ASSOCIATION CONTACT — Arkansas Fur Trappers Association, P.O. Box 1681, Greenwood, AR 72936; 479-651-3597; arkansasfurtrappers@gmail.com
President — Brad McDaniel; 479-651-3597
Vice President — Greg Griffith; 479-774-1434
Secretary/Treasurer — Mark Alexander; 479-310-0692; arkansasfurtrappers@gmail.com
General Organizer — Donald Wilcox; 479-997-8559
Membership Options:
• Individual membership without subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $10
• Individual membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $22
• Family membership without subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $13
• Family membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Lifetime membership with plaque (without subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller) — $100
• Commercial membership/sponsorship — Please contact an AFTA officer for pricing and information.
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
Arkansas Fur Trappers Association
P.O. Box 1681
Greenwood, AR 72936
SECRETARY/TREASURER’S REPORT
We’ve got two big events coming up in October, the association convention and a trapper workshop. Both events are free admission with activities planned for trappers of all ages and skill levels.
AFTA will be hosting our first annual convention and rendezvous on Saturday October 4, 2014 from 8:00am to 6:00pm at J. Perry Mikles Blue Mountain SUA (also known as Blue Mountain Wildlife Demonstration Area), 8.7 miles southeast of Booneville, AR on Highway 217. There will be events for everyone all day long including trapping demonstrations, laser hunting simulator, dutch oven cooking, kids games and crafts, supply vendors, tailgaters and silent auction. At noon there will be a potluck lunch, please bring a dish or dessert.
Camping is available at the SUA and Blue Mountain Lake. Camping at the SUA is free and on a first-come-first-serve basis, and you may arrive Friday evening and depart on Sunday. The nearby city of Booneville has limited motel accommodations.
The association will be holding a Trappers Workshop on Saturday October 25, 2014 at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center in Fort Smith, AR. This will be a full day of trapping education and demonstration from beginner to intermediate to advanced. Learn about trapping equipment needs and trap preparation, trapping rules and regulations, proper fur handling, and demonstrations of land and water sets for raccoon, mink, fox, bobcat, coyote, beaver and other furbearers.
There are no food vendors at the Nature Center so may want to bring a sack lunch and drinks. Most demonstrations will take place around the grounds of the nature center so may want to bring your own chair. The nature center is located at 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith, Arkansas. For detailed directions, check the AFTA website, or the nature centers’ website at www.rivervalleynaturecenter.com.
AFTA would like to give a big thanks to Arkansas Game & Fish Commission for allowing us to use the SUA for the convention and inviting us to do the workshop at the Nature Center.
For more information about the convention or workshop, phone 479-651-3597 or email arkansasfurtrappers@gmail.com. — Mark Alexander
