Oklahoma Furbearer Alliance August 2010 Report

President — Tom Peterson, phone: 918-241-2677

Vice President — Shannon Sheffert, 1301 Old Bumpy Rd., Stillwater, OK 74074; cell phone: 405-742-7884; e-mail: ssheffert@odot.org

Secretary — John Weygandt, 4720 S. 26th W. Ave., Tulsa, OK 74107; phone: 918-645-5667;
e-mail: j.weygandt@maccor.com

Treasurer — Vivian Scott, P.O. Box 179, Alderson, OK 74522; phone: 918-426-6918;
e-mail: littlerockmeme@msn.com

FTA Director — Terry Thornton, Rt. 2 Box 71, Hartshorne, OK 74547; phone: 918-297-2073

NTA Director — Leo Farmer, phone: 918-616-7662

Membership Options:

• 1-year membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $20
• Family membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Lifetime (Over 70) with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $150
• Lifetime with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $300
• Youth membership — $10

Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:

OFBA, Treasurer
Vivian Scott
P.O. Box 179, Alderson, OK 74522

918-426-6918; littlerockmeme@msn.com

http://oktrapper.com

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

The lazy crazy days of summer, the weather man predicted a below normal summer. I think they missed it again. Just think cool (as i sweat) and if you are lucky enough to have your fur shed air conditioned (like Leon Melton), you might think about getting an early start on cleaning up those dirty traps. You will feel pretty good when fall gets here and you are ready.

My mole and gopher line is really doing well. If the fur prices ever come up on them, I will be rich.

I have had some good reports from the June workshop. Thanks to all who attended. Sorry I could not be there, but with my wife’s health, we cannot enjoy the outdoors as much as we used to. I will let Janice report on the goings on. As always, thanks to Janice and B.J. for putting on the workshop.

Joe Stanbro has resigned his position as director. The B.O.D. has appointed Leon Melton to fill the rest of his term. Thanks to Joe for the time he served and thanks to Leon for agreeing to serve the rest of Joe’s term.

Please, I still need about 100 trap tags to fill the stretcher boards for the fundraiser. I know you are out there. I know it’s hard to remember, but I think this will be something you will be proud to own. Send them to me at 3506 Everett, Sand Springs, OK 74063

That’s all I have for now. Stay cool and enjoy the rest of the summer.

— Tom Peterson

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

I keep telling Cathy that I hate summer, but as it turns out its not the summer that I dislike, its just the heat, humidity, ticks, chiggers and mosquitos. If not for those things, I would probably not mind the summer months. As I write this, just a few days before the 4th of July, we are faced with a cool front, only 92 degrees instead of 97 degrees that has been so common this summer.  I have a beaver trapping job to work on through the 4th and it is a toss up, wear waders or not.  You are going to get just as wet because of the sweat if you wear waders. The only thing about trapping in the summer is that you don’t have to worry about saving a pelt and that is not a big deal with $3 beavers that we had last winter. Still its not near as much fun as checking traps right after the general trapping season opens up in December. 

Now one thing that would like to say that is going to be a part of my summers in the future is the excuse to be on (in) the lake and call it fishing also know as “noodling.”  Thanks to John Weygandt and Richard Thornberg who introduced me to the finer art of hand fishing, I am now hooked.  I can’t wait to get back in the lake feeling for catfish.  We caught a couple small blue catfish that we had to release as they are game fish and must be returned to the water, but that was enough to make me want to go again! Thanks to all who made the Summer Trappers Workshop a great  success. Please see Janice Johnson’s newsletter for more info.

Hopefully you are all aware of a couple things that are coming up in the month of  September. Our fall convention/meeting will be held in Okmulgee on Saturday, September 18th at the Okmulgee County Fair Grounds. We will have demos throughout the day, dealers will be present so you can purchase some last minute trapping supplies and door prizes.  Please bring a covered dish or desert to go along with the main course which will be provided.  We will probably have some smoked meat as the main course.  Hope to see you all there.  Also remember to bring or send some trap tags to Tom Peterson so he can complete the stretcher board display.

The second thing that I would like you to mark on your calendar is the 5th annual Outdoor Expo at the Lazy E in Guthrie.  The Expo is on Friday through Sunday, September 24th thru the 26th.  We will need some help on all three days.  All you will be asked to do is just to visit with the crowd and answer some questions from the kids and parents alike.  We are not going to make trappers out of all of them, but we are doing good answering questions and helping to educate the general public on the need for trapping.  Please contact me as to what day(s) you will be able to help so we can write out a schedule.

Thanks and have a great rest of the summer. Come January, when our traps are freezing down, we will be looking for some middle ground between our 100 degree temps of Summer and the 0 degree days of Winter.  See ya in September.

— Shannon Sheffert

TRAPPER’S WORKSHOP REPORT

The weekend of June 4th, 5th, & 6th, OFBA held our 4th annual “Trappers Workshop” on Lake Eufaula at Gentry Creek camp site.

Friday night 12 members visited around the camp fire while enjoying the weiner roast & sharing trapping stories  Thanks to Gene & Cloyce Callaway & Cody & Tina Presley for bringing food for the Friday night menu. Thanks to all the ones involved in gathering wood for the camp fire and to the men who helped BJ debone the meat, for Saturday, after the weiner roast.

Saturday morning came early with coffee.  Shannon, thanks for going to town & getting donuts for breakfast.  We had a short meeting around 9:00 going over the agenda for the day. The men started  on the demo’s shortly thereafter.

A big thanks goes out to Darrin & Justin Unruh for helping BJ getting the smoker started & getting the meat ready to cook

Door prizes was drawn for every hour  Congratulations to all the winners.

Thanks to all the men for giving trapping demo’s & Darrin thanks for the snake education information.  Everyone enjoyed all the demo’s & talks. I saw several men with their note pads & pens taking notes during these demo’s.  I’m sure these new tacticts they learned will be tried  on the critters this trapping season.

Another thanks goes out to Terry Thornton & Gene & Cloyce Callaway for donating the meat for Saturday’s lunch.  Thank you BJ for doing such an excellent job on smoking the deer & hogs.

Lunch was served to 36 on Saturday.  There was plenty of food for all, and then some.  Thanks to those that brought food to go along with lunch.

A special thanks goes out to Glenda Walls & Tina Presley for helping me cook desserts in our Dutch Ovens.  The desserts was a big hit with everyone, and was delicious.

Overall the trappers had a terrific weekend sharing stories & ideas with one another. 

Once again I would like to thank all of you for participating & making this another successful “Trappers Workshop”.

— Janice Johnson

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