The Warren County Fairgrounds was transformed into an animal trappers' paradise Friday, as the fifth annual northeast regional convention of the National Trappers Association opened.

The event, which runs through Sunday, caters to a wider audience outside of just trappers.

"This can give the general public a better perception of what trapping is about," said Dan Skurski, convention coordinator for the National Trappers Association.

Approximately 68 indoor and outdoor vendors set up shop, offering an assortment of items including animal skins, trapping equipment and oils to attract different animals.

Throughout the day there were demonstrations on how to catch a certain animal, including gray and red foxes as well as beavers.

"You don't want to hurt it," said Skurski. "You just want to hold the animal in place."

Other demonstrations included the proper way to skin an animal, given by Greg Cole of the North American Fur Auction (NAFA).

Cole showed the crowd how to stretch the skin of an animal so that it dries and is able to be tanned, or used for a coat or other item.

An unscheduled demonstration was the tagging of a bear, an adult male weighing approximately 500 pounds, brought to the convention by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The animal was recently reported by a resident who noticed the bear near his property.

According to Skurski, a trap was set "in the vicinity of where the bear was seen" and the animal was lured into the trap with doughnuts.

For the processing, the bear was sedated. The ear was tagged for future identification, and a pre-molar tooth was pulled to determine the age of the animal.

The bear will be released back into an wooded area about 50 miles from the fairgrounds, officials said.

Jay Pacansky traveled about an hour and 20 minutes from East Springfield, Pa., to attend the convention for the first time.

Pacansky, who said he has been trapping for about 30 years, purchased about two dozen traps Friday.

"This has everything you need and then some," he said of the convention.

Trapping demonstrations will continue throughout the weekend, as well as a presentation about animal calling and a coyote study held recently at Presque Isle State Park in Erie.

Other activities taking place over the weekend include a hay scramble for children, where prizes will be hidden in piles of hay and a skillet toss contest for women to see who can throw an iron skillet the farthest.