President — Bill Applegate, Box 883, Marfa, TX79843; phone: 432-729-3349; fax: 432-729-3623
Vice President — Dan Hepker, P.O. Box 399, Bastrop, TX 78602; phone: 512-303-1995
Secretary — Deborah Pilgrim, 1323 RR 2341, Burnet, TX 78611; 512-756-4609
Treasurer — Keith Jackson, 306 CR 2717, Alto, TX 75925; phone: 936-675-2047
Membership Administrator — Tasha Jackson, 306 CR 2717, Alto, TX 75925; phone: 936-858-3384
Public Relations Officer — David Pilgrim, 1323 RR2341, Burnet, TX 78611; 512-756-4609
NTA Director — Mark Davis, 11919 CR 1200, Malakoff, TX 75148; phone: 903-681-4230
Membership Options:
• Family lifetime (husband & wife) — $300
• Lifetime (payable $25 monthly) — $250
• Lifetime oldtimer (age 70 or over) — $25
• Business membership — $25
• Family membership (2 members) — $20
• Single membership — $15
• Junior membership (under 16) — $5
• 1-year subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller (members only) — $10
Payments for dues are non-refundable.
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
TTFHA, Membership Administrator
Tasha Jackson, 306 CR 2717, Alto, TX 75925
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Our spring rendezvous has been scheduled one week earlier than usual in order to secure the building. Mark your calendars now for April 8&9 in Fort Stockton. Dealers are welcome and will be able to set up in doors at no charge. We secure the building each night. Individuals are encouraged to bring their unneeded supplies or other items to trade or sell. Once again we have put together a program of expert trappers, some of the best in the business, to conduct the demos. If you miss even one, it will be a true shame.
Following is the tentative schedule of events. We intend, once again, to have our program approved by the Texas Department of Agriculture for CEU’s, including laws and regulations, for pesticide applicators. Make plans now to bring a youngster or two to the rendezvous as well as the entire family; everyone is welcome. The youth are the future of our organization. Bear in mind that the Association has standing policy disallowing live animals in the building and we will enforce that policy. Please be advised that we have new procedures regarding trapping tip submissions and prizes as well as display advertising; look for them in the Texas Fur Trails. A special thanks to Tom Fisher of Real Ecology for donating the KB Compound Predator Traps that will be awarded to the winners of the trap tips.
Directors in districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 are up for election this year. If you would like to nominate someone, ensure they are willing to serve and submit their nomination in writing to the Secretary before 5:00 pm on April 6, 2011.
I realize how hard it is to interest or motivate people when fur prices are low and that is one reason to focus on nuisance animal work. Your Association has established a Nuisance Animal Control program for its members. The names and contact information of trappers willing to participate are provided to state agencies as well as individuals and companies looking for someone to help them out. We also post this list on our web site. I have personally received work from this program. Contact Ricky Cox at (512) 468-5112 if you have an interest. Members, don’t forget to take advantage of free classified advertising in the Texas Fur Trails.
Dave Hastings still needs your stories, news, pictures and anything else of interest to keep the Texas Fur Trails first class. Material from all across the country is welcome. He is particularly looking for some Texas photos to be used for the covers of future issues of the magazine. We really need you to send in something for the magazine; some of us are pretty well tapped out on ideas and stories. I would really hate to see the quality of the magazine deteriorate, but this is likely to happen if the members don’t help out. Everyone has at least one story of an event that took place during his or her lifetime.
We can use stories from just about anywhere. Dave is willing to work with anything. He will make sure that all submissions are professionally presented in the magazine. This really is a growing concern or I would not be begging for material. If you have any reservations or concerns about sending in something, call Dave or call me and we will do our best to put you at ease. Those of you who have submitted material for the magazine are most appreciated; without your effort the Texas Fur Trails would not be the fine publication it has become. Share your thoughts with any board member regarding what you would like to see our Association accomplish. Many of the achievements we have made are results of membership input.
Texas Parks and Wildlife did not hold an expo in 2009 or 2010 due to low participation. Our Association has derived quite a bit of our operating income from this event. We now must look for other income sources to restore a sufficient income level. I have bobcat tags. For those of you who need your cats tagged, give me a call. I am no longer advocating that we collect skull samples for the health department as they continue to disregard our requests to provide relief on the coyote quarantine and appear to be working against trappers on at least one other matter. As of the end of February I have not received a reply to the letter submitted to Dr. Lakey on the matter.
If you are ready to help out with promoting and preserving trapping, let us know. We would like to put your unique talents to work for the benefit of all and future generations.
— Bill Applegate
FALL RENDEZVOUS REPORT
FALL RENDEZVOUS FORT STOCKTON, TEXAS
APRIL 8 & 9, 2011
CIVIC CENTER, 1674 Airport Drive
Tentative Agenda
Friday April 8
8:00am to 1:00 — Set up
11:00 to 12:00 — DEMO M44 usage and regulations with TBA
12:00 to 1:00 — Lunch on your own
1:00 to 2:00 — DEMO Mountain lion control with Mike Bodenchuk
2:00 to 5:00 — ON LINE trapping with Wayne Derrick and Jimmy Brooks
5:00 to 6:00 — DEMO Predator calling with Todd Mishnick
6:00 to 7:00 — Supper on site TTFHA men & ladies (some of the best cooks around)
7:00 to 8:00 — DEMO Feral hog snaring with Tom Glasscock
8:00 — Board of directors meeting (everyone is welcome)
Visitation and fellowship
Saturday April 9
7:30 to 9:00 — ON LINE check and pull traps with Brooks and Derrick
9:00 to 10:00 — Ladies crafts with Pam Brooks
9:00 to 10:00 — Youth activities with Jaleea Hudnall
9:00 to 10:00 — DEMO Hog control and regs. with Billy Jackson & Clinton Elliott
10:00 to 11:00 — DEMO Predator snaring with Tom Glasscock
11:00 to 11:30 — Skillet throw contest (divisions for ladies of all ages) David Pilgrim
11:30 to 12:30 — Speed setting contest (divisions for everyone) James Stone
1:00 to 5:00 — Lunch on site, rifle drawing, fundraising auction, awards and membership meeting
5:00 to 6:00 — DEMO Predator trapping equipment with Jimmy Brooks
6:00 to 7:00 — Supper on site TTFHA men & ladies (more great food)
7:00 to 8:00 — Clean up
8:00 — Board of directors meeting (everyone is welcome)
Visitation and fellowship
Friday’s program will earn spectators _ continuing education credits and attendance of Saturday’s program will earn spectators _ continuing education credits with the Texas Department of Agriculture for all classes of pesticide applicators licenses. IPM and laws and regulations credits will be awarded.
For more information, contact Bill Applegate at (432) 729-3349.
