Wisconsin Trappers Association August 2009 Report

President — Scott McAuley, 621 13th St. S., Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494-4910; phone: 715-423-3229; e-mail: scott@wcts.net

Vice President — Lee Sillars; phone: 715-218-5041; e-mail: Isillars@aol.com

Secretary — Dorothy Abrahamson, 508 E. 9th Ave., Stanley, WI 54768; phone: 715-644-0644

Treasurer — Ellen Elia, P.O. Box 367, Fremont, WI 54940-0367

NTA Director — Chris Bezio, 5479 Hawthorne Dr., Pulaski, WI 54162; phone: 920-822-3427

Trapper Education Coordinator — Nicke Shumaker, P.O. Box 28, Caroline, WI 54928; phone: 715-754-2121; e-mail: wctep@mwwb.net

Public Relations Director — Ken Kasper, P.O. Box 367, Fremont, WI 54940; phone: 920-446-3815; e-mail: wtapr@centurytel.net

Trapper Correspondence Course Director — Mike Widner, P.O. Box 483, Baraboo, WI 53913;
phone: 608-356-3621

Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Junior (under 17) with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $12
• Lifetime (under 62) with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $300
• Lifetime (over 62) with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $100
• Husband & wife lifetime — $400

Complete membership application on first page of
association section and send dues to:
WTA Treasurer
Ellen Elia
P.O. Box 367, Fremont, WI 54940-0367
http://www.wistrap.org

NTA DIRECTOR’S REPORT

The Maine trial involving the lawsuit concerning the capture of Canadian lynx is in its final stages. The NTA, along with other groups, has been very involved with this case. By the time you read this, our side should have presented our case and it will be up to the court to issue a determination.

The NTA has also worked with the Connecticut T.A. to fight a couple of trap ban laws in their state. A plan was formulated with a committee of several groups including the NTA, FTA, CT Trappers, NWCOA and CTWCOA. The last two groups are wildlife control associations. The anti-trap bills in both their senate and their assembly were killed in committee. Great job to all involved.

The NTA also contacted the President and the Vice President of the Michigan T.A. about some regulation changes that were being proposed in their state. The NTA wrote letters to the Natural Resources Committee encouraging them to work with the Michigan T A. to make sure the regulations were to best serve the furbears and the tools needed to control their populations.

The NTA has also been involved in all the BMPs that have been drafted over the years. Jim Curran has just recently received the new drafts for mink and striped skunks. He has also requested further tests for these animals with bodygripping traps because almost all the data is by computer modeling.
Montana T.A. could use our help. There is a group there called Footloose in Montana that is trying to get an anti-trapping initiative on the ballot. So maybe we can help M.T.A. out with some money to educate the public. Send a few bucks if you can. Be assured the NTA will do what it can.

These are the main activities that the NTA has been very active in lately. Please join if you’re not a member and if you are, buy some sweepstake tickets to help us fight these battles for all trapping. Chris McAllister of South Dakota did a great job putting the prizes together.

The 50th National Convention will be in Lima, Ohio at the Allen Cty. Fairgrounds July 30 to Aug. 2, 2009.

The NTA Awards banquet is Thursday night the 30th. Contact NTA headquarters for tickets 812 277-9670

 Be there or miss one of the biggest trapper events ever!

— Chris Bezio

2010 NTA CONVENTION AND WI AWARDS REPORT
WTA NTA CONVENTION 2010

Wisconsin trappers will be hosting the 2010 NTA convention in Marshfield, WI.
We will need lots of volunteers for this event. The convention will be Aug. 2-8, 2010.
I will have sign up sheets at the fall convention or contact me, Chris Bezio.

We need at least 100 workers for the whole event. The more help we have the more people can take time to enjoy the convention. We start setting up on Monday and need people especially at the gate through the next Sunday for tear down. I hope to have a workers appreciation raffle at the end. We need a logo to use for our convention and below are some of the requirements.

LOGO AND THEME NEEDED FOR NTA CONVENTION 2010

Each Year the State Association that host the National Convention is asked to submit a theme and a picture logo for the event. Wisconsin will be hosting the NTA convention for 2010. If you have a theme and or logo in mind please submit them to Chris Bezio or Krystle Kasper.

The picture will have to be done so it can be reproduced as a stitched patch and screened on shirts and hats. It should be hand drawn and not pictures cut and pasted in the design, as stitched patches cannot reproduce pictures. Normally it is in the shape of the state with the logo and 2010 year on and NTA 51st anniversary on it with maybe some furbearing animals and/or traps. There cannot be too much small detail or more than five colors.

