Missouri Trappers Association March 2009 Report

President — Robert Wilson, 21562 Pike 227, Eolia, MO 63344; phone: 573-485-7478

Vice President — Doren Miller, 26500 Pike 244, Clarksville, MO 63336; phone: 573-242-3319

Secretary — Troy Crooks,P.O. Box 92, Newburg , MO 65550; phone: 573-578-6532; e-mail: isaiah52_7@hotmail.com

Treasurer — Herb Binsbacher, 29535 Hwy. J, Gravois Mills, MO 65037; phone: 573-372-6711

Conservation Director — Arlon Held, 10075 Janes Creek Rd., Caledonia, MO 63631; phone: 573-766-1382

Delegate to NTA — Ron Pantry, Rt. 1 Box 87, Lancaster, MO 63548; phone: 660-457-2192

Delegate to FTA — Robert Wilson, 21562 Pike 227, Eolia, MO 63344; phone: 573-485-7478

Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Lifetime membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $365

Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
MTA Secretary
Troy Crooks
P.O. Box 92,Newburg , MO 65550;
phone: 573-578-6532; e-mail: isaiah52_7@hotmail.com
http://www.motrappers.org

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Greeting again from Pike County,

I hope everyone caught a lot of fur. When you read this, the season, for the most part, will be over except for beaver. Get ready for crappie fishing, mushroom hunting and turkey season.

On a sad note, the Missouri Trappers Association lost one of its greatest promoters on Jan. 3, 2009. Freddie Cox Sr. of St. Clair, MO passed away. I feel that one of the arch supports of the organization has been taken from us. I revere his memory, looking forward with spiritual consolation to the day when we shall join him in that big trapper’s heaven where the weather is fair and every trap is full and all the fur is primed and top grade. He has probably done more than any individual to promote trapping and the Missouri Trappers Association and hunting and fishing activities in young people by showing them firsthand, by going to schools, fairs and hunting events. I was fortune enough to know Freddie and be his friend.

My son and I, Freddie and his Eddie and his two friends Jim and Dennis traveled together to New Mexico to elk hunt. We had a great four days and nights. Good company and good times, lots of fun, most of us filled our tags. God Bless Freddie. Hope your traps are full and all of your fur is primed.
Hope to see everyone at the spring meeting. Take a kid hunting, fishing and trapping this year.

— Robert Wilson

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Greetings. Funny  how a year can change things. 365 days. A year ago, we were coming off of some of the highest prices on fur in awhile. We were all feeling pretty good about the fur market and what the future for the fur market held. Things do change from year to year.

We’ve got a lot of things going on in the Association. The Spring Meeting will be held in District 2 in Montgomery City on the third Saturday in March. I believe that is the 21st. Tom Westhoff will have more details and directions in the Mountain Man paper. The general meeting will start at 1 p.m.

Some of the things we need to discuss are the changes that are involving our Treasurer and Secretary. For those of you who may not know, Mr. Herb Binsbacher has been very sick, but is doing a whole lot better now.

We lost a good advocate for trapping — Mr. Freddie Cox, Sr. I was fortunate to know him and watch some of the things he did not only for the MTA, but also for trappers and trapping. He will be missed.

— Doren Miller

TREASURER’S REPORT

Greetings from Gravois Mills, MO.

I am standing in for Herb (Grizzly) Binsbachur, at this time. He requested I write this report. Herb has been real sick for a while but he is getting better every day. I’m sure he will be back doing his treasurer job before too long. But until then, I will be helping out with the job. Please keep him in your prayers.

The first fur auction went pretty good. Fur prices were fair. The Jan. 31 auction is going to be a real large one. Hope prices are fair then also. That’s all for now, Take care and be safe.

God Bless.

— Paul Webb

FUR AUCTION REPORT

Well the second fur auction has just been completed and the last auction on Feb. 7 is next weekend. Fur prices are down considerably from last season, but prices this season at our auction were still a lot better than I thought they would be. Considering the bad worldwide economy, much lower prices that were paid at fur house doors and the small percentage of fur that moved at the North American sale, we all should be happy with what furs brought at the MTA auction this year.

I have to give credit where credit is due. First and foremost, I want to thank Rick Friedrich for all of his help. He is responsible for all the footwork involved in putting these auctions together. He hauled all of the equipment to the fairgrounds, was responsible for putting together the conveyor belt machine, helping get the tables set up, helped me with drawing lot numbers, helped me at the auctions when I needed a break and helped along with Jeff Baringer, the MDC furbearer biologist, to put together a new software program for our auctions. Thanks Rick for all of your help. Without Rick’s help, the auctions wouldn’t have been possible. I also want to thank Rick’s wife Sandy for her help logging all the fur buyers and sellers in our new fur auction computer system and running the computer at all of the auctions.

