http://www.nhtassoc.org
President — Jack Yazinski, 403 Bible Hill Road, Claremont, NH 03743; 603-542-3367
Vice President — Larry Torr, 75 Polly Ann MHC Gerrish Rd Dover, NH 03820 603-742-7554
General Organizer — Roger Burnham, 159 North Shore Rd., Hebron, NH 03241; 603-744-3561;
nhtrapper@metrocast.net
Secretary/Membership/Web Director — Kathy and Brian Denutte, 9 Badger Glen Dr., Belmont, N.H. 03220
Treasurer — Mike Kazak, 72 Riverview Dr., Charlestown, NH 03603; 603-826-3959
Education Director — Mike Morrison, 49 Laura Lane, Keene, NH 03431; 603-209-3823
NTA Director — Peter Laughlin, 7 Birch Lane, Pelham, NH 03076
Fish & Game Committee Member — Fred Shepard, P.O. Box 23, Deerfield, NH 03037; 603-463-7473
Fish & Game Committee Member — Dwight Pennell, P.O. Box 136 Center Tuftonboro, NH 03816; 603-539-7954
Fish & Game Committee Member — Roger Burnham, 159 North Shore Road, Hebron, NH 03241, 603-744-3561
Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $24
• Family with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $30
• Junior (under 16) with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $12
• Lifetime membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $300
• Life (over 65) — $100
• Life (over 75) — Free w/previous continuous three membership
• The NHTA requires a Mission Statement for all new members to be signed and dated. The Mission Statement is on the application. Please send a letter, call or e-mail requesting a membership application to Kathy Denutte at the address below.
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
NHTA Membership Director
Kathy Denutte
9 Badger Glen Dr.
Belmont, N.H. 03220
REPORT
Directors, officers and members of the New Hampshire Trappers Association worked feverishly to contact state Representatives via phone and email and to prepare testimony ahead of the Jan. 30th NH House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee in opposition to HB 1579 that would strip NH trappers of the use of leg-hold and body-grip style traps. The bill seems destined to be voted down in committee (Feb 5th), but the State Representative that introduced the bill can go around the committee and take the bill to the full house for a floor vote. NHTA officers and directors are following this closely – so when we get a date for the floor vote we will call around to our local representatives again.
We were pleased with the turn out by trappers at the hearing. And we were glad to hear testimony against the bill from active and retired Fish and Game administrators, law enforcement, biologists, other sportsmen groups, Fish and Game Commissioners, the NH Department of Environmental Services, and private wildlife control operators.
During the January monthly meeting there was discussion about the visit that our Fish and Game Liaison committee had with NH Fish and Game regarding the status of the bobcat in NH and the prospect of adding it to the list of furbearers that can be legally taken in NH during a limited, closely regulated, trapping season. The state feels that an on-going game camera study should conclude before deciding on a season. They estimate that the population in NH is currently around 1,400 animals with an estimated annual recruitment of 5%.
The turn out in the spring meet is typically very low; therefore, the association has voted to not have a meeting this year in April. Our annual rendezvous will again be held in a one-day event: September 20th, 2014. We will be asking volunteers to conduct demonstrations. To address the crowded demo sites, we will try to host concurrent or repeat demonstrations.
The annual NH Trappers Association Fur Sale was held Saturday, January 18th, 2014. The fur sale was again held this year at the Belknap County Sportsmen’s Club in Gilford on Lilly Pond Rd (Rt11C). We are thankful to the two buyers that showed up to competitively bid on our furs: Dwight Pennell and Bill Bailey. The following are results of the auction.
All Lots Total Average $ High $
Muskrat 71 $7.10 $8.50
Raccoon 24 $5.71 $11.00
Mink 5 $11.56 $16.67
Red Fox 15 $38.00 $42.00
Gray Fox 10 $28.97 $30.33
Beaver 87 $19.78 $31.00
Otter 7 $38.75 $60.00
Opossum 3 $2.00 $3.00
Weasel 0 $0.00 $0.00
Fisher 14 $55.16 $67.50
Coyote 21 $20.97 $25.00
Deer Hides 0 $0.00 $0.00
Other – Caster oil 3 $20.00 $20.00
NHTA has again been invited to have a booth at NH Fish and Game’s “Discover Wild NH Day” in Concord at Fish and Game headquarters on Hazen Drive, April 19th, 2014. This is a heavily attended event and we are excited about interacting with attendees.
Next month’s newsletter will include details about the annual fund-raising banquet held at Alan’s Restaurant in Boscawen, NH, February 22nd and the NHTA appearance at the Farm and Forest Exposition held in Manchester at the Radisson February 7th & 8th.
Last month the Association was pleased to receive generous donations from Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. and North American Fur Auctions. Each year, a percentage of the auction sales are sent back to the states that send fur to the auctions and host state trapping education programs.
Best to all. — Paul DeBow, Grafton County Director
