President — Brian Mohn, 134 Fairview Road, Hamburg, PA 19526; phone: 610-562-1790; e-mail: papatrees@aol.com
Vice President East — Joel Whitehead, RR#2Box 90, Thompson, PA 18465; e-mail: JFRED@nep.net
Vice President West — Ned Weston, 120 Swope Road, West Sunbury, PA 16061; phone: 724-894-2239; e-mail: Nweston@netzero.net
Secretary — Tereasa Houtz, 300 Flint Lane, Landisburg, PA 17040; e-mail: PTASecretary@embarqmail.com
Treasurer — Chad Kijowski, P.O. Box 614 , Dayton, PA 16222; phone: 814-257-9846;
e-mail: HKijowski@yahoo.com
Editor — Russ Ford, 309 Pine Dale Road, Carlisle, PA 17013, phone: 717-249-7271, fax: 717-249-8509; e-mail: Ptaeditor@pa.net
NTA Director — David Shuttleworth, 5452 Tamarack Drive, Sharpsville, PA 16150; phone: 724-962-4260; e-mail: Dianeshutts@aol.com
FTA Director — Mark Kasten, RR2 Box 2287, Hallstead, PA 18822; phone: 570-278-2553;
e-mail: willsher@epix.net
Public Relations Director — Mike Gontor, 87 West 7th St., Jim Thorpe, PA 18229; phone: 570-325-4974; e-mail: FuFiGa@ptd.net
Membership Options:
Individual membership including subscription to Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
Individual membership without subscription — $10
Junior, age 16 and under without subscription — $5
Lifetime membership with subscription — $300
Lifetime membership without subscription — $100
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
PTA Treasurer
Chad Kijowski
P.O. Box 614
Dayton, PA 16222
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Our next officer and director meeting will be March 6, 2010. Our job is to represent the trappers’ interests throughout the state. I encourage you to bring your thoughts and ideas to us. “WARNING,” this might mean you will be asked to work on a committee, but this is how things get done and our association gets stronger.
We have a new wildlife print available for sale. Melissa Ball is the artist of our new Coyote Print. She did a fine job creating a vertical print of an alpha male following a deer trail across a mountain stream. Your district directors will have them at the spring meetings or contact any of your officers for more information.
I testified at the January PGC meeting, presenting our interest in future bobcat and fisher seasons. We hope to have expanded opportunities in the coming years. Stay tuned!
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is going to need our support in the form of instructors to make the Successful Furtaker course a first rate trapping class in the future. There is something for everybody in this course, whether a new trapper, a returning trapper or one in need of cable restraint certification. We are scheduled to train the trainers in March.
My family has been busy and at times overwhelmed in the fur shed. Sometimes I think I should live further north. I have always been a cold-weather trapper. Yes, it presents some difficulties, but I don’t have to contend with mud and other people. It presents me with my own solitude in suburbia and beautiful winter prime fur. You still have time to trap spring beaver; otherwise it could be a long time till next fall’s season.
I want to thank all the members who worked at the Eastern Outdoor and Sport show, Wayne Gemmel and Ralph Wagner do a great job coordinating all the workers required to work a 10-day show. If you stopped by the booth you got to see the new four-wheeler on our sweepstake ticket for 2010.
Good Trapping.
— Brian Mohn
DISTRICT 1 REPORT
I hope by this time of the year, you are starting to stack up the beaver and maybe a few coyotes and foxes with your cable restraints. Don’t forget to take a kid out this year.
The Spring Gun Raffle is slated to be held April 3, 2010, at Sparrow Pond. Don’t forget to get your sponsor forms filled out, and in to Jim Murphy. Our spring meeting will be held in Forest County, April 10, 2010. More to be announced later. I hope you have a great season, and be safe!
God bless.
— Charlie Sykes
DISTRICT 2 REPORT
Some of the District members are catching a lot of different types of animals this year. Well, maybe I’m just hearing about them more this year. I’m sure all Districts have members making a lot of interesting catches. I hope they all bring some good pictures to the meeting and the State Convention.
I spent some time on the computer searching different Web sites. If you ever need to get a hold of your elected officials, for any reason, you can go to the USSA Web site. It is www.ussportsmen.org. Go to the Legislative Action Center, then, Write Your Legislators. Then on the bottom of the page go to: Legislative Action Center and click/go down to find your elected officials/zip code and it will give you your Federal and State Officials. I thought this so cool. Don’t forget to support the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance for having this site for all of us to use if needed.
A couple of other sites to check out are www.nationaltrappers.com and www.furtakersofamerica.com.
We will have a State O&D meeting on Jan. 2, 2010. We will have a district meeting in January and a Fur Sale in Feb 20, 2010 at Burntridge Sportsmen Club in Cowenville.
For more info, call Greg at 724-224-2197.
DISTRICT 3 REPORT
Hello all,
Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. Sorry about missing the deadline on the last issue, but that date flew right by and I didn’t get my report in. Something to do with trapping season, kid’s activities, work, etc. Just wanted to get everyone the dates for some upcoming district events.
Our next convention meeting will be on Jan. 17 at Paci’s Lounge near Brownsville. A big thank you goes out to member Tom Miller for donating his building for the meeting. The meeting will start at noon. If you need directions, call me at 724-348-6721.
Don’t forget our fur sale on Jan. 31 at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Sale will start at 9 a.m. Hope you can make it.
It’s not too early to begin planning to attend the District 3 6th annual trapper’s banquet. This year’s banquet will be on April 24, once again at the Youngwood Fire Hall.
Till next time.
— Dave Eckels
DISTRICT 4 REPORT
Just a short note and apologies.
First, I need to apologize for my mistake on the date of the district’s fur sale. By now, everyone found out it’s all happening Jan 16 and wasn’t the 13th… Sorry again.
