President — Cody Sikes, 27020 Old Trilby Rd., Brooksville, FL 34602; phone: 352-398-5945; e-mail: southernlandservices01@yahoo.comVice President — Bill Crowder, P.O. Box 510, Madison, FL 32341; phone: 850-973-6540; e-mail: wildbillc@shareinet.net
Secretary/Treasurer — Carol Lokken, 7047 Spinnaker Blvd., Englewood, FL 34224; phone: 941-475-1206; e-mail: beachbum5253@comcast.net
NTA Director — George Dykhuizen, 8110 Casa De Meadows Dr., Englewood, FL 34224; phone: 941-697-7634; e-mail: principal1@embarqmail.com
Membership Options
• Family membership, including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Associate membership (without magazine) — $15
• Lifetime membership (without magazine) — $100
• Lifetime membership with two year subscription — $125
Complete membership application on first page of association section, and send dues to:
Carol Lokken
7047 Spinnaker Blvd.
Englewood, FL 34224
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Hello fellow trappers! I hope everyone is having a great summer and is getting ready for the upcoming trapping season. It has been pretty hot down here, so most of my season preparations are going to have to wait until it cools off some. Now is a great time though to be getting your trapping land lined up, and getting all the permission lined up so when the season starts, you will be ready to go. If you think you have enough, go ahead and try to double that amount, just in case something happens mid season and you lose some of what you thought you had lined up.
Jill and I just got home from our weekend at the first annual Florida Trapper training camp. The amount of interest in the camp was much larger than we had originally expected. We had a total of 25 trappers show up to participate in the class. The knowledge of our instructors was exceptional, and I am sure that everyone in attendance left with a lot more knowledge than when they arrived. I would like to send a big thank you to Bill Crowder for all of the work he put into this, as well as a great location to have it at. This excellent learning experience would not have been possible without all the time and effort Bill and all of the other instructors and officers put into it. Thank y’all so much!
The success we had with the first camp has persuaded us to go ahead and start working on the next one. We are planning on putting on an actual trapline sometime during fur season to have everyone get hands on trapping experience. I hope to get as many aspiring, young, fur trappers to it as we can. The first camp was geared more toward the handling of large nuisance animal complaints. I think we have given this trappers a large boost on their way to starting a successful business.
We have a new membership drive going on. Any member who can sign up 5 new members to our organization will receive 2 dozen new snares made by Darrell and Nate Rogers. These are top of the line snares, and will be a great addition to any snare line. Our membership numbers are the only thing we can do to try to get better laws brought about to keep our heritage and rights alive. Please do everything you can to get new members involved in trapping, and our organization. Happy trapping!
— Cody L. Sikes
VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
It was hot and it was intense. It was hot and it was “hands on”. And it looked like all of the students were just itching to get home and get to trapping.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the people who made this such a successful trapper training seminar. First, the instructors: Bill Weeks, Randy Engleman, Darrell Rogers, Nate Rogers, John Whitfield, and Lenny Lokken. Along with myself, these fellows conducted classes that included professional trapping techniques, snare building, trap setting and placement, along with a whole lot more. It was 2 days of instructions. And we hope that everyone came away with enough knowledge to get started. We intend to hold another seminar as soon as possible and we hope everyone will come back.
I want to thank my partner and my lady, Rosa Hunter, and our secretary/treasurer Carol Lokken for all their hard work and help. This wouldn’t have been possible without them.
I want to thank all of the students who attended. It was obvious they were hungry for the knowledge, techniques, and instructions.
And finally, I want to thank my friends who came early and stayed late to help us set up and clean up.
We look forward to seeing y’all at the Rendezvous on the 25th.
— Bill Crowder
SECRETARY’S REPORT
20 new members!!!! 20 new members!!!!! Can you tell I’m excited? Our first Trapper Training Seminar was a resounding success. Seven certified instructors and 25 students attended. Of that 25, 20 were new members. Thank you EVERYONE! It was a pleasure to meet y’all. I wish I’d had more time to get to know you all more, but we’ll catch up at the Rendezvous. I want to extend a hearty welcome to the 20 new members: Ernie McLaughlin, Alan Roberts, Richard Vaughn, Robert Priest, Terry Burdette, George Miller, Ferrell Robinson, Travis Land, Alan Flint, Phillip Hackle, Damian Stewart, Matt Hickey, Justin Mosley, Kit Storey, Charlie Langford, Lee Norman, Bert Waldrep, Dakota Engleman, Alan Fullard, and Veronica Colley. I want to thank members Cody Sikes, Bubba Stratton, Archie Alderman, Michael Lee and Georgia Trappers Association member Sam Gill for their participation and attendance. Please keep in touch with us. We look forward to hearing from you. We want to hear your success stories.
I want to thank Bill Crowder and Rosa Hunter for their gracious generosity and hard work. These folks hosted this seminar. They opened their hearts and their home. And we had a wonderful time. Each evening, we had the pleasure of sitting with friends and going over the day’s activities and planning for the next one. Ideas flew as fast as the dragon flies. Fun and foolish banter was plentiful. And I want to especially thank Robin Hood for making us all laugh. Thanks for sharing!!
We are now gearing up for the Rendezvous on the 25th at Trimble Park. Have you purchased your raffle tickets yet? First prize is a Garmin E-Trex GPS, second prize is a RedHead All Terrain camo duffle back, third prize is a ThermaCell insect repellant device, fourth prize is a Buck 373 Trio Pocket knife and fifth prize is a FL Trappers Association hat, license plate and window decal. Cost is $20.00 for 5 tickets. Call me, write me, or email me for tickets. Drawing will be held at the Rendezvous and you need not be present to win! We also have our “world famous” fund raising auction. Please bring items to donate to the cause. These can be sportmen-related items… or not. We even auction off a “kissing booth”! Come join the fun. Details are in the Association news below.
