Maryland Fur Trappers, Inc. June-July 2010 Report

President — Ron Leggett, 7308 Monroe Rd., Boonsboro, MD 21713; phone: 301-432-8480

Vice President — Butch Glenn, 9 Jeanna Lane, Falling Waters, WV 25419; phone 301-465-0196

Membership Secretary — Reed Muse, 3499 Niner Rd., Finksburg, MD 21048; phone: 410-795-8076; cell: 410-790-6475; e-mail: frmtrapper@verizon.net

Recording Secretary — Jaime Glenn, 9 Jeanna Ln., Falling Waters, WV 25419

Treasurer — Ed Davis, 5122 Paw Paw Rd., Cambridge, MD 21613; phone: 410-228-8181

NTA Director — Jerry Heimbrock, 12027 Pennterra Manor Lane, Thurmont, MD 21788; phone 937-681-1708

Membership Options:
• Yearly individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• 3-year individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $70
• Lifetime individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $250
• Yearly family membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $27.50
• 3-year family membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $80
• Lifetime family membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $400
• Yearly junior (17 and under) membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $10

Complete membership application on first page of
association section and send dues to:
MFT, Membership Secretary
Reed Muse
3499 Niner Rd., Finksburg, MD 21048

DISTRICT 8 REPORT
Attendance of five this month. Better than the past few months, but far below what it should be. Special guest was Wes Brashear of Brandywine, Md who came clear over here to visit with us. Come back anytime, Wes.

The minutes of the Directors Meeting on March 21st were read and discussed. We also discussed the NAFA sale and the coming NAFA fur pick up, fur prices, a little on fur buyers, pending legislation, and we had a general discussion from each member on how their fur trapping season went. There is always room to learn from listening to other trappers discuss their methods of operation. A big benefit of attending meetings along with the fur buyer prices.

Barbara Joyce of the Md DNR sent Dist 8 an invitation to attend the 2010 Junior Hunter Day, this year on June 12th at 8:30 a.m. at the Sudlersville Skeet Club. Barbara does a great job each year and we are proud to help out. Dist 8 plans to attend we hope to see lots of the area youths enjoy the outdoor activities.
Dist 8 will resume meeting in September. This year will be an election year for Dist 8 and that allows us to have a meeting before the October elections. Please make plans to join us.

Once again, many, many thanks go out to Bob and Verna Calloway for allowing us to use their home for our Dist 8 meetings. They have been there year after year for us.

The Md State Convention will be held on Aug. 20 and 21. Further details and directions are available on the MFTI web site. Please pick out a few donations for the State auction during your summer. Also plan on bring a junior or senior trapper with you to the convention. Trap on.
I can be contacted at 410-634-2552 or at rogerringgold@yahoo.com. — Roger Ringgold

DISTRICT 12/13 REPORT APRIL
District 12/13 held its March meeting on the 23, at Director Marty Campbell’s home in Owings. We had 14 members in attendance.

Now that trapping season has come to an end, we all got a chance to compare notes and complain about the weather. It was a season of rain, followed by mud, then heavy snows, then more mud, then LOTS more snow, and then all topped off with an ice and snow combo! And of course once all that melted, we were right back to mud. It seemed that even when the weather was half-cooperative, we were fighting the tides. Record snowfalls and generally crazy weather slowed many of us down, but most of us got out when we could.

Of course, once all the trapping talk was out of the way, there came talk of sales. We discussed our luck at recent sales and auctions, and our hopes for the ones to come. The decent clearances and better than expected prices for some items at the recent NAFA auction were a bit of a surprise, especially after all the talk of gloom and doom last fall. Other topics included HB-858 (Montgomery County bill), the upcoming FBU banquet at Bowles farm, and putting together another set of tanned furs for our outreach events.

We also started lining up members to volunteer to man our MFT booth at upcoming events. These events are a great way to get out there and educate and inform folks about wildlife in general, and trapping in particular. I know most of us aren’t exactly “people” people, or always comfortable speaking to the public, but we NEED to get our message out there.

It seems so few people these days have any experience with, or exposure to, trapping, that if they don’t hear the truth from us, who are they going to hear it from? And to see a kid’s eyes light up when they get to actually handle the fur from an animal they have only read about or seen on TV, is something to see! Kids are interested in this stuff, if we only give them the opportunity. I’m always amazed at the number of folks that come up and say “Daddy used to trap rats back in the day”, or “ I remember Grandpa trapping coons”. So make it a point to get out there and get involved.
Oh, back to the meeting. We were then treated to the latest installment of Gary’s “5,000 Ways to Prepare Beaver”.

It was beaver enchiladas this time, and once again, he outdid himself. Between that, the fried chicken, and the apple pie, nobody walked away hungry. Since we were now all too full to move, we had our monthly 50:50 drawing. We ended up with $97 in the hat, and Ming won, and then graciously donated his half back to the district! The 50:50 was followed by a raffle for items donated by members, and another $36 was raised, and placed in the care of our capable Treasurer, Pat “Fort Knox” Patterson.

 Our District meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month during trapping season. Take care, and enjoy the warmer weather. — Dave Sien

MAY
Well, hopefully everyone’s traps and gear are cleaned up and put away, and furs have been sold or sent off to auction.

Or if you’re like me, everything is strewn all over the shed, scattered piles of dirty traps, stakes and tools in one corner, stretchers in another. And they’ll probably lay there until the days start to grow shorter and the nights cooler. I know I SHOULD clean everything up, make repairs as needed, and order supplies well in advance of next season, but I never do. First its turkey season, then it’s time to fish! Seems there is always something else to do. Of course, as summer comes to an end, I’ll be in a mad rush to get everything back together, just like every year!

Even though trapping season has come to an end for most of us, there is still plenty to do. Be sure to hit some of the regional, state and district conventions this year. Catch up with some old friends and meet some new ones. Stock up on gear and supplies. Take in a few demos and I guarantee even the oldest dog will learn a new trick or two. If your state or district group does any outreach or education work, there are usually plenty of opportunities to get our message out there.

District 12/13 members manned our booth on May 1 at the Chesapeake Antique Boat and Marine Engine Show at Calvert Marine Museum, part of the Solomons Maritime Festival. Public response was good, and we continue to get a lot of “I didn’t know folks still trapped,” so get out there and show them we’re still here! And I surely wish I had a videotape of the little girl, maybe 6, who was walking slowly down our table, pointing to each fur and naming the animal. When she got to the skunk at the end, her eyes bugged out and she about did a backflip trying to get away from it!

Anyway, enjoy your summer, and make it a point to take a child outdoors with you, show them there’s a whole world outside of TV or video games. District 12/13 will resume monthly meetings in October, on the third Tuesday of every month, 6:30 p.m. at Marty Campbell’s. — Dave Sien

Related Posts

  • No Related Posts Found

Leave a Reply