President — Fred J. Becker, 8 Grove St, Clinton, CT 06413; 860-669-2847; FKMBecker@comcast.net
Vice President West — Jules Perreault, 1271 Durham Rd., Wallingford, CT 06492; 203-284-8051; PerreaultJules@SBCGlobal.net
Vice President East — Mike Cote, 50 Hopevalley Road, Hebron, CT 06231; 860-228-2404;
littlemike96@hotmail.com
Treasurer — Lisa Rivkin, 1149 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06032; 860-712-6874; lisarivkin@att.net
Secretary — Don Dandelski, 43 N 3rd St., Meriden, CT 06451; 203-235-1318; DDWildlife@sbcglobal.net
NTA Director — Dave Ridzon, 8 Burt Latham Road, Willington, CT 06279; 860-933-76034;
kimridzon@hotmail.com
Membership Options:
• 1-year membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $30
• 2-year membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $48
• 3-year membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $64
• 15-years and under — $10
• Lifetime — $350
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
Connecticut Trappers Association, Inc.
PO Box 485
Meriden, CT. 06451
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Greetings, fellow trappers. I hope you’re all having a great summer. Maybe you got in some fishing or boating. I haven’t had much time to go fishing with work, my new websites, filling orders, spending time with my kids. Time goes by fast.
Well, it’s time to get ready for trapping season. I’ve got traps rusting and glands rotting down. I also have painted some of my new #160 and #330 conibears. Yep, I paint them with brown rustoleum spray paint. It works great. I use primer though. It’s also time to clean up your fur shed and fur prepping items, clean up the fleshing knifes, put your boards and wire stretchers in order, sharpen up knives, make plans to tune up your trapping vehicle, replace tires, get an oil change, etc.
I think by the time you read this, the Lima, Ohio NTA convention will be history. I’ll let you know how we made out.
Again to all Connecticut trappers or anybody else who might want to know, we have our second annual CTA Advanced Trapper Training Course at the Meriden Rod & Gun Club, 7 Raven Lane, Meriden, CT. Cost is $20 per adult and $15 for children 14 and under. Come enjoy a great day of know how from some CT Trappers. There will be demos on sets, skinning, fur handling and more. The date is. Sept. 21. Call Trapper Don for more info — (203) 235-1318. It starts at 8 a.m. and goes until we end.
Also, we have the CTA Trappers Convention at the Meriden Rod & Gun Club, 7 Raven Lane, Meriden, CT. There will be demos and supplies as well as food to buy, including hot dogs, burgers, soda and more. That also starts at 8 a.m. And that date is Oct. 5. This year we moved the convention from Chaplin, CT to Meriden, CT. Meriden is a little more central. So if you’re a CT trapper, please show up and show your support for the CTA and the good of trapping in Connecticut. With the convention in the center of the state, we’re hoping we get people from all over Connecticut.
It’s almost time for bowhunting — Sept. 15. If you love bowhunting like me, well then, practice, tune your bow and practice more. Nothing gets your heat pumping like seeing a deer 10 yards from you and waiting to see if you can pull it off and harvest some fine meat or even a deer of a lifetime.
With fur prices the way they are, supplies should be in high demand. Don’t delay in that area to be sure you get what you need for trapping. Also, a reminder, if you join the CTA, you get a 10 percent discount from Eastern Wildlife Trapping Supplies. All you need to do is show your proof of joining the CTA. Go to www.trappingsuppliesct.com or call (203) 235-1318.
There are three new laws the CTA is working on for Connecticut trappers. We talked about this at our meeting. If you would like to go to a CTA meeting, you can go to the CTA website and see the dates. You can also order CTA stuff like shirts, stickers and patches. You can post pics of your trapping season or catches. You can also give the CTA input or ideas. We love to hear them. So if you are a CTA member, please get involved with us. We’re always open to new people.
I’d like to thank Herb Sabanski Jr. for a nice job on our site. I’d also like to thank Fred Becker Jr. for the good time at our BOD meeting at the beach. Great burgers, Fred. Thank you! Even if I was late. I’d also like to wish a get well soon to Bob Kucuk. Get well, Bob, so you can show your grandson some more know-how on the trapline.
There should be a few new laws on snapping turtles now in Connecticut. You can only harvest five a day and only 30 a season now. Check the regulations to be sure.
Fall time can be a busy season for CT NWCOs. Critters are dispersing from their moms and getting into trouble. Skunks start grubbing to fatten up for winter. Mice start to get into houses. Squirrels are having their fall litters. I try to do a fall cleaning — clean up dirty cage traps, clean the truck, re-stock the truck with some different supplies, re-up on baits, check ladders. Don’t use dirty skunk smelling traps to catch squirrels or raccoons in a house. I power wash them at the car wash with some simple green. It works good. Also, if you’re a CT NWCO and not a fur trapper, find a fur trapper if you’re catching raccoons and skunks in November and December. Don’t waste those critters. Give them to a fur trapper to use.
OK, well, I must get some sleep. I hope you all have a great end of summer. — Trapper Don
