Virginia Trappers Association September 2009 Report

President — Bob Newberry, 5595 Waddletown Rd., Bland, VA 24315; phone: 276-688-3670; e-mail: sandyhollow@embarqmail.com

Vice President — Mike Perdue, 9150 Poor Mountain Rd., Bent Mountain, VA 24059; phone: 540-929-4412; cell phone: 540-589-4508; e-mail: Bentmtntrapper@aol.com

Membership Secretary — Norm Mullins, P.O. Box 802, Cedar Bluff, VA 24609; phone: 276-963-0642; cell: 276-971-1856; e-mail: nbmullins@gmail.com

Recording Secretary — James G. Covais, 10401 Moore Ct., Spotsylvania, VA 22553; phone: 540-760-9694; e-mail: jcovais@comcast.net

Treasurer — Thomas Teague, 2920 Cross Keys Road, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801; phone: 540-564-1930; e-mail: thomasteague@verizon.net

General Organizer — Bud Jenkins, 33423 Seacock Chapel Rd., Ivor, VA 23866; phone: 757-859-6868

Training Coordinator — Ed Crebbs, 175 Waldrop Rd., Gordonsville, VA 22942; phone: 540-832-2708; e-mail: edcrebbs@yahoo.com

NTA Director — John Coakley, 1188 Turkey Knob Rd., Quicksburg, VA 22847; phone: 540-477-3440; cell phone: 540-335-6088

Membership Options:

• 1-year membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $20
• 2-year membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $38
• Junior (under 16) with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $10
• Lifetime membership with subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $250

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

VTA, Membership Secretary
Norm Mullins
Box 802, Cedar Bluff, VA 24609-0802

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Hello to all from Southwest Virginia. Well, here we are on the down side of summer! Sure has been nice in my neck of the woods. July went on record for cool temps most days 70s and nights were as low as 50. When it gets that cool in July, lots of days you could find me in the fur shed. As everyone knows, the VTA election is almost here. I want to personally say a special thanks to the nominating committee Art Foltz, Mike Brookover, Phil Ballard and Jim Longo for the job you guys are doing. I can’t think of anything being left undone.

I ask each one who gets to vote to please do so as this is your association. Don’t just cast your ballot aside and forget! Our convention at Luray, Va. Sept. 11-13 will be upon us before we know it. This coming week, I will be getting as much going on it as possible. I have had some volunteers calling and wanting to help out this past week. There is no host this year so let’s all pitch in and make it a special convention. Until next time, be sure and take someone on the line with you this season. See you in Luray.

— Bob Newberry

NOMINATING COMMITTEE’S REPORT

IT’S ELECTION TIME — All lifetime and regular members will be receiving a VTA Officers election ballot by mail this month. Candidate biographies are available on a VTA Web site [www.virginiatrappers.org] home page link and the duties and responsibilities of each position are listed in the Association bylaws link. Additionally, the election process and biographies were provided in the last edition of the Virginia Trapper newsletter.

BALLOTS — The ballots are controlled documents and must be sealed in the return envelop provided. Each return envelop has an assigned control number assigned per eligible voter. If you receive a ballot in the mail, that ballot must be used to record your vote. You can return the ballot to the Nominating Committee in one of three ways; mail it back to the Nominating Committee, hand-deliver it to a Nominating Committee member at the VTA Convention, or place it in the ballot box at the VTA Convention entrance.

Regardless of the delivery method, your ballot must be sealed in the Nominating Committee return envelop. Additional ballots will NOT be available at the VTA Convention expect for expired membership renewals and new VTA members.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE — The Nominating Committee is comprised of two District 7 members; Mike Brookover and Phil Ballard and two District 8 members; Art Foltz and Jim Longo. If you have any questions about the election process please contact the committee chair at phone 540-630-1756 or by e-mail at foltzas@verizon.net.

— Art Foltz

DISTRICT 8 REPORT

District 8 met on July 26 in Caroline County. We had a fair turnout with 15 trappers and family members. We welcome two new members to District 8; Jim and Jim Bob Morris. We look forward to sharing our trapping experience with them and learning of their exploits after the upcoming season. After the meal, we discussed several topics and upcoming events regarding the trade.

The nine-month DGIF regulatory hunting and trapping regulations review process has come to a close.

On June 2, the VA Board of Game and Inland Fisheries approved the following proposals affecting District 8 trappers. The new regulations are already in effect, starting on Aug. 1, 2009.

– Foothold traps with teeth and traps with a jaw spread exceeding 6 ½ inches cannot be set on land (clarification of language in previous regulation).

– Provide trappers the option of using trap tags with permanent ID number.

– Allow checking of completely submerged bodygripping traps once every 72 hours.

– Eliminated the requirement to seal bobcat and otter pelts when shipped out-of-state to be tanned for personal use.

Virginia trappers took advantage of the NTA Convention being held in a nearby State. From conversations and VA Trappers Forum postings, it looks like 20+ will be present at Lima, OH event. Virginia trappers attending the convention were asked to muster near the grandstands on Friday around 5 p.m. for a group photo. That’s sure to make an interesting picture for the next Virginia Trapper newsletter.

The VTA Convention should be right around the corner by the time you receive this issue of T&PC. If you haven’t mailed your VTA Officers election ballot to the Nominating Committee yet, you can place it in the ballot box at the convention entrance. The ballots are controlled documents so additional ballots will NOT be available at the convention except for expired membership renewals and new VTA members.

After the official business/discussions, we had one demonstration; vehicle trapping gear organization. Darren Schenemann showed his customized truck bed boxes used to keep gear separated and easily accessible.

Our last of the year district meeting is scheduled for Sept. 27, locations to be determined. A meeting announcement with site directions will be sent to district members and guests however, the event is open to all trappers or trapping-interested persons. If you would like to attend, please contact me at foltzas@verizon.net or 540-630-1756 for details and directions.

— Art Foltz

DISTRICT 10 REPORT

Greetings all. Hope to see many of you at the state convention at Page County Fairgrounds in Luray this month. It is when we’ll meet again next. I’d like to meet in the camping area immediately after the general membership meeting.

We have a hot lead on a convention site for 2010. I won’t mention it yet because it’s not secured for us just yet. Now is the time to re-secure your landowner permissions and give your gear a good going over; so you’ll know what you need to buy at the convention. Remember, buying there lets you save shipping costs or get more gear for the same dollars spent. Remember to watch the mail for your VTA election ballot and be sure to send it off promptly according to the enclosed directions.

I wish to personally thank everyone who’s running for office. I appreciate you giving your time and energy to the betterment of the VTA. I know it’s a thankless job, where we all reap the benefits of your work. Thank you all, past and present. I’ll see you in Luray.

You can e-mail me at rob.brewer@us.army.mil or werjello@verizon.net. Please be sure to put VTA in the subject line, so I do not delete it as spam. For those who would rather pick up the phone, my cellular is 757-869-9822. ‘Til next time.

— Rob Brewer

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