President — Cody Sikes, 27020 Old Trilby Rd., Brooksville, FL 34602; phone: 352-398-5945; e-mail: southernlandservices01@yahoo.comVice President — Bill Crowder, P.O. Box 510, Madison, FL 32341; phone: 850-973-6540; e-mail: wildbillc@shareinet.net
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
• Associate membership (without magazine) — $15
• Lifetime membership (without magazine) — $100
• Lifetime membership with two year subscription — $125
Complete membership application on first page of association section, and send dues to:
Carol Lokken
7047 Spinnaker Blvd.
Englewood, FL 34224
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Hello Florida trappers! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is having a great season so far. I have picked up a few new properties, whose owners want the coyotes gone from. It is a good trade, I get new land to trap on for fur, and they get the coyotes removed. I usually pick up enough coons to sell for meat to cover most of the expenses, but who is really trying to make any money! I had high hopes to run up some bigger numbers this year, but the warm weather stuck around a little too long, and the animals have not been cooperating.
I am still working on lining up permits for our first fur trapping seminar. It is looking like it will be either the second or third weekend of February, and we will try for a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday deal so we can have enough time to get traps out and at least a couple of checks. If any of you have any friends who are interested in trapping, please bring them out. I hope to have all of the plans finalized before Christmas; as of now I am just waiting to meet with the FWC biologist.
I hope all of you have a safe and productive trapping season. The markets look as though they have started the slow climb back up, so maybe we can all do well on our furs this year. Good luck and happy trapping!
— Cody L Sikes
SECRETARY/TREASURER’S REPORT
Happy New Year y’all. I hope everyone has “survived” the holidays and is all geared up for winter trapping. Our membership is at 130 and we give a warm welcome to Ellie Willingham of Willingham’s Taxidermy in Odessa, FL.
As you have read in our President’s Report, the next trapper training seminar will come up quickly. Details will be provided in our January newsletter and on our website. Keep checking in and be sure to set aside that time to join us.
We hope you will all take advantage of our membership drive. Bill Weeks, owner of Lightning Traps, will build us with 2 cage traps (raccoon size) for any member who signs up 5 sustaining members. Help us to stay strong and grow.
Are you a member of the US Sportsmen’s Alliance Sentry group? All they need is your address (email or snail mail). You will receive regular updates at to what’s happening. Frequently we are asked to write a quick note to our representatives to help a variety of causes. Most of these will be in response to the “anti’s”. Please sign up and be part of a larger voice.
And our website is finally rebuilt!!! Please check us out at: www.floridatrappers.org.
We’ve included photos of both our Trapper Training Seminar and our Rendezvous. Look for updates on our events page.
— Carol Lokken
NTA DIRECTOR’S REPORT
It is a matter of some concern that membership in the National Trappers Association has trended downward in the past six months. The combined membership from all states currently stands at 8,705 trappers, reflecting a loss of 145 members since mid-year. Some of the larger northern states have experienced significant losses whereas Florida continues to hold its own.
At mid-year, trappers who reside in Florida, and support the NTA, number 45, while an additional 15 NTA trappers from out-of-state belong to Florida Trappers as well as their own state organization. Collectively, that means that 60 members of Florida Trappers have NTA ties, which represents half of our total membership. From another perspective, our Association has more NTA members than Arizona, Delaware, Mississippi, Rhode Island, or South Carolina.
With a few more members, we could surpass several other states. Joining NTA is easy…for a year’s membership, make out a $30.00 check to the NTA and mail it to: National Trappers Association, 2815 Washington Ave., Bedford, IN 47421.
— George Dykhuizen
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT REPORT
Hello fellow trappers. I am truly humbled to be your new southwest district director. I hope I can live up to your expectations. I am glad the elections are over, I pray that the new leader we sent to work are able to get some things done. I also would like to make everyone aware that we will be putting up fur for other trappers and will also do some buying of raw fur. I was asked by Kurt Hodges if I thought I could make any money doing this.
My reply to him was that I am most interested in promoting the harvest and protection of our natural resources, primarily with the younger people, as this is where our future is. I have some Fur Takers Trading Cards on their way to be used with the local youth that are interested. I have made some inquiries related to the possible future location for a trapper training site.
I also have been busy getting my trapping gear ready : cannot wait to get started. I am also going to Georgia for a week of trapping with my grandsons right after Christmas. I truly hope all is well with everyone. Remember to take a kid along and be sure to join the National Trappers Association.
— Steve MacKellar
Please send me a little info on where you guys & gals hold your meetings and gatherings, my wife & I are considering joining the club