President — Gene Pritchett, 107 Seaboard Road, Jesup, GA 31545; phone: 912-586-6905
Vice President — Gary Newman, 1182 Hwy 107, Denton, GA 31532; phone: 912-375-3795
Correspondence Secretary — Steve Rainey, 1923 Beattie Road, Albany, Ga 31707; phone: 229-449-9533
Membership Secretary/Treasurer — Tommy Key, P.O. Box 1005, Pine Mountain, GA 31822; phone: 706-628-4686
Legislative Director — Ted Gustin, 494 Eastside Drive, Thomaston, GA 30286; phone: 706-648-1951
NTA Director — Rusty Johnson, Rt. 1, Chula, GA 31733; phone: 229-382-2499
F.T.A. Director — 92 Rocky Point Road, Covington, GA 30014; phone: 404-402-2207
Executive Director — Chris Johnson, 2448 U.S. Hwy 411 S.E., Fairmount, GA 30139, phone: 706-337-5608
General Organizer — Teresa Keys, 3158 East Fairview Road, McDonough, GA 30252; phone: 770-388-7951
Membership Options:
• Regular membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Lifetime membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $300
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
GTA, Membership Secretary/Treasurer
Tommy Key
P.O. Box 1005, Pine Mountain, GA 31822
CORRESPONDENCE SECRETARY’S REPORT
Thanksgiving, and we have so much to be thankful for. On Saturday I attended the memorial service for a childhood friend who died suddenly. On Sunday I shot a beautiful two hundred pound, eight- point buck on our land. Then on Monday at 4:05 p.m. Philip Andrew Adams, our grandson, was born! Sadness and happiness, good times and bad but so much to be thankful for.
As I write this we’re only days away from the opening of the trapping season; I was hoping to work on the otters this year, but most places I would set a trap are dry. Dry weather, good news for the predator trapper but bad news for the water trapper.
The other day I got a copy of “Outdoor Alabama”, the magazine published by the Alabama Department of Conservation (their DNR), and there much to my surprise and delight was an article entitled “Teaching Trapping”. The article outlined the efforts of a division biologist for Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, Mike Sievering, to establish trapping seminars around the state in order to perpetuate trapping. The seminars make use of knowledgeable trappers from Alabama and neighboring states and members of different trapping organizations to teach young people about trapping.
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the folks in Alabama for their efforts and to say thank you to the magazine staff for courageously publishing the article in their state magazine!
In January, the weekend after deer season, (I think that will be the 21st – 23rd), the GTA will hold their annual trapping competition. The competition will be held near Andersonville at the same site as last year’s competition. I’m sure more information will be forthcoming in a newsletter. Try to make plans to attend.
Seems like everywhere you turn there’s another article on the impact of coyotes on deer populations. It’s going to be interesting to see what affect that has on trapping.
I can’t help but wonder why Georgia trappers have to continue to send off for their trapping licenses when hunting and fishing licenses are available online, particularly when each resident trapper has a permanent number.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and that you hear trap chains jingling and see coyotes dancing!
— Steve Rainey
