LITTLE VALLEY — The annual Sportsmen’s Rendezvous returns to the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds this weekend, giving attendees the opportunity to learn about the important role of trapping, hunting and fishing in managing and protecting wildlife and other natural resources.

Presented by the Cattaraugus County Trappers Association (CCTA), the public event for all ages is expected to draw approximately 2,000 visitors. The three-day event will take place Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m. 3 p.m.

Brian Davis, CCTA member, treasurer and spokesperson, said the vendors will be located under the grandstand, along the midway and inside the domestics building. He said some will be giving demonstrations on how to use their equipment for trapping.

The event will feature conservation displays and over 75 vendors dealing in outdoor living items including guns, ammo and black powder supplies, archery equipment, trapping and fishing gear, taxidermy, birdhouses, alpaca socks and assorted antiques, along with outdoor themed arts, crafts and other related products.

Davis said there will be a few new vendors coming this year, including one who engraves wildlife designs on flat steel and other metals, as well as several offering game animal calls at their booths.

To learn more about trapping, its historical and cultural significance, people will have the opportunity to attend live demonstrations and seminars held by experts covering a dozen different topics throughout the weekend.

Davis said CCTA member David Allen will do a demonstration Friday on fisher trapping. Allen will also conduct a trapper training class Saturday, which is required to receive a New York State Trapping License.

According to Davis, a lot of species trapped, including coyotes, fox, beavers and raccoons, have very few if any natural predators to keep their populations under control.

“Most other sportsmen’s shows either focus primarily on hunting and guns, or on new products and services,” he said. “The Sportsmen’s Rendezvous provides a more laid back, relaxed atmosphere where they educate the public about trapping and wildlife management.”

The New York State Big Buck Club will be onsite to measure the antlers of deer hunters’ trophy bucks. If the spread is a big one, the proud hunter may end up in the state record book.

A Trappers’ Chicken BBQ will be held Saturday, starting about 11 a.m. until gone. An auction, featuring mostly donated items from the vendors, will take place 6 p.m. Saturday. Proceeds from the auction, as well as raffle ticket sales, gate admission and vendor fees, help support the efforts of CCTA.

Davis said the association sponsors kids who attend DEC Conservation Camp and the Trappers’ Camp at Camp Rushford; Cattaraugus County and NYS Envirothon; 4-H programs in Cattaraugus County and other surrounding counties, as well as others.

“We also have a scholarship program,” he said. “We try to fund two $500 scholarships each year for students looking to enroll in college to study a natural resource conservation discipline such as fish and wildlife management, ecology, environmental science and similar fields.”

Davis said many CCTA members generously share their knowledge of and enthusiasm for trapping with those interested in learning about the sport, including youth and adults alike.

“The Cattaraugus County Trappers’ Association recognizes that our youth are the future to preserving our outdoor heritage, and believes that by providing these opportunities for youth and adults alike to learn about the important role of trapping, hunting, and fishing in managing and protecting our wildlife and other natural resources, that outdoor sports will be able to continue to thrive for future generations,” he said.

Established in 1980, the Sportsmen’s Rendezvous has been organized and hosted by the Cattaraugus County Trappers’ Association for over 40 years, becoming one of the largest locally run sportsmen’s conventions in the eastern United States.

The organization started when several trappers from the county joined together for the purpose of protecting and promoting the sport of trapping. Thanks to the dedicated effort of nearly 200 members from Cattaraugus County and surrounding areas, the association has grown into the successful organization that it remains to this day.

The primary goal of the CCTA is to educate and inform elected officials and the general public about the importance of trapping as the most effective tool for the proper management of fur-bearing wildlife.

The fairgrounds are located at 501 Erie St. Admission is $5 per adult each day; youth 16 and younger are free. Camping is available at an additional cost. For more information, contact Davis at (716) 945-4223 or briandavis47@hotmail.com. Visit the “Cattaraugus County Trapping Association” Facebook page.