap Lures.  He took over the business from his father who started it in 1970. Jeff takes great pride in providing quality baits and lures to trappers, just as his father did before him. Jeff has trapped all over the Lower 48 states and Alaska for all types of furbearers with success. He promotes trapping and techniques to new trappers on a variety of social media platforms. You can follow him on Facebook through the Dunlap Lures Facebook page, or the Facebook group Trapping Talk where there are more than 50,000 trappers in the group. He also has a presence on Instagram and YouTube. Jeff is proud to have appeared on the F&T Freedom Outdoors TV show for many years teaching trapping techniques to new trappers. When he isn’t trapping, he enjoys metal detecting and spending time with his kids and grandkids. Jeff and Sarah plan to tag team their demos on Bobcats and Beaver.

 

Sarah Gomez – Michigan

Sarah Gomez Sarah established SheTraps, a company that offers a range of trapping supplies, including baits and lures. She is recognized for her dedication to the craft and actively works to introduce more individuals to trapping, with a particular focus on empowering women in the field. Her work includes conducting demonstrations at conventions and sharing her expertise through various platforms, including YouTube videos and interviews. She has trapped various animals, including coyotes, otter, muskrat, raccoon, beaver, nutria, opossum, and wild pigs. She is known to enjoy trapping coyotes the most. Sarah and Jeff plan to tag team their demos on Bobcats and Beaver.

 

Mark “Chappy” Charpentier – Ney York & Wyoming

Mark Charpentier is a multi-species trapper with over 35 years’ experience. Originally from Wyoming, and grew up between the high desert and the Sandhills of Nebraska, he cut his teeth trapping coyotes. Mink and bobcats continue to be his favorite. He also started and ran a successful ADC business in New York for 23 years which he sold in the spring of 2025.  Mark now continues to pursue predators out west, trapping when and where he enjoys. He is also the creator of The Complete Trapper page on Facebook that represents the modern year round trapper working ADC to fur trapping.  Chappy’s Wildlife Solutions is his current endeavor providing predator control and professional trapping products to the industry. Mark’s demo will focus on being successful as an ADC trapper.

 

Craig Kunkel – Virginia

Craig started trapping in South Central PA and has been trapping for over 45
years. He traps for multiple large hunting property owners to reduce predators
and nest predators to enhance the turkey & quail population. He has
enjoyed trapping raccoons most of his life. He has a technique that is simple and
effective, and it allows him to operate efficiently.

He has also been processing his own fur and is a big advocate of proper fur
handling that starts in the field. Craig is Virginia Trapping Instructor, teaching
Basic and Advanced courses as well as Fur Handling. In recent years, he has
supervised the Virginia Trappers Association Easter Fur Sale. He will be sharing
some of his fur handling techniques, focusing primarily on bobcat in the fur
handling demo area Saturday morning.

He is a lifetime member of the NCTA, NTA along with several other states where
he has trapped. He is also Virginia's District 5 Director, and is the NTA director for
Virginia.

 

Bryan Nelson – Virginia

Bryan has trapped for over 35 year and began trapping professionally in the fall of 2004. Since that time, the majority of his annual income has come from trapping – fur, live market canines and ADC nuisance wildlife. He is the owner/operator of Advantage Wildlife Solutions LLC. He served two terms as President of the Virginia Trappers Association and has been inducted into the Virginia Trappers Association Hall of Fame. He is currently the Convention Coordinator for the National Trappers Association.