President — Craig Sweet, 1825 Kirkwood St., Saint Charles, IA 50240; phone: 641-764-2758
Vice President — Randy Mitchell, Iowa Fall, IA; phone: 641-648-6787
Secretary — Patty Kempf, 3371 130th St., Jamaica, IA 50128; e-mail: itasecretary@iowatelecom.net
Treasurer — Chris Grillot, 2769 110th Ave., Wheatland, IA 52777; phone: 563-374-1074; e-mail: itatreasurer@fbcom.net
FTA Director — Gene Purdy, 521 Edwin Place, Fontanelle, IA 50846; phone: 641-745-8841
NTA Director — George Scalf, 123 N. Madison Ave., Ottumwa, IA 52501; phone: 641-682-3937
Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $15
• Lifetime membership with subscription — $250
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
ITA, Secretary
Dita Mallon
1021 E. 13th St., Sumner, IA 50574
http://www.iowatrappers.com
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Greetings to all. Hope that all of you had a great holiday season. By the time you are reading this, there will be about two weeks remaining of this years regular trapping season. The season will close on Jan. 31 except for beaver, which will close on April 1. The day after Christmas was just super here in the southern part of the state. The majority of the snow and ice melted which created high water that opened rivers and creeks to free flowing water again. It is hard to believe that it was 59 degrees that day. My sets out for trapping didn’t get to the number that is normal for me, but that was OK, It was still a season of memories anyway.
The ITA will be at two sport shows in the near future — Pheasant Fest in Madison, WI, Feb. 6,7 and 8 and the UNI-Dome show in Cedar Falls March 13, 14 and 15. Anyone that would be willing to help at either show can contact Spencer Hill for Pheasant Fest and myself for the UNI-Dome.
The winter Board of Directors meeting will be on Sunday Feb. 1 at the Iowa State Tree Nursery in Ames, starting at 10 am. Anyone who is a member may attend the board meetings and present any concerns or questions you may have. If you would like to speak before the board, contact me to get on the agenda. If you cannot attend the meetings but have a question or concern, just contact any officer or director and he or she may present it to the board or help to answer any question you may have.
Better go, if you are out there trapping beaver or whatever during ice, please be careful. Better yet, take another person along for your safety. You never know when that icy water can bite. Be safe and have a enjoyable end to this years season!
— Craig Sweet
NTA DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Iowa’s fur harvesting season ends on Jan. 31, with the exception of beaver, which continues until April 1. I certainly hope everyone had a good season.
We are losing two great friends from the Iowa DNR with the retirement effective Dec. 25, 2008, of Fisheries Bureau Chief Marion Conover and Law Enforcement Bureau Chief Lowell Joslin. Marion began his career with the Iowa DNR in 1970 while Lowell went to work there in 1978.
Congratulations, Marion and Lowell, on your well-deserved retirement. You will be greatly missed.
The DNR will be asking the Iowa Legislature for an increase in revenues in 2009, which, if approved, will become effective July 1, 2009.
Ken Herring, the state’s Conservation and Recreation Administrator says the DNR is seeking a 34 percent increase in basic hunting and fishing license fees, a 17 percent increase in habitat fee (to $13.50); resident turkey licenses would jump nearly 20 percent and resident any-sex deer licenses would rise by 39 percent. One of the biggest increases would be in the resident trapping license, which would increase 71 percent to $36. Please contact your legislator with your concerns.
We had a very successful deer season, hunting the second shotgun deer season, from Dec. 13 to 21. Out of the nine deer that were harvested, only one was a doe. All of the other antlerless were button bucks.
Former Governor of Iowa, Tom Vilsack, is being appointed the new Secretary of Agriculture. We all need to keep an eye on the various cabinet appointments in the Obama administration.
Don’t forget our big FBU Banquet in Ottumwa on March 21.
Other dates to remember: Southeast NTA Regional will be May 1 to 3 in Williamston, NC; Northeast NTA Regional will be May 8 to 10 in Pittsfield, PA; the 50th Annual NTA Convention will be July 30 to Aug. 2 in Lima, Ohio; and the 8th annual Western NTA Regional is scheduled for Sept. 18 to 20 in Lewistown, Montana. Hope you can attend at least one of these events.
— George E. Scalf
