http://www.nvtrappers.org
President — Joel Blakeslee (Sherri), 4905 Jackrabbit Rd, Reno, NV 89510; 775-742-1308
Vice President — John Sullivan; 702-493-8342;
johnsull4@aol.com
Secretary/Treasurer — Judi Curran, 4170 St. Clair Rd., Fallon, NV 89406; 775- 867-2239
Fur Manager — Jim Curran, 4170 St. Clair Rd., Fallon, NV 89406; 775-867-2239
Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $20
• Husband & wife with subscription — $22
• Junior (under 16) with subscription — $10
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
NTA, Secretary/Treasurer
Judi Curran
4170 St. Clair Rd.
Fallon, NV 89406
VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Hello Trappers,
First and foremost, I want to make a correction. Last month I incorrectly listed the dates of the Nevada Trappers Association annual fur sale in Fallon as Feb. 20, 21, 22. When in fact it is the last weekend of the month this season: Feb. 27, 28, and March 1, 2015.
As usual you should make reservations with Jim Curran (775-867-2239) sometime in Jan. or early Feb. Jim will need to know which date you want to sell and the quantity and type of fur you expect to bring.
For those who have not been to a fur sale, how it works is bring your furs to the Convention Center in Fallon on the morning of your reservation. Doors are open about 7 am and it is good to have all of your furs checked in by 10 am. NDOW staff are there to seal your bobcats if you haven’t had this done already.
To check in fur you have to be a member of the NVTA. Membership is $20 per year and you can join on the spot. Once that is done you will fill out a form indicating how much fur you have and how many lots you want to divide them to. Jim or others can help you put your fur in lots if you want some help with this. Then you put your fur in lots according to the form you filled out with individual lot number tags attached to one fur in each lot. When you are done with this, the fur sale staff will take the lots and place them into the next room on long tables for the fur buyers to grade and bid on. The grading takes all day. There is usually a BBQ at lunch time. And much opportunity to hang around and shoot the bull with like minded souls. Usually about 5 pm there is a membership meeting of the NVTA that lasts about an hour or so. After which the high bid amounts are handed out to each trapper who checked in fur in the form of a computer read out. It will list your lot number, the quantity and type of fur, high bid amount, the buyer, and the commission amount. Commissions are 5% if you decide to sell your fur to the high bid, and 1% if you say no sale for a particular lot in which you take those furs home. Checks are mailed out by the NVTA about a week later.
This same routine happens all over again every day for three days. New fur arrives each morning and bid sheets are handed out late that afternoon. Some trappers like to strategize on which day of the three is best. If you have it figured out please let me know because I sure don’t. One year it seems the last day is the best. Then the next year it seems to be the first or second day.
The money raised by the NVTA is used for several good purposes. The most important is to pay for lobbying activities to preserve our right to hunt, fish and trap. It is no secret we have been in non stop battles with the antis every year and having a war chest to fight these battles is very important. Other uses of the money are organizational expenses, helping to fund a trappers’ education day, and funding a scholarship program for deserving young people in helping to defray costs of going to college.
I like to sell my furs at the Fallon sale because I like the idea of several different buyers bidding on my hard earned pelts. And I like it that the commissions are monies well spent in NV to help preserve this activity that is so important to us. The anti trapping campaigns are almost always fought on the state levels because that is where the fish and game authority lies. It is very important that each state has a robust organization like we have in NV to keep a watchful eye on laws and regulations pertaining to trapping and being there as an organization when the situation calls for it. Nevada still has some of the best hunting and trapping opportunities in the country and that has not occurred by accident.
Well off the soap box for now. On my lines this year I am going to try some new bobcat lure I made up this summer. Smells good to me anyway. And making it in bulk means I am not stingy in putting a big gob at a set. I think you can overdo lures for coyotes. Less is more. But almost impossible to overdue it with cats. I think I could use a neon billboard to get and keep their attention sometimes. I also modified my shingle pan covers so they work a little better. And plan to get in the water this Nov. for beaver and mink in a northern location to see if I can still set conibear traps. Then will hit the desert areas the first of Dec for cats and fox. The time is here and I can’t wait to have at it.
I hope you all have much success on your lines this season.
Take care. — John Sullivan
