Trappers meet in Mason City

While animal-rights activists might be outraged, thousands of “pro-fur” people are converging on Mason City starting today. The 42nd annual National Trappers Association Rendezvous and Sport-show runs through the weekend at the North Iowa Fairgrounds.N-T-A spokesman Steve Greene says there will be many things for members and for the public to experience. The event is expected to be the biggest convention Mason City has ever hosted, with “several million dollars” of estimated economic impact. There will be almost 300 booths with sporting equipment and outside booths with equipment also.Greene invites old-timers and first-timers to explore the long-standing traditions of trapping. He says it’s kind of like a family reunion among trappers.Events run through Sunday. Tickets are seven-dollars for one-day or ten-dollars for a multi-day pass, with children 14 and under admitted free.