It will also have to be put on disc for a computer in the proper formats for each application that can be done if it is properly drawn. No crayons. Colored pencil, black and white or computer images are needed. We need the submissions by our fall rendezvous so that a selection can be made in time for advertising beginning in October of ‘09.

AWARD NOMINATIONS
Some criteria that can be used to nominate an awards person. The Hall of Fame award form is on the WI Trappers Web site. Please submit any entries by Aug. 10.

Trapper:
Responsible, Ethical
Shares information with other trappers
Mentor on trapline
Talking to schools and other public groups
Significant personal achievement in personal trapping experience

Volunteer:
Teaching Trapper Ed
Assisting at local, regional, state events
How did this person help the organization?
This should not be based on the number of hours a person has put in, but their commitment of the time they have available.

Warden:
Supports trapping
Above and beyond the job description — something special this person did

Director:
Improve their district
Increase membership
Special functions in district

— Chris Bezio

DISTRICT 5 REPORT

Here it is the end of June, and we finally had a couple weeks of good warm weather. I am writing this on Thursday in order to meet the deadline for publication and our rendezvous is Saturday so I won’t have the results until the next issue of the Trapper.

Our last board meeting was June 6 at the Mackenzie Center in Poynette, WI. The Center is willing to give the W.T.A. space for displaying trapping information in one of its buildings. Thousands of adults and children visit this area each year. This would be a great place to educate the public on our technique and display mounted animals. However, the W.T.A. needs volunteers to work on these projects so if you have a day to spare, we need help.

The Board also discussed raising membership fees in 2009. This would have to be approved at the General Membership meeting help in September at the Fall Rendezvous in Marshfield. The changes would be:

Lifetime Membership:
Family – $600 (from $400)
Individual under 65 – $500 (from under 62 $100)
Individual over 65 – $300 (from over 62 $100)

Three-year membership:
Individual – $80
One-year membership:
Family – $30 (from $15)
Adult Individual $30 (from $15)
Adult w/o Trapper $15 (from $11)
Jr. with Trapper $15 (from $12)

The Public Relations coordinator, Ken Kayser, asked the Board if they could downsize his responsibilities. Our Personal & Finance Committee has recommended the Board divide these responsibilities into six coordinator positions:

1. Publications
2. Spring Banquet
3. Raffle tickets
4. Rendezvous
5. Fundraiser
6. Events

These positions are open to any member who wants to apply. The pay scale still has to be addressed by the Board. This also will have to be approved at the Fall Rendezvous meeting by the General membership.

District 5 held a Trapper Ed. Class on May 30 and 31 at Osseo, WI. We also had a booth at the Arcadia Deer Classic in March and the Independence Elk Rod & Gun Club Fishing Contest. If you have any questions, call me at 608-323-7422.

— Greg Repinski

DISTRICT 7 REPORT

 It’s turning out to be a very busy summer. We have more nuiance animal complaints than ever. When you read this, our Summer Rendzous July 18, 2009 will be over. Hope you took time to visit fellow trappers, aquired supplies, had good food and won something in one of the many raffles.

Farm Tech Days is July 21-23. Dist 7 needs to run the booth. Help out if you can. It can be interesting listing to land owners stories with furbearer complaints (they might live close by). September brings the Fall Rendezvous.

Take off from work and make it a weekend to get fired up for this year’s fall harvest. The raffle will be drawn there! Buy lots of tickets. You only need one to win, but your WTA needs this fundraiser to be successful to achieve all our goals.Thank You.

— Russ Warmka

DISTRICT 9 REPORT

Howdy District 9 members, just a short note on our fall meeting and highway pick up. We will meet at hecks, west of the drive way, on Aug. 15 at 9 a.m. The card you received had the wrong time. After the pick up, we will have our meeting. We will go over the state rendezvous in Marshfield and updates on the National there also.

Please bring any ideas or friends along. This is your district. Please call Dan Carroll at 608-847-5538. Thanks.

— Dennis Knuth

DISTRICT 10 REPORT

District 10 has reserved the Edgerton Conservation Club grounds on Aug. 22, 2009 for the summer rendezvous. The event will be free for WTA members and youth 16 years of age and younger.

Non-WTA members will be charged a fee of $3. Lunch will be provided by the Edgerton Conservation Club at a modest cost. Trapping demonstrations will run throughout the day and trapping supply vendors will be present. Trapping demonstrations will include muskrat, mink, raccoon, coyote, beaver, and cable restraints. The rendezvous will run from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. A business meeting will be held prior to lunch. We will hold the District 10 50:50 ’coon raffle and draw the raffle prizes at 3 p.m. Raffle tickets are being mailed to all District 10 members and extra tickets are available from Scot Stewart or at the rendezvous.

