Indiana State Trappers Association March 2009 Report

Acting President — Ron Elliot, 7244 W. 500 S., LaPort, IN 46350; phone: 219-785-2972;
e-mail: thebirdieman@verizon.net

Vice President — Ron Elliot, 7244 W. 500 S., LaPort, IN 46350; phone: 219-785-2972
e-mail: thebirdieman@verizon.net

Secretary — Stu Grell, 2220 E. 1400 N., Attica, IN 47918; phone: 765-572-2207;
cell: 765-363-2207; e-mail: sgrell@tds.net

Treasurer — George Metz, 4365 S 1000 E., Batesville, IN 47006; phone: 812-852-0233

NTA Director — Stu Grell, 2220 E. 1400 N., Attica, IN 47918; phone: 765-572-2207; cell: 765-363-2207; e-mail: sgrell@wptc.us

FTA Director — VACANT

Furbearer Biologist — Bruce Plowman, 562 DNR Rd., Mitchell, IN 47446; phone: 812-849-4586
Directors of Membership ­­— Randy Sowder, Bill Crum and Jim McIntyre

Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Family membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Junior with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $12
• Lifetime membership — $300

Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
ISTA, Treasurer
George Metz
4365 S 1000 E., Batesville, IN 47006
http://www.indianatrappers.org

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

This year, the ISTA will have a few changes. One major change is that the board voted to hire a Web site professional to take over the Web site. The new Web site designer is Lumasis from Zionsville. I have had good reports about this company and have full confidence that they will do a good job. Contact Frank Lamm or Bill Crum if you have ideas, reports, pictures, etc. to put on the Web site. With all of the controversy over the Web site, we felt these steps needed to be taken at this time.

Next, I felt that the Spring Newsletter should include the Spring General Membership notice. By combining these two together, we will save hundreds of dollars on postage and time.

Next, I will be replacing Tom Morelock as the representative for the FWCC. They meet four times a year and I am looking forward to sitting in on these very important meetings. We thank Tom for all of the hard work and time that he has put into this project. He will be missed. I attended my first meeting on Saturday, the 24th of January. The meeting was informative and interesting.

Last year, we put together a Newsletter committee-Amy Crum, Monica Olson and Stu Grell. They have some great ideas and need your stories, pictures, reports, ideas and any other points of interest.

We just finished our Fur Auction at Peru in January. We sold a little over $6,800 worth of fur. Considering the weather, the crash of the fur industry and the rotten weather, I felt this was not too bad. Thanks to Corbin Bultemeier for running the fur auction. Also, thanks to John Allen and Ura Hochstetler for grading fur and all of the other volunteers that helped out at this event. Special thanks to Amos Malstaff for driving me there and back due to my recent knee operation The results of the Fur Auction will be put in the Spring Newsletter.

Hope everyone had a great trapping season. See you at the Spring Meet on April 11.

— Ron Elliot

SECRETARY’S REPORT

Sorry to say this but the 2008/2009 fur season started out poorly for me weather wise and just seemed to get worse. There was a really bright blip over Thanksgiving weekend when I had a young trapper spend three days with me to assist on my weather-challenged line.

We set traps. We got cold. The weather turned really sour. The water got very hard (frozen). We got very little fur.

Did we have fun? Sure. He got to catch his first coyote in a snare and then go on to skin out the pelt. I wish I could tell you that it sold for big bucks, but that is not the case and that is not the biggest reward.
This past winter has been interesting for the ISTA. Not too much going on in our home state, but I think we are constantly progressing in our efforts.

For instance, we are probably going to have the youth hunting license include trapping next year. We are probably going to be able to do without the deadline on selling our furs next year. We are definitely going to have more trapper education classes next year including at least two trapping weekends where we will have students setting traps, catching critters, skinning them and having instruction on properly putting up the furs.

The ISTA has a wonderful opportunity this year to educate people with our presence at the first annual Indiana Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Exposition in September. The DNR will offer interactive experiences with novices and you and me, as mentors, for trapping on hand instruction. We are asking for 24 members or more to donate a day out of your schedule to do demos on this Saturday and Sunday. Anything you would like to share.

We had a very nice showing and lots of good looking fur at our Peru sale. Well-handled fur went for very good prices and we made a fair profit for our efforts. Thanks to all of you that brought furs to sell and helped us out with the auction.

— Stu Grell

NTA DIRECTOR’S REPORT

NTA President Kaatz is working on improving our review of Federal Actions that are posted on the USFWS Web site as well as the Federal Registry. Also, Jim Currran is reviewing U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management notice of proposed plans, actions and developments on public lands.
Presently this does not have anything alarming about Indiana, but the NTA is constantly watching. If you know of anything that may affect Indiana public land, please let me know.

NTA membership is holding steady. David Miller is making appointments with members of congress to monitor trapping sentiment. It is not apparent how the new administration will favor or oppose our heritage.

Furbearers Unlimited, the fundraising organization for the NTA, has asked for donations for the banquet at the national convention.

The ISTA will be donating a bear trap for the National NTA Sweepstakes. We will entertain motions later for a donation to FBU.

March is the time for the NTA Regional Leadership Conferences. Do you want to attend? The ISTA hopes to have several people there. Will you volunteer? If so, please contact any officer. Find out what the NTA is doing and how you can make a difference.

The Ohio NTA Convention this year will be Number 50 – the Golden Anniversary. Plan to make your way to the best convention ever of the trappers in America.

Sure hope that you had a good trapping season. We will be doing a lot of trapper education classes this summer and fall. If you would like to help out please let me know.

— Stu Grell

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