 I also want to thank Paul and Elain Webb for taking the time to perform all the secretarial and treasurer duties at the auctions. With Herb having health problems, he has not been able to attend. I hear he is recovering well. I hope you get well soon, Herb. You are in our prayers. Again, thank you Paul and Elain for taking time from your schedule for filling in. Your work is very much appreciated.

A special thank you goes out to Karl Rice for his generosity. Karl has always taken the initiative to step in and do things that need to be done. He has stepped in and performed most of the clerking at all of the auctions and does an excellent job keeping everything in order. He never quit all day at any of the auctions. What few times he took a break clerking, he stayed busy helping make sure that the conveyor stayed full. With that said, I want to thank Charlie Brown for pitching in clerking so Karl could have a break.

I want to thank Clay Creech, Chris Chester and Mark Bagley, all of which are with the MDC and members of the MTA, for helping along with Rick and I setting up everything at the Boone County Fairgrounds. All of your help is greatly appreciated. Last but not least by any means, thanks to all of you that helped packing boards at the first auction and to everyone who helped packing fur. The names are too many to mention and if I did, I’m afraid I would leave someone out. Your help is appreciated and did not go unnoticed.

1/31/2009 (listed be Species, Total Sold, Total, Average, Min and Max)

Badger — 1, $17.50, $17.50, $17.50, $17.50
Beaver Dry — 223, $2,435.50, $10.92, $ 1, $29
Beaver Wet — 40, $476.25, $11.91, $1, $15.25
Otter — 79, $2,496, $31.59, $3, $42
Bobcat — 42, $966.50, $23.01, $2, $55
Gray Fox — 84, $736.25, $8.76, $0, $16
Mink Female — 8, $36, $4.50, $2, $6.25
Mink Male — 34, $237.50, $6.99, $1, $10.50
Muskrat — 520, $1,695.60, $3.25, $0.50, $5
Opossum — 601, $1,280.20, $2.13, $0.10, $4
Coyote — 19, $36.75, $1.93, $0.50, $3
Raccoon Dry — 3,393, $37,720.75, $11.12, $ 0.50, $21
Raccoon Wet — 1,527, $14,494.75, $9.49, $0.25, $19.75
Red Fox — 15, $237, $15.80, $13, $20

1/17/2009

Beaver Dry — 15, $189, $12.60, $2, $19
Beaver Wet — 22, $200, $9.09, $1, $18
Bobcat — 17, $411.50, $24.21, $1, $57.50
Coyote — 14, $133, $9.50, $0.50, $17.50
Gray Fox — 5, $93, $18.60, $12, $21
Mink Male — 8, $74.75, $9.34, $4.75, $11
Muskrat — 101, $248.80, $2.46, $0.50, $3.50
Opossum — 277, $487, $1.76, $0.25, $3.75
Otter Dry — 1, $24, $24, $24, $24
Otter Wet — 4, $113, $28.25, $23, $37
Raccoon Dry — 1,646, $18,846.50, $11.45, $0.50, $23
Raccoon Wet — 300, $2,530.75, $8.44, $0.50, $17
Red Fox — 15, $192.50, $12.83, $6, $18
Skunk — 19, $64.50, $3.39, $1.50, $4.50

— Robbie Page

DISTRICT 6 REPORT

Hi everyone, it is the 27th of January. Trapping season here in Missouri is about over, except for beaver. Elaine and I hope you all had a good and safe season. Ours was fair, but we had a lot of fun going out in the great outdoors.

We are getting ready for the MTA’s second auction on Jan. 31. Looks like it will be a big fur sale. Hope fur brings a fair price.

District 6 will have a spring meeting on April 4. I will have more details later. If you are a new member or have changed your address and live in one of these counties please let me know. Bates, Vernon, Henery, St. Clair, Cedar, Benton, Hickory, Polk, Morgan, Camden, Dallas, Monteau, Miller, Pulaski or Lecleds.
My name is Paul Webb – 124 Mooreview Dr., Gravois Mills, MO 65037. Phone: 573-374-2768.

We lost a member of the MTA on Jan. 3, 2009. He was Freddie Cox and he worked tirelessly for the association. He was always there to lend a hand on everything and I’m glad I knew him and considered him to be a true friend. He will be sadly missed. Our prayers go out to all of his family.

May God Bless.

— Paul

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