President — Hance Clayton, 4355 W. 49th St., Idaho Falls, ID 83402; phone: 208-524-6304; 208-521-8404; e-mail: hanceclayton@gmail.com
Vice President — Vince Harrison, P.O. Box 412, Ucon, ID 83454; phone: 208-524-0082
Secretary — Michelle Gutierrez, P.O. Box 405, Mountain Home, ID 83647; phone: 208-587-5931; e-mail: mjtaxidermy@msn.com
Treasurer — Tammy Jewett, 1770 NE Beaman Rd., Mountain Home, ID 83647; phone: 208-587-6822; e-mail: jewett6822@msn.com
NTA Director — Dan Davis, 2741 E 200 N St.,Anthony, ID 83445; phone: 208-458-4303; e-mail: danandjanet@juno.com
Election Oversight Committee Chairman — Corry Hatch, 1917 One Mile Rd., Grace, ID 83241,
phone: 208-705-7068
Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25.50
• Family membership with subscription — $30.50
• Life Membership — $500
Complete membership application on first page of
association section and send dues to:
ITA, Secretary
Michelle Gutierrez
P.O. Box 405
Mountain Home, ID 83647
http://www.idahotrappers.org
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Our trapping season and our March fur sale is behind us. I think canceling our January sale was a smart move considering the economy and the unstable fur market at the time. We had as much fur or more than we had at last March’s sale, however the prices were off considerably. Montana scheduling on top of our March sale not only pulled buyers away from us, but also pulled buyers away from them. We are very careful in setting our sales so that they do not interfere with any surrounding states’ sales. I asked Montana last year after they set on top of us to schedule around us and the other states, but through arrogance and inconsideration they just ignored all surrounding states and set their sale on Sunday, the day after our sale. There is no way that buyers could come to our sale and drive all night to get to Montana’s Sunday sale.
Our annual convention is scheduled Aug. 14-15 at McCall, Idaho at the state park and campground. North Idaho trappers, this area was selected with you in mind. This is a very beautiful area on the lake with plenty of camping areas. We plan to serve breakfast Saturday morning and have smoked pork shoulder barbecue in the afternoon. Please bring a pot-luck dish or garden vegetables for the barbecue. We plan to have vendors and quite a few demonstrations. If you would like to do a skinning-stretching or trap set demo, please let Michelle know and we will get you on the schedule. Bring anything trapping that you would like to swap, sell or donate to the auction that we will conduct.
In case you haven’t been watching, the Owyhee canyons area has been made a wilderness area, Trapping will be allowed, but you will only be able to drive on designated roads and will have to walk to the canyon rims (some as far as 3 miles from the road).
This will not apply to ranchers, they cut themselves a sweetheart deal. They can drive all over to maintain their fences, round up cattle and haul feed, not to mention the very HIGH price they will get paid for any private land that will be purchased from them. The guides that haul the granolas to kayak and raft down the rivers also will be allowed to traverse most existing roads. No trapper or hunting representatives were allowed at the table when the wilderness area was established. I fought it with Senator Crapo’s aid, but I was ignored and politics won out.
I want to thank ALL that chipped in to make the fur sale a success. We are continually soliciting volunteers to help with ITA events such as the fur sales and annual convention. If you would like to volunteer, contact Michelle and she will put you on a Go-To-List.
There is a proposal in by the anti-trapping bunch to put the fisher in the West on the endangered species list. This same bunch is attempting to stop trapping on ALL National Wildlife Refuges. Trappers, the days of waiting on someone else to do your work in protecting your trapping privilege is over. You get involved in writing, calling, sending e-mails to your representatives or we are going to lose it. Once lost, we will NEVER get it back. They are well financed by the Hollywood bunch as well as some other well healed libs. I have not been to or rented a movie in many years. We have forgot more about wildlife and habitat than they will ever know. As I have said before, they want to control us, tell us what to eat, what to drive, how to live our lives. What ever happened to live and let live?
Take a kid trapping, get involved, get informed and VOTE.
— Hance Clayton
