http://www.nhtassoc.org
President — Jack Yazinski, 403 Bible Hill Road, Claremont, NH 03743; 603-542-3367
Vice President — Larry Torr, 41 Moharimet Dr. Madbury, NH 03823, 603-842-5311
General Organizer — Roger Burnham, 159 North Shore Rd., Hebron, NH 03241; 603-744-3561;
nhtrapper@metrocast.net
Secretary/Membership/Web Director — Kathy and Brian Denutte, 9 Badger Glen Dr., Belmont, N.H. 03220
Treasurer — Mike Kazak, 72 Riverview Dr., Charlestown, NH 03603; 603-826-3959
Education Director — Mike Morrison, 49 Laura Lane, Keene, NH 03431; 603-209-3823
NTA/FTA Director — Gene Dabrowski P.O. Box 3 Georges Mills, NH 03751, 603-387-0697,
gened912@gmail.com
Fish & Game Committee Member — Fred Shepard, P.O. Box 23, Deerfield, NH 03037; 603-463-7473
Fish & Game Committee Member — Dwight Pennell, P.O. Box 136 Center Tuftonboro, NH 03816; 603-539-7954
Fish & Game Committee Member — Roger Burnham, 159 North Shore Road, Hebron, NH 03241, 603-744-3561
Membership Options:
• Individual membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $24
• Family with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $30
• Junior (under 16) with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $12
• Lifetime membership with subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $300
• Life (over 65) — $100
• Life (over 75) — Free w/previous continuous three membership
• The NHTA requires a Mission Statement for all new members to be signed and dated. The Mission Statement is on the application. Please send a letter, call or e-mail requesting a membership application to Kathy Denutte at the address below.
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
NHTA Membership Director
Kathy Denutte
9 Badger Glen Dr.
Belmont, N.H. 03220
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
The NH Senate took up HB 1579, the anti trapping bill, in April. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to amend the bill to remove the provisions, which caused the NHTA the most concern. An amended bill has been sent back to the House, which requires a loss of trapping license of three years for anyone convicted of injuring a domestic animal in an illegal set. The study committee originally proposed by the House was deleted from the bill, as was other language mandating minimum fines.
Once again, all members of the NHTA owe a big thank you to Fred Shepherd and Dwight Pennell for their commitment to defeating HB 1579. Fred literally spent entire days at the Senate providing input and information to Senators as they considered this bill. Bill Carney provided invaluable assistance.
The Maine Wildlife Conservation Council will be contacting each member soon asking for your help. The anti trapping, anti hunting initiative in Maine will be decided in November. The Council needs your help.
Once again your NHTA has been able to provide donations to several worthy entities including the NH Food Bank, Camp Barry and the Maine Wildlife Conservation Council. These donations are made possible by the hard work of the Board of Directors and members who sell raffle tickets and donate to our annual banquet. Gun raffle tickets are now available. Contact any director to get some to sell and purchase.
The NHTA is already planning our annual banquet for February 2015. New auction items are needed and it is not too early to start asking for donations.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Dwight and Bonnie Pennell for their very generous contribution toward the 2015 Miss NH fisher coat.
All the best for the summer. Please recruit a new member for the NHTA. — Jack Yazinski
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
The New Hampshire Trappers Association held a monthly director’s meeting April 1st, 2014. Thankfully our days are getting longer because this meeting was started in the parking lot while we waited for a key to get into the building. The key did arrive and we were able to get the coffee pot started.
NHTA Fish and Game Liaison Fred Shepard brought us up to speed on the status of State of NH Senate committee meetings regarding HB 1579. This bill was rewritten and passed the house as a bill to increase penalties for trapping violations (rather than a bill to outlaw all steel traps – as originally written). In the senate committee it was fine-tuned and after some close calls with the committee leaning towards some overly stringent penalties, the senators, in the end, came up with a reasonable bill. The Association owes a debt of gratitude to Fred for his exhaustive effort in following this bill and being available to attend and testify at meetings.
The NHTA Annual Fall meeting will be held this year again in a one-day event. Saturday September 20st, 2014 at the Owl Brook Hunter/Trapper Education Center in Holderness, NH. We have a tentative outline of events but are interested in adding demonstration from experienced trappers on all topics related to trapping and handling fur. Please contact a director to volunteer. And we will be looking for donated items for our country auction. Thank you!
Association directors were present with the trapper’s cabin at the annual “Discover Wild NH Day” at the NH Fish and Game headquarters in Concord April 19th, 2014. This event was heavily attended and the directors were busy informing, educating and exchanging stories with attendees young and old. A big thank-you to Belknap County director Brian Denutte for setting up and transporting the mounts and tables to and from the event, as well as spending the day at the booth. Thank you to Mike Kazak for staying late to help Brian pack up as I got caught up gabbing with an old friend from high school.
The association has voted to sponsor two children for a week each to attend the Camp Barry Summer Camp. This camp offers hands-on experiences for children campers in the great outdoors in northern NH.
Best to all. — Paul DeBow, Grafton County Director