Larry Meyer will hold a trappers education course at the Edgerton Conservation Club on Aug. 15 and Aug. 22, 2009. Call Larry for details on the course.

Since Virgil Schroeder was elected president of the WTA at the spring meeting, District 10 is looking for a new co-director to help Scot Stewart. If you have an interest in helping, give Scot a call.

Our District will be helping with the demonstration area at the WTA Fall Rendezvous in Marshfield again this year. We will need three or four district members to help with set-up on Thursday and to introduce speakers on Friday and Saturday. Call Scot Stewart to offer to help. Thanks.
I hope this update finds all of you well.

— Scot Stewart

DISTRICT 11 REPORT

Greeting District 11 members. Our last meeting was held on Saturday May 16 at the Barton Shooting facility. This was an important meeting for our district considering it was an election year. Unfortunately attendance was low. For those who attended, thank you for all of your support and participation. For those of you who were unable to attend. I encourage you to get involved. Our district needs your support, comments and input. I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting or event. For those of you who do not know me, let me say this, as your new district director I will adhere to an “open door” policy. Simply this means ANY member that has any questions, comments, suggestions and/or ideas please feel free to submit them to me or your county director.

I will make sure that your voice will be heard and that you will receive a response. At this time, I would like to introduce myself as your new district director. My name is Lance Joaquin and I am looking forward to serving you as your director. It is my goal to work very hard and diligently for this district in an effort to strengthen and rebuild District 11 back to its full potential.

One of my immediate goals will be to work closely with our county directors in order to keep everyone better informed. I also can promise you that you will see written reports in every Trapper & Predator Caller and the Wisconsin Trapper. As far as membership participation in the future, I will be looking for members to step up and participate and attend our meetings and rendezvous. Moving forward, I can assure that there will be many changes evolving over the next year in the WTA that will trickle down to more accountability on each of the district directors. I believe that will be a good thing and I am looking forward to the optimism and challenges ahead.

Regarding the results of our meeting and newly elected officers, they are District Director – Lance Joaquin and Secretary/Treasurer Tom Weiss. Other positions appointed was Sergeant at Arms – Mike Bothwell. I would like to thank and acknowledge my thanks and appreciation for all of those members that took time out on a Saturday to attend our meeting. I also think it’s important that I/we thank Dan Sabish, Tom Weiss, Earl Klipple and all of our county directors for all of their services, input and efforts over these past two to four years. Thank you gentlemen! Also I would like to thank Nick Beder and everyone who helped Nick put on his famous “Nick Beder Fish Fry.”

They fed approximately 30 people who I know enjoyed some fantastic fish and the fixins’ — great job Nick. Likewise a BIG thank you goes out to Dick Hladilek who once again came through and provided us lunch at our Saturday meeting. Thanks Dick!

Regarding new business; during our May 16 meeting, it was motioned that all of our current county directors remain in position, all agreed and will remain with the exception of Greg Ollila representing Kenosha County. Greg has been very ill since January of this year, and our prayers and support go out to him and his family for a quick and healthy recovery. Taking over Greg’s duties as district director for Kenosha County will be Jerry Johnson.

For those of you who are not familiar with who your county directors are, Jerry Johnson – Kenosha County, Hank Sublisky – Racine County, Dick Hladilek – Milwaukee County, Doug Gartzke – Waukesha County, Mike Gahan – Ozaukee County and Steven Moratz – Washington county. I am both happy and honored that all of our county directors decided to stay on board. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with all of them.

Gentlemen, thank you for your continued efforts and support. Lastly, it was also brought up at our May meeting to once again have a District 11 rendezvous. I am in full support of this, however, I will be setting a deadline regarding membership duties and participation. If I do not receive enough help and support by that deadline, the scheduled event will be cancelled. Dan, Tom, Dick and only a few others in the past have had the responsibility of organizing, setting up and tearing down the whole event. That’s just not right, and that’s just not going to fly with me.

We have close to 300 members in our district and although I’ll be willing to do the brunt of the organizing, I will still need the help and participation of other members. This is not my district nor my rendezvous, this is your district and your rendezvous, so let’s work together and make this a highlight event and a successful one. On June 6, I attended the WTA BOD meeting.

More about the meeting will be written in the Wisconsin Trapper, but I can tell you this that there are many changes that will be coming in this upcoming year. For the most part, all of which I think are necessary and long overdue. I will keep you updated. Look for a complete report in the Wisconsin Trapper.

— Lance Joaquin

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