President — John Whitfield, P.O. Box 1989, Keystone Heights, FL 32656; phone: 352-475-1904; e-mail: huntfishwriter@aol.com
Vice President — Dane Dwyer, 426 East End Rd., San Mateo, FL 32187, phone: 386-325-9642; e-mail: fortdwyer@hotmail.com
Secretary/Treasurer — Carol Lokken, 7047 Spinnaker Blvd. Englewood, FL 34224; phone: 941-475-1206; e-mail: beachbum5253@comcast.net
NTA Director — George Dykhuizen, 8110 Casa De Meadows Dr., Englewood, FL 34224; phone: 941-697-7634; e-mail: principal1@embarqmail.com
Membership Options
• Family membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Lifetime membership: Contact one of the officers above — $100
Complete membership application on first page of
association section and send dues to:
Carol Lokken
7047 Spinnaker Blvd., Englewood, FL 34224
President’s Report
Vice President’s Report
Secretary’s Report
NTA Director’s Report
Trapping Season: Cooler weather, leaves turning, the time change and looking right at the Holidays — it all means one thing for sure — Trapping Season is right around the corner. Bobcat and otter open up in Florida on Dec. 1, and most Florida trappers and fur hunters are gearing up to start working the woods, creeks and lakes, and to getting the traplines fired up.
Can’t wait!
Web site: We are continuing to work on our new Web site — we are located at www.FloridaTrappers.org and we hope to regularly add features and benefits for both members and prospects alike. We have now posted photos from our terrific Fall Rendezvous, held on Sept. 27, and also have made available our new logo’d merchandise.
We always welcome new members online, by mail, e-mail or phone call. You can join our association in any way. Visit our Web site and let us hear from you. We enjoy your input, ideas and suggestions. And, soon, we will be able to post your photos and success stories!
Rule Changes: The FWC has announced that, effective Oct. 23, the new freshwater turtle harvest rules went into effect. The new limit is five fresh water turtles per day, or 20 per day for those fishermen possessing a commercial license. See www.myfwc.com for more details.
Also, the 2008 Gator Season is now over, ending on Nov. 1. (I just missed my gator; he was too quick for my snatch rig — I’ll get him next year!)
The Future: Remember the “Three M’s.” Members, Mentoring and Management.
Members: All of our Associations need new members; there is bona fide strength in numbers. And we need the new members, in order for us to grow, to preserve and to pass on our great American heritage. We encourage all our members to recruit new folks into our organization. And, as a special note to all the nuisance animal trappers out there; we especially invite you to join us. We can help each other and work together to make Florida a better outdoor place.
Mentoring: When out there running our traplines, each of us can take a young person along a time or two this year — a relative, grandson/daughter, friends or even a member of a youth group or organization. Teach. Show. Educate. (Three of the four young people I took on their first ever bow hunts or Black Powder hunts harvested bucks the past three weeks — what a thrill. AND, we now have THREE NEW HUNTERS/TRAPPERS/WOODSMEN FOR LIFE!) Pass it on.
Management: Making right decisions in all that we do, proper ethics, following the rules, being smart when encountering an anti, keeping the woods and waters clean and being informed about the animals, traps and environment. Being aware of pets and domestic animals. Fighting the invasive “non-native” animal and plant species that destroy our natural animals, plants and environment.
Members, Mentoring and Management: All of these are important to our future and to the overall continuation of our great American traditions of hunting, fishing, trapping and the great outdoors.
Good Trapping! Go get ‘em!
— John Whitfield
Hey Folks,
Have enjoyed reading the positive comments about our get together at Mt Dora. Sounds like we have some things going with decals and other areas of interest. It is encouraging to have positive people in our organization.
Some of my buddies have been trying to trap alligators for the last month. They got permits and invited me to go along, but I begged off. They have to drive two counties over and at last report they have had trouble getting close enough to big ‘gators to harpoon them.
We have a good crop of acorns this year so the varmints should be well fed. A front came through and dropped three or four inches of rain the last few days so the river will probably come up enough to hold the ducks when they migrate down. The mullet and flounder are moving toward the gulf on their way to spawn. Mullet are oily and they make a great bait. I catch them and render the oil, can them for bait in live traps or freeze them for later. It’s a fine time of year and we are optimistic about the future of our organization.
Sincerely.
— Terry Mayne
“Why are you the Secretary of the Florida Trappers Association? Do you trap? Do you hunt?”
I get asked these questions by many people, including members of our association. I answer the last two first: No, I don’t think I could kill anything. I don’t even like squashing bugs.
“Then why are you a part of an organization like this?”
Because of a passion for wanting to make sure that things like trapping and hunting and all the skills and knowledge associated with them doesn’t just die. Because we are already losing long-known skills to a more technologically advancing world. Because if we don’t work to preserve it all and work to ensure that it’s there for future generations, it will be taken away from us.
Because my husband Lenny has such a passion for the outdoors, for hunting, fishing, trapping, firearms, shooting and all the things that go with that, I am easily drawn to his passions. I don’t have to participate in the actual activities to share in his enthusiasm, his fun, his pleasure.
Because we are already being over-regulated by local, state and federal agencies that are used to telling us what is “good for us,” instead of actually listening to us.
And lastly, because so many “skills” are not being preserved, being taught and are being lost to this fast-paced world. From a female standpoint, things like cooking and sewing and “home economics” are not being taught and are not part of many lives. Even woodshop and metal shop aren’t being taught in schools anymore. All these skills that so many of us learned, from the simple steps of following a basic chocolate cake recipe or measuring and cutting lumber to build a workbench, are going to be lost if we don’t keep our passions fired up and burning.
And this means that trapping, hunting and woodsmanship skills should not and cannot be lost.
So, the answer to the question is really: Because I have a passion to preserve!
Are you living in Florida? Are you a trapper or fur hunter? Have you ever been? Are you a member of the Florida Trappers and Fur Hunters Association? If not, why not?
Are you a member? Every member should have one of our business cards (sent out with the latest newsletter). Do you carry it with you? Are you sharing our address and Web site with friends? It’s on the card. Do you have a copy of our membership application? Are you helping to make us grow?
Are you sharing your trapping and hunting skills with the youngsters in your community? Have you contacted local hunt clubs and organizations that share our same passions to see if there are folks who would benefit from the knowledge we have to share? Are you going through your telephone directory and seeking out the local animal control businesses and nuisance trappers who might not even know that there is a Florida Trappers Association?
Do you want a copy of our membership application? Do you want one of our business cards to carry with you? Do you have a Florida Trappers & Fur Hunters decal to display on your vehicle?
Do you wear a FT&FHA hat?
Do you share my passion?
E-mail me, call me, write me.
My wish for everyone is a safe, peaceful, and joyful Holiday season!
— Carol Lokken
In the midst of the Thanksgiving season, it’s time to look forward to Christmas and the giving of gifts. For trappers who want to share their passion for trapping, membership in the National Trappers Association may be the perfect answer. A real bargain is a SENIOR LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP. For individuals 70 & over, the cost is only $200.
Other types of membership are as follows: regular one-year, $30; two-year, $55; or three-year at $80.
For purchasing NTA memberships, write to: NTA, 2815 Washington Ave., Bedford, IN 47421, or phone (812)277-9670. Their e-mail address is: ntaheadquarters@nationaltrappers.com. Or for further information, go to their Web site at: http://www.nationaltrappers.com.
— George D. Dykhuizen