The late Trapper Art put on some good ones. He added humor to his expertise

Guy from Canada fleshing beaver over his knee.
I liked watching Jed Ryback at a convention near Vegas.

I've seen a lot of demos and it's not easy to pick the best. If I'm grading on entertainment value then I'd go with a different answer. But if I am grading on true knowledge and instruction, then my handsdown best is Chris McCallister doing a coyote demo. Hal Sullivan would be a close second.

I am new to trapping and i went to the Texas Rendezvous last October. Seeing Robert Waddell's demo left a huge impression on me, even though i didn't know who he was at the time. I was furiously taking notes while trying to listen at the same time.

Red o Hearn is always fun to listen too

Gary Jepson,his sod set and the family structure of the coyote family,Slim's was good more talking than set making and Morris Fenner did a good bobcat demo.

At a PTA convention a few years back, it was Johnny Thorpe and Mike Marsyada sitting on a bench talking to each other and taking questions from the crowd. At that time, there was over a hundred years of trapping knowledge on display. I also spent an afternoon with Charles Dobbins at the Jefferson Ohio fairgrounds just watching him give advice and adjust traps was an eye opener. Listening to Bob Best do a demo was trapping reduced to it's bare essence. So many, and they were all good,. I'm fortunate enough to have had Kermit Stearns at my home several times and he would dispense knowledge without even knowing how much he was influencing people.

Tom Krause on Fox.

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Gene Purdy did a demo on coon trapping in Milledgeville I found very good. Haven’t used my slides since coon prices tanked but they all have a piece of rubber tube on them now.

Tossup between John Chagnon and Jim Tate both informative and John gave out a free trap to novices He handed me one and I said i was a vastly experienced trapper He laughed and handed me one anyway jim did a full on demo including driving in a disposable stake I mentioned it wasn't necessary to stake it He said well its just sand Well maybe a couple inchs under the pavillion but if you were ever to Kinross youd understand last I seen he was grunting and heaving pulling on it I really do like his mildly skunky bait tho

I think anyone that gives his or her time to help out the gang putting on the conventions is the best. could never fine good info in the 60's or early 70's.

Having put together 18 WTA demo slates and 4 nationals I have seen and heard hundreds of demo presentations. I have learned something from almost everyone. Many that give demos are also great speakers and communicators. The knowledge in our trapping community is immense. I personally like demos that talk about how best to stay efficient, organized, effective and how they deal with the behavioral and weather changes during the season. For many what they do is so automatic or routine they don't think about those of us that are still "undergrads". Sharing of the gained wisdom to me is where the real learning takes place and with any and all species.

Bryce