Vermont Trappers Association February 2010 Report

President — Randy Barrows , 88 North Road, Milton, Vermont 05468; phone: 802-893-4258; e-mail: critrgitr@msn.com

Co-Vice Presidents— Joe and Deb Epler, P.O. Box 12, Chester, VT 05143; phone: 802-875-4511; e-mail: jdepler@vermontel.net

Secretary — Deb Epler, P.O. Box 12, Chester, VT 05143; phone: 802-875-451; e-mail: jdepler@vermontel.net

Treasurer — Jim Calchera, 233 McCaffrey Rdg., Putney, VT 05346

NTA Director — Dave Perrin, 2600 Vt. Rt. 12A, Randolph, VT 05060; phone: 802-728-5935

Membership Director — Paul Ainsworth, P.O. Box 118, Eden, VT 05652; phone: 802-635-7343

Membership Options:

• Individual adult membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $20
• Family membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Oldtimer (65 & up) with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $10
• Lifetime membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $300

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

VTA, Membership Director
Paul Ainsworth
P.O. Box 118, Eden, VT 05652

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Hello Vermont Trappers,

I hope your trapping season was all you hoped it would be this past fall. Mine was iffy, could have been better. If anyone has any tips on how to keep ’possum out of fisher sets, I would love to hear them. Hard to catch $20-30 fisher when a $1.50 ’possum is in your trap.

I listened to the weather man this week, for once, and I am glad I did. They forecasted a nor’easter so on the 31st at dark, I pulled out everything I had out. As I write this, it is Jan. 3 and it has snowed for 24 hours plus. I have 27 inches on the back deck and it is still dumping with no end in sight.

Boy. I am glad I pulled when I did. I did get to put my paws on a 32.2 -pound bobcat caught within a mile of my house. What a beautiful ’cat it was. My friend Sid was sure delighted to catch this ’cat.

As I mentioned before, the Annual Banquet will be March 27, 2010, at the Elks in Montpelier, VT. Time to roll up the sleeves and start soliciting donations. V.T.A. gladly accepts donations for this event. Anything will do and everything is gladly accepted. Anything homemade seems most popular, i.e. wooden ware, furniture, homemade items, paintings, pictures, etc. Items do not have to be hunting or trapping related items; plenty of wives and kids attend this event too! So Items for them are welcome! No item is too big or too small. Call your local county director for pickup if you wish to.

Time to put another log on the fire. Don’t forget to take a kid along with you.

Until the next time.

— Randy Barrows

FUR AUCTION REPORT

ANNUAL FALL FUR AUCTION

DEC. 12, 2009

The annual Fall Fur Auction was held at the Whitcomb High School in Bethel, VT on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. Twenty five lots of fur were offered to the four buyers present.

The following is a breakdown of prices received (listed by species, # offered, sold, average, high, low, total and number sold):

Mink — 63, 63, 7.20, 10.25, 5.00, 453.50

Muskrat — 262, 262, 3.38, 3.71, 1.25, 885.75

Coyote — 102, 100, 10.67, 16.50, 7.21, 1,066.50, 2

Red Fox — 18, 11, 12.18, 17.00, 5.00, 134.00, 7

Grey Fox — 2, 2, 15.75, 18.00, 13.50, 31.50

Coon — 48, 48, 7.05, 12.50, 4.00, 338.50

Fisher — 4, 4, 38.00, 40.50, 35.00, 152.00

Beaver — 72, 72, 10.47, 15.00, 7.14, 754.00

Otter — 8, 8, 36.88, 40.00, 30.00, 295.00

Skunk — 9, 9, 3.39, 4.00, 3.00, 30.50

Weasel — 6, 6, 2.08, 4.75, .75, 12.50

Bobcat — 3, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3

Castor — 6 lb, 10oz, 6 lb, 10oz, 42.42, 44.44, 31.2, 280.00

Opossum — 1, 1, .10, .10, .10, .10

Red Squirrel — 9, 9, 1.44, 1.44, 1.44, 13.00

Bear — 1, 1, 65.00, 65.00, 65.00, 65.00

Deer Antler — 1, 1, 8.00, 8.00, 8.00, 8.00

Moose Antler — 2, 2, 32.50, 32.50, 32.50, 65.00

Woodchuck skull — 1, 1, 22.00, 22.00, 22.00, 22.00

Muskrat glands — 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

TOTAL SALES — $4,606.85

The fur market continues to struggle through these difficult economic times, although some species advanced from last March’s auction. The total sales of $4,606.85 were at an all-time low.

I would like to thank all those who helped out, especially Dave Perrin, Bruce and Penny Baroffio, John Abts, Jim Calchera, Jim Stewart, Paul Ainsworth, Mak Keyes and Brent Teillon.

A big thanks to Chuck Eaton for auctioneering this sale.

A special thanks to you, Doreen Perrin, for another wonderful job of implementing, managing and running the food concession and to Judi for helping. We hope you like the new food concession setup because it saved the VTA money not paying out an hourly rental of the kitchen cooking facility.

The Spring Auction will be held on Saturday, March 20, 2010. PLEASE NOTE: This is the third Saturday in March!

For more info on this auction, please contact Dan Olmstead at 802-464-6344 or e-mail: pppgroom@sover.net.

Respectfully submitted.

— Daniel E. Olmstead
 

Related Posts

  • No Related Posts Found

Leave a Reply