This year’s fur prices are the topic of many trappers concerns although all of the conversation end up with most wishing for more time to plant one more trap or harvest one more critter. JUST FOR THE FUN OF THE SPORT.
I’m hoping to see many of you at the Fur Sale here in ST. MARYS at the Sacred Heart Activity Center on Jan. 16.
A little more to talk about after the sale and general meeting.
Happy trapping.
— Jeff
DISTRICT 5 REPORT
The thermometer says 9 degrees this morning as I write this column. I hope you are still trapping, but will understand if you have taken a break due to the cold. I don’t keep up with my fur during the season so I have quite a bit of work ahead of me to get ready for the sale. The skinning chores are almost complete, but nothing is scraped or on the stretchers yet. My dad keeps the inventory of what is in the freezer and he keeps reminding me I should get started. It has been a good season for me and I hope you can say the same.
An election of officers was held at the fall meeting and following is the results: Director – Harry Wade, Assistant director – Mark Vatavuk, Treasurer – Pat Wess, and Secretary – Deborah Sedlemeyer.
The District 5 fur sale will be held at the Bedford County Fair Grounds on Feb. 14, 2010. Please plan to support the district by helping out with the sale or selling your fur. The doors will open at 7 a.m. and the sale starts at 9 a.m.
We will have a booth at the Jaffa Sports Show again this year. The show is being held Feb. 26-28 and I hope you will be able to help out. If you are at the show, please stop in and introduce yourself.
Please feel free to contact Pat Wess at 814-262-9455 or me with any information you would like to see in this report or any questions you might have. I can be reached at 814-686-0497 or e-mail me at bdstern@atlanticbb.net. Thanks for reading.
— Brian Stern
DISTRICT 7 REPORT
District 7 had their annual Christmas party on Dec. 19 at Mazeppa Community Hall. Despite the bad weather, 12 people attended. I would like to thank Laurie Mast for cooking and donating the turkey. On Dec. 20, we had our district fur sale at Washingtonville. We had three buyers attend and 14 trappers.
High prices were ’rats — $4, ’coon — $10, grey fox and red fox — $10, coyote — $15, ’possum — $2, mink — $10.
Upcoming events are the fur auction on Jan. 17 at Washingtonville. Starting at 9 a.m., 4 percent commission, must be a member of the PTA to sell or pay a sellers fee of $5. April 11 fur sale at Hillsgrove, 9 a.m., 4 percent commission, must be a member of PTA to sell or pay a sellers fee of $5. For more info, contact me at 570-437-2679.
— Pete Rake
DISTRICT 8 REPORT
We surely hope Russ Ford is recovering well. Russ has had a tough time with his health this year. So if you can send him a card or e-mail or write a letter. Let Russ know we all care about him. Russ, we hope you get well and get back to your duties as soon as you can.
District 8 Members voted to make some changes for next year. At our District 8 Meeting at Blain, Pa. Oct. 18 the members voted to move our Marysville Show and our Blain Fall Extravaganza to the Tuscarora Valley Heritage Grounds, East Waterford, Pa. (western Juniata County along Rt.75) and have one three-day show. The show will open Friday, Sept. 10 at noon and would close Sunday, Sept. 12 at noon. There is one large building for inside venders and ample space outside for tailgaters. There will be primitive camping available on the grounds for the weekend. There will also be food venders on the grounds. Tailgaters and venders can start setting up at 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 10, 2010.
This new show will be called the Tuscarora Valley Extravaganza. Our 32nd Annual Sportsman Show 2010.
District 8 will hold its next General Meeting Jan. 24, 2010 at noon at Tuscarora Valley Heritage Grounds, East Waterford, Pa. (Juniata County). This will be our winter break meeting. Lunch 11:30 a.m., bring a covered dish. Drinks are provided. Come early to reminisce and tell them big trapping stories. We will be planing our next year’s show. Don`t be afraid to come out and get involved. Everyone is welcome to participate.
Directions to Tuscarora Valley Heritage Grounds, East Waterford, Pa. From Port Royal, Pa. Off Rt. 22 & Rt. 322 Take Rt. 75 South (22 miles) through East Waterford 3 ½ miles on the right side of the roadway. From the Pa. Turnpike I-76 Willow Hill exit take Rt.75 North 15 miles on the left side of the roadway.
For more info, contact me at Allen Eppleman, 4232 Carlisle Rd., Gardners, Pa. 17324, or phone at 717-486-7573 or 717-226-9623, or email aleppleman@comcast.net.
— Allen Eppleman
DISTRICT 11 REPORT
As I write this on the last day of 2009 and think about the year that has passed, it has been a good year. I know fur prices are as low as any of us can remember, but the love and enthusiasm for the sport really hasn’t dwindled. We had four trapping schools in the district and the students were all eager to learn and try their hand at catching some critters. Many of them were successful this past season thanks in part to the instructors at the schools who gave their time and talent to share with them.
We had a change in leadership in the district this past year. Brian has moved on to become our state president and Ralph Wagner is doing a great job as our district director. He makes the claim that he is not organized, but so far he seems to be very much on top everything that needs to be done.
Looking ahead to 2010, we are going to host the state banquet this year and are still in need of volunteers to help and we also need items for the raffle tables and auction. Most important is your attendance at the banquet. Please plan now to attend. The date is Sept. 18 at The Eagles Club in Lebanon. We are also starting to plan for the 2011 State Convention and again we still need you to help. Many have volunteered for some of the jobs, but there is still a place for you to help us.
Our next business meeting will be a Thursday evening — Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. We will go over the results from the fur sale and make plans for these other projects in 2010. I’ll have the fur sale results in next month’s column or you can check the web page for District 11. I’m sure by now they are on there.
Hope to see you at the meeting.
— Mike Spittle
