http://www.watrappers.com
President — Bruce Vandervort, 5338 US Hwy 101, Humptulips, WA 98552; 360-288-2466; brucevandervort@hotmail.com
Vice President West — Marsee Wilson, 13190 Avon Allen Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98273; 360-424-7580
Vice President East — George Brady, P.O. Box 535, Pateros, WA 98846; 509-923-2326; cascadeb@televar.com
Executive Secretary — Ralph Dobson, 711 196th Street NW, Arlington, WA 98223; 360-652-2132; rlph.dobson@gmail.com
Treasurer — Tammy Rice, PO Box 604, Moses Lake, WA 98837; 509-855-4902; tjrice00@hotmail.com
NTA Director — Bob Maier, 38 Francis Dr., Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-529-9568; bobmaier38@yahoo.com
Membership options:
• Regular Membership (18 And Older) — $25
• Junior Membership (Under 18) — $5
• Associate Membership (Non-Trapper) — $10
• Family Membership — $30
• Senior Membership (Over 70 and must be a former paid member whose dues are current) — $0
• Lifetime Membership (One-Time Payment) — $250
• To receive Trapper & Predator Caller through WSTA (members only) — $12
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
WSTA
(A non-profit organization)
PO Box 3687
Arlington, WA 98223
Dues entitles members to all newsletters, meeting notices, discount entry to workshops and the annual rendezvous. All monies are used to protect your right to trap.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Hello all,
We had our booth going at the Puyallup Fair this month. 17 Days long it is one of the biggest fairs in the country. Nice weather saw a good turnout and we had a lot of people go by the booth. Our booth is one of the more popular booths at the fair because it is one of the few that allow you to touch. Everyone loves to feel the fur. Well, almost everyone, there are a few that don’t care to touch. I will say the pendulum seems to be swinging away from the more anti-fur sentiment of the ’90s. We seldom get anyone at the booth that expresses a distaste for fur or trapping.
There also seems to be a lot of interest in trapping. We printed up a 100 brochures on how to get a trapping license in WA. They were all gone by the middle of the fair.
I do want to thank everyone that helped out. It is usual that I have trouble getting people to man the booth. Not so this year. Almost everyone I called was more than happy to work the booth, some volunteering for multiple days.
Also had some volunteers to fill County Rep positions. Adam Stowell took the Lewis County spot and Ed Cunningham and Trey Shelton volunteered for King County Rep.
It is always heartening when people step forward to help.
Besides that we have set the dates for our Western Washington fur sale, March 16,2013 at Fort Borst Park in Centralia and next years Rendezvous, July 19th, 20th and 21st at Chelan County Expo Center in Cashmere.
You’ve probably been hearing all the uproar over the Wedge Pack wolves being killed.. I don’t see where the Fish& Wildlife had much choice myself. 7 confirmed packs and 4 suspected in the state now so I imagine they will fill in quick. I predict more problems and it has to happen before some people realize these are not the friendly puppies portrayed by the wolf advocates. I can’t see any good to come from their reintroduction but they are on their way to all parts of the state in the next couple years.
Cougar management is being quietly changed. A study came out of WSU about cougar problems. I read the synopsis of the study and it seems there is a lot of poor reasoning in the conclusions but Fish & Wildlife has embraced it. The result is quotas will be set on GMUs at 14% of the estimated cougar population and the season will be closed in units when the quota is reached. 14% is considered to be the reproductive rate of cougars. The harvest rate has been set at 40% to 50%. This has never been reached and whether or not the 14% is reached is hard to say. It does seem that WDFW has decided to keep the cougar population maxed out. Not good if you are a hunter.
Personally I’ve been building traps like crazy trying to get things ready for trapping season. Deer and elk prospects look poor but I’ll be out there.
All for now. — Bruce Vandervort
