President — Bill Applegate, Box 883, Marfa, TX 79843; phone: 432-729-3349; fax: 432-729-3623
Vice President — Dan Hepker, P.O. Box 399, Bastrop, TX 78602; phone: 512-303-1995
Secretary — Ricky Cox, 1329 CR 314, Lexington, TX 78947
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
NTA Director — Mark Davis, P.O. Box 1023, Athens, TX 75751; phone: 903-489-3080
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 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
Please be advised that we have new procedures regarding trapping tip submissions and prizes as well as display advertising; look for them in the April issue of the Texas Fur Trails. The Association’s spring rendezvous will be held in Jacksonville from April 16-17. We are always looking for new and interesting ideas to incorporate into our gatherings, so do not hesitate to share your thoughts with any board member. Consider bringing a youngster or two to the rendezvous as well as the entire family. Everyone is welcome. The youth are the future of our organization and they must be identified, recruited and trained now to lead the charge when the rest of us have been put out to pasture. Bear in mind that the Association has standing policy disallowing live animals in the building. We anticipate that the Texas Department of Agriculture will approve our program for CEU’s for licensed pesticide applicators. Meals will be available. We encourage you to purchase your supplies at the rendezvous and you will save on shipping expenses. You might consider calling some of our advertisers in advance to ensure they will bring what you need. The fundraising auction is now our primary source of revenue and we really need your donations and generosity during the sale.
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 if you have an interest. Members don’t forget to take advantage of free classified advertising in the Texas Fur Trails.
The Convention of Parties is scheduled to begin their meeting on March 11, 2010, to consider worldwide wildlife policies. I have been told that the U.S. request to de-list bobcats will be considered. Mexico has completed their study on bobcats and determined that they have plenty of bobcats and in places they didn’t even know they had them. However, their support of our request to de-list is questionable. I have not heard how the Europeans are thinking regarding de-listing when it comes to protecting their endangered Iberian and Eurasian Lynxes.
Consider providing skull samples to Wildlife Services and the Texas Department of Health for rabies testing. This might help us in the future with some of the problems we are experiencing now. 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. Dave is willing to work with anything, even a story hand written on toilet paper. 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. 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 and I have been told it will not take place in 2010 either, 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. Board members will be selling raffle tickets on behalf of the Furbearers Unlimited for chances to win a .308 rifle. This rifle will replace the Ruger “Predator Hawkeye” HKM 77RZ .204 caliber rifle that we originally intended to sell tickets for. I have not received the details on the new rifle at this point. Tickets will be limited to 100 and be $20 apiece. The FBU will share 50 percent of the profits with the association.
Give your officers and district directors a hand and call them up to request a ticket or two. If you have any questions about this offer, contact Mark Davis at 903-681-4230 and he will gladly answer them.
I am still tagging bobcats, so contact me if you need ’cats tagged. Anyone tagging bobcats needs to have their paperwork and unused tags returned to Texas Parks and Wildlife by 5-30-10. Fur trappers selling fur out of state need to complete a Fur Trappers Sales Report and deliver it to TPWD. You can get a blank report on line of in the April issue of the Texas Fur Trails. 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
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Minutes of October 2009 Board of Directors of Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association
The regular meeting of the Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association was held in Junction, Texas. The meeting was called to order on Oct. 16, 2009 by president Bill Applegate.
Board members present: Bill Applegate, Keith Jackson, Tasha Jackson, Dan Hepker, Ricky Cox, David Pilgrim, Mark Davis, Don Hightower, James Stone, Joe Shelton and Billy Chambliss.
Reviewed committee reports.
Fundraising Committee: Mark Davis to advertise for the 50/50 contest.
No report from the children’s or adult’s crafts coordinators.
The Rendezvous preparations were discussed. Mark June cancelled and Jimmy Brooks filled in. A grant of $2,000 was given by the city of Junction. Dan made a motion to allow Jerry’s pet at the Rendezvous; the motion carried.
Reviewed Board Member Attendance. Bill Turnbow has missed four meetings; no action was taken. Jim Moore has missed three meetings; no action was taken.
Appointed an Election committee consisting of Mrs. Stone, Tasha Jackson, Sam Petty and Al Barton as an alternate.
Reviewed all committee assignments.
Reviewed association liaisons with other organizations. Dave Pilgrim to ask Dave Hastings to run an ad for the Texas Rifle Association.
Each District Director identified an assistant. District 3 was Jeff Dunier. District 6 was Mike Morris. District 8 was Sam Petty. No others were identified.
Each Board member offered the name of one person and how they might be able to contribute to the association.
The following were named: Dave Vollbrecht, Mr. Flagler, Debbie Pilgrim, Chera Cox, Jeff Dunier and Harold Renfro.
Officers salaries were considered. A motion was made and carried that all salaries of $1 would be donated back to the association.
Reviewed preparations for the Hunter Education Instructor trapping workshop.
Discussed fund raising possibilities. Mark Davis suggested the TTFHA attend the NTA meeting.
Considered the fur coat fund request. There was no interest.
Considered electing an NTA director. There was a motion to elect Mark Davis as the NTA director and the motion carried.
Considered electing an FTA director. There was a motion to elect Dan Hepker as FTA director and the motion carried.
Discussed preparations for the Spring 2010 Rendezvous. It was decided to have the Spring Rendezvous in Jacksonville, TX on the third weekend in April. The Louisiana Trappers offered to cook crawfish for one of the meals.
Considered a location for the Spring 2010 Rendezvous. Jacksonville, TX was chosen as the location.
Considered reimbursement of expenses.
Considered supporting conservation or animal related organizations. It was decided to discuss again in the spring.
Approved minutes from the April 2009 Rendezvous.
Considered an NTA sweepstakes contribution. This was tabled until the spring.
Recapped the rendezvous results. There was a motion to reimburse Mark Davis’ expenses to attend the Southwest NTA Leadership Conference.
The motion carried. Tonya suggested an upgrade to the membership software to an Excel based program; all agreed.
A motion was made to adjourn. The motion carried.
— Ricky Cox
