South Carolina Trappers Association November 2010 Report

President — Ricky Williams, 278 The Oaks Ln., Blenheim, SC 29516; phone: 843-528-3195; e-mail: sc-ws-6@juno.com

Vice President — Richard Whitfield, 325 Hanks Gin Road, Anderson, SC 29621; phone: 864-296-0076; e-mail: rwtrapper@aol.com

Secretary/Treasurer — Freddie L. Moore, 5160 Slater Rd., Anderson, SC 29621; phone: 864-261-6139

Fur Bearer Biologist — Jay Butfiloski, P.O. Box 167, Columbia, SC 29108; phone: 803-734-3609

Membership Options:

• Individual membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Family membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $30
• Junior with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $10
• Sponsor with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $50
• Lifetime membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $200

Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:

SCTA, Secretary/Treasurer
Freddie L. Moore
5160 Slater Rd., Anderson, SC 29621

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

HEY EVERYBODY,

What a wonderful change in the weather. As I write this column, the temps in the 70’s and the low 50’s at night can sure change your attitude after the summer heat. It will gets my mind on trapping for sure. And just think, we get to start a month early this year.

I have been thinking about where I’ll be able to set some traps in December this year, because down where I live deer season is still in and we have some clubs that use dogs. I hope we will all be very, very careful and do everything we can to avoid catching these dogs. I have talked to some of the people that hunt around our land and informed them of the early season and they were glad I let them know. It’s always best to avoid controversy if at all possible, even if it means moving traps to other areas until after deer season.

Let me encourage you all to do this. We worked awfully hard to get the extended season, and it would be a shame to lose it after the first year. As I said in the last newsletter it won’t matter to some dog hunters that we have every legal right to be setting traps this early, and have the landowners written permission or even that we’re trapping on our own property.

There are some that are just waiting for us to mess up, so they can try and shut us down again like they did back in the late 70’s. Lets not give them an opportunity to do this. Make sure to get out there and get those traps checked first thing, and not wait till after we go deer hunting that morning to check. I’d rather release their dog and send him on his merry way instead of letting one of them find it. As I have read about some of the legislation that was passed last year concerning dog hunting and listened to the conversations that came out of some of the meetings over the last 2 years, it seemed that some of the dog men realized that the state and the times have changed from what it was years ago and they knew that if they wanted to keep hunting with dogs then they to were going to have to change. Some however refused to accept this and were determined to “keep doing it the way they, and their Daddy’s had always done it no matter what anybody says”. Well we see what that line of thinking got them with the passage of the “Renegade Dog Hunter Act”.

The refusal to accept change by a small minority cost the majority a great deal. I will admit I am one that does not like change very much at all, in fact sometimes I think I was born 50 to 75 years to late. But like it or not our state is changing, for the better or worse is a matter of opinion, but changing it is and we must, as trappers, be willing to adapt or we could find ourselves in the same boat. We used to have the woods to ourselves during trapping season, but with more and more people enjoying our great outdoors we run into contact with them more often. What may be perfectly acceptable to us may be very offensive to others. That animal bouncing around in the trap is exciting to us but horrible to non-hunters. Lets keep that in mind and think before we set that trap.

Wouldn’t it be better to wait till later in the season or move to another location or even pass the place up and be able to trap again next year than stubbornly say “I’m going to keep doing it the way I always have I don’t care what anyone say.” Lets all PLEASE use our heads and think about where we set traps so we can pass this great sport on to our children and future generations.

Thanks.

— Ricky Williams

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