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
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Hello Trappers,
By the time this edition comes to our mailboxes we will have learned a lot about fur prices this season. A few of the bigger western U.S. sales will have taken place, including our Fallon sale. Until now, talk of prices have been all rumors. Some say lower prices, some say the market is staying the same as last year’s record prices. But by the time our Fallon sale has come and gone we will really know. Until then, it is all speculation.
On the subject of new regs for visitation there is a hearing of the Wildlife Commisison’s trapping committee in Las Vegas in late January on that very subject. I would expect to have some answers after that meeting as well as the the meeting of the Board of Wildlife Commissioners which follow it. At the end of all of this, I would expect to have some new regs concerning visitation for the populated areas in Clark and Washoe Counties for next season. Maybe other areas as well.
On registration, that has all been put off till the next session of the legislature in 2015. I went ahead and put registration numbers on trap tags on all of my traps last fall. I put them on expecting it to become law, and when it didn’t just left them on there.
Through all the meetings and hearings I have attended in recent years, where the antis spoke up, which is just about all of them, I have noticed that the antis jump up and say that they are not against hunting and fishing, just trapping. Then the exact same people jump up when the subject is bear hunting in this state and say they are totally against it. The more savvy members in our various hunting groups are very well aware that the agenda is very much anti hunting. But we are the first targeted because of our lower numbers and less political support.
There was an eye opening article in Time magazine that hit the streets about a month ago that went into great depth about the extent of damage overabundant wildlife populations are doing across the country. Damage to cars and injuries to people total billions of dollars per year because of collisions with deer alone. Other wildlife causing huge problems were cited including furbearers like beavers and raccoons. And hunting was cited as the only viable solution. Some eastern states were even bringing bow hunters into urban parks, golf courses and cemetaries to thing out burgeoning deer herds.
In this state in recent years we have been seeing an increase in news broadcasts about school lockdowns because of predatory animals roaming close by and also neighborhoods experiencing a rash of pets being killed. Trappers can and should say that we are often the only ones keeping these animals in check in the wild. Imposing more and more restrictions on hunting and trapping activities will only upset the delicate balance in keeping some of these more harmful animals in check.
One last point of business and looking ahead a bit to the summer, the NVTA is anticipating having a rendezvous this summer. Probably in White Pine County. I will keep you posted as things develope.
Best Regards. — John Sullivan
