President — Opal Watts, P.O. Box 29, Dumont, CO 80436; phone: 303-569-2953; fax: 303-569-0121; e-mail: wattsopal@frii.com
Vice President — Marvin D. Miller, 29156 Summit Ranch Dr., Golden, CO 80401; phone: 303-526-9207
Secretary/Treasurer — Paula Nall 515 E. Strohm, Haxtun, CO 80731; phone: 970-774-3380
Fur Auction Manager — Alan Nall, 515 E. Strohm, Haxtun, CO 80731; phone: 970-774-3380
Public Relations Director — Alan Nall, 515 E. Strohm, Haxtun, CO 80731; phone: 970-774-3380
NTA Southwest Regional Director — Marvin D. Miller, 29156 Summit Ranch Dr., Golden, CO 80401; phone: 303-526-9207
Membership Options:
• Membership dues including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
Complete membership application on first page of
association section and send dues to:
CTA, Secretary/Treasurer
Paula Nall
515 E. Strohm, Haxtun, CO 80731
http://www.coloradotrappers.com
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
I hope summer is going well for all of you. It sure has been busy for the Colorado Trappers Association, and I will fill you in the best I can.
July 8, 2009, will find us at the Wildlife Commission meeting in Fort Collins. That will be the final step of the three-step process to our citizens petition. As you are all aware, we petitioned the Division to re-classify seven non-game species to the furbearer classification. I am pretty comfortable in saying that I believe they will vote in our favor on that day.
There has been a change in the Fur Auction. And we all knew it was coming at some point and time, just happend sooner than expected. Debbie Watts will not be able to attend the fur auction to run the computer because of work-related issues. I think we have addressed this issue and Stephen Barrington has agrred to help fill her position. Stephen is the great fella who redesigned our Web page for us. Welcome aboard Stephen.
Rendezvous is sneaking up on us. And it is the time of year that I need to receive nominations for Trapper of the Year, Wildlife Professional of the Year, Workhorse of the Year and Junior Trapper. If you would like to nominate someone, please send those to me. As Marvin spoke in the last issue, we have many re-elections this year. It is time for us to get some new blood in office, and give these workhorses a break. I hate to see Marvin retire, but I think he has put in his time.
John and Colleen Schroeder are coming to the rendezvous, but would like for us to pre-order cages that you think you will need. Please support these two wonderful people as they support us as often as they can. They can be reached at 308-381-2077 or by e-mail at trap4fun@msn.com. I will also be bringing a few wood stretchers. Since the chances of us being able to harvest grey foxes this season, I will also have grey fox boards that myself and Tracy Truman from NV have designed. They fit these silky little greys perfectly.
Thanks to everyone who has worked there tail off this summer. See ya next month.
— Otis Latham
VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
One more great Rendezvous in the making, Sept. 4 through 7. Yes, I am still putting it together. Only one responded to my request for putting on a presentation so that will be a Powerpoint on New Mexico trapping on Friday nght as soon as it is dark. There will be a grey fox seminar and a bobcat seminar since they are all around the Maverick Ranch area. I might put on a turkey hunting one also.
Directions, Highway 109 south of La Junta just past mile marker 33. There will be CTA signs at all intersections. It is about 13 miles of good dirt road, not as muddy as the last time in that part of the country. From the south, it is 8 miles from Kim on 109 to Cnty. Rd. 54, then turn north on 193.5 and follow the signs, about 17 miles or so.
Mary Gutierrez is handling the whole set-up including barbeque and the food wagon. This will be her last time! We all need to talk to the rest of the family to keep it coming in the future. Mary is ready to retire and let us thank her for all her great feeds.
By the way, everyone needs to think about officers for next year. The Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and NW and SE directors will be open. I think I gave the NTA Directors job to an eager young guy. He will go to Ohio in August with me and see what happens. It will be the 50th Convention. The Western will be in Lewistown, Montana on Sept. 18, 19, 20 this year. We should have another great Colorado group and we can have a dinner together.
At the Commission meeting on July 9, 2009, at Ft. Collins, we expect to get our petition heard for the last time and approved. The staff says yes except they want to finagle swift fox a bit. I believe we will get it through anyway. By the way, that means we will be adding the grey fox, weasels, western skunk, oppossum, swift fox and ringtail for take as well as the marten and mink. If you need box traps, call John Schroeder at 308-381-2077 and order them for delivery at the Rendezvous to save you money. If he gets enough orders, he will be there and you won’t pay shipping. Good deal!
— Marvin D. Miller