We are starting a new membership-building-incentive. Sign up 5 new “sustaining” members and receive 2 dozen custom built snares (made by Darrell and Nate Rogers to your specifications). Now, we don’t mean for you to sign up your next door neighbor and your brother and your buddies at work … unless they are dedicated sportsmen and women. We need members who will continue to renew and be with us for years to come — active, interested members who will attend trapper training seminars and the Rendezvous, passionate members who will help us stay strong, fight the anti’s! Contact me for membership applications.
To all who are reading this and are not a member yet, please take a moment to contact me. We need your passion and your voice. As our numbers grow, so does our strength. We preserve, conserve and pass on. And we cannot afford to lose anything. Please help us stay strong!!!
— Carol Lokken
NTA DIRECTOR’S REPORT
The NTA continues to be active in trapper education on many fronts. At the recent NTA Convention in Marshfield, WI, trappers could attend demonstrations by nationally recognized experts showing successful techniques for outwitting principal North-American furbearers. Other demonstrations by fur auction companies illustrated proper skinning and fur-handling techniques. But the NTA educates more than trappers. The general public currently has the opportunity to observe the positive side of trapping by tuning in to InCountry TV (INTV). INTV is available on Direct TV and DishNet.
This series of trapping vignettes has the potential to acquaint millions of viewers with trapping as viewed by trappers themselves. Still another great educational endeavor sponsored by the NTA is the Scholarship and Grant program which provides monetary assistance to worthy applicants across the country. For the past two years, I have served on the Scholarship and Grant Committee and am highly impressed by the input of young scholars from across the country … both male and female. Most of the applicants major in Fish and Wildlife Management, but all of them display a passion for preserving our wildlife heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping.
— George Dykhuizen
ASSOCIATION NEWS
31st Annual Rendezvous
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Trimble County Park
Mount Dora, FL
352-383-1993
Time: 9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast: 8:00 AM
Coffee, orange juice, donuts
Lunch: 12:00 Noon
Beans, Burgers, and Dogs compliments of the FL Trappers Association
Demos:
Meat market — Bill Crowder & Bo Carlton; What, where, when, who, how to sell
Bait and Lure Making — Bill Weeks
Nuisance Animal Removal — John Whitfield & Gary DePalma; Including start up and business practices
Fur market and outlets — George Dykhuizen; Where and when to sell your fur
Open forum — A great time to share your knowledge, ideas, and questions
Business Meeting
Auction/Fund Raiser Dave Enfinger – Auctioneer Extraordinaire
Ronnie Braxton & Terry Mayne – Assistants Extraordinaire
Raffle drawing
Please mark this date on your calendar and join us for a day filled with fellowship, fun, and friends.
Bring items to donate to our annual auction and plan to buy some useful and interesting “stuff”. Association promotional items and raffle tickets will be available for sale.
Our Rendezvous is open to the public and all guests are welcome!
Please respect Trimble Park rules: No firearms, alcohol, or pets allowed in the park.
Camping is available with water and electric hook ups. There are bathroom and shower facilities in the camping area. Trimble Park will take camping reservations after August 11th. Please tell the office that you are with the FL Trapper’s Association. We cannot reserve specific sites but they will try to group us together. Many of us plan to camp Friday and Saturday night.
Directions: (DO NOT USE MAP QUEST, YAHOO, OR GOOGLE MAPS!)
From I 75:
Exit 329(Inverness/Wildwood) to SR 44 toward Wildwood/Leesburg
SR 44 to Leesburg to US 441 (Rt 500) toward Taveres/Eustis/Mt. Dora
SR 441 past the Mt. Dora cutoff and you will see a sign “Orange County”
2 miles past this sign you will see a sign “Trimble County Park” (right side of road)
Turn right on Dudley Rd. left on Dora Dr., right on Earlwood Ave.,
Bear right on Trimble Rd.
From the east:
SR 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) towards Mt. Dora
After passing thru Apopka, there will be a “Zellwood Diner/Truck Stop” on your right
2 miles past the diner/truck stop you will see a sign “Trimble County Park” on your right.
Turn left on Sadler Rd., right on Sloewood Dr., right on Dora Dr., left on Earlwood Ave.,
Bear right on Trimble Rd.
Come into the park and follow the main road straight in (not the boat launch entrance), past the camping area road. Pavilion #1 is at the end of the road on the right.
There is ample parking.
Please direct all questions and concerns to our Officers.
Hope to see y’all there!!
Accommodations:
Hampton Inn Mount Dora
19700 US Highway 441, Mount Dora, Florida, USA 32757
Tel: 1-352-383-4267 Fax: 1-352-383-4114
www.mountdora.hamptoninn.com
Magnolia Inn Bed & Breakfast
347 E 3rd Ave, Mt Dora, FL 32757
(352) 735-3800
Captains Inn
1507 N Donnelly St, Mt Dora, FL 32757
(352) 217-8926
FLORIDA TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION RAFFLE
Winners to be drawn at the Rendezvous
Winners need not be present to win
1st Prize — Garmin eTrex Venture HC hand-held GPS
2nd Prize — RedHead All-Terrain Duffle Bag (Real Tree Camo)
3rd Prize — ThermaCell Portable Mosquito and Black Fly Repellant Device
4th Prize — Buck Knife 373 Trio Pocket Knife
5th Prize — Florida Trappers Association License Plate, Hat, and Decal
Tickets are $20 for 5. Contact Carol Lokken for tickets.
