President — Bruce Vandervort, 5338 US Hwy 101, Humptulips, WA 98552; phone: 360-288-2466; e-mail: brucevandervort@hotmail.com
Vice President West — John Consolini, 17030 Marmount ST SE, Monroe WA 98272; e-mail: itrap4you@yahoo.com
Vice President East — George Brady, P.O. Box 535, Pateros, WA 98846; phone: 509-923-2326;
e-mail: cascadeb@televar.com
Executive Secretary — Ralph Dobson, 711 196th Street NW, Arlington, WA 98223; phone: 360-652-2132; e-mail: rlph.dobson@gmail.com
Treasurer — BJ Thornily; 63 Redmond Rd., Republic, WA 99166; phone: 509-775-2936;
e-mail: bobbiemike@yahoo.com
NTA Director — Bob Maier, 38 Francis Dr., Walla Walla, WA 99362; phone: 509-529-9568;
e-mail: bob_maier@hotmail.com
Membership options:
• Individual membership including subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $30
• Junior (under 18) with subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $15.50
• Associate (non-trapper) including subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $15.50
• Senior Citizen (over 70) including subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $10.50
• Lifetime membership — $250
• Lifetimer subscription to Trapper Predator Caller — $10.50
Dues entitles members to all newsletters, meeting notices, discount entry to workshops and the annual rendezvous. All monies are used to protect your right to trap.
Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to:
WSTA
(A non-profit organization.)
PO Box 3687
Arlington, WA 98223
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Seems like it has been a pretty busy month to me although I can’t brag about accomplishing much.
We set up the Puyallup Fair booth and I spent a number of days working it. Not as many as last year. Mike Morris was kind enough to volunteer to take over part of the responsibilities associated with running the booth. Mike was a life saver for me as I had some family issues that came up I had to attend to.
Thanks Mike, I don’t know what I would have done without your help.
The time I spent working the booth things seemed to go very well and apparently attendance was up a little at the fair from last year. I received many compliments on the booth.
I’d like to interject a note here about working the booth at the fair. Some people will not volunteer, I’ve been told out of a fear of being approached by an animal rights type person and getting into a confrontation. To be honest it has been years since anything like that has happened. I do have people come up that disagree with us but by and large they are polite conversations and we agree to disagree. Mostly it is just talking to people that have no idea about trapping and answering their questions. It’s a good place to pick up trapping ground also as you will field a lot of complaints about nuisance wildlife. Anyway it went well and many thanks to everyone that helped.
I had a call from Representative Brian Blake, the sponsor of our bill in the Legislature. Brian is pretty pessimistic about the chances of the bill going anywhere. We still have the same people throwing up roadblocks as were our problem last year. I honestly don’t know what can be done at this time to change things. I have a couple ideas but I don’t believe anything can be done this year. At the risk of sounding partisan I think the only thing that will crack this deadlock we are in is if the Republican Party were to take control of the House of Representatives. If the Democrats were in the minority the people that have been such a thorn in our side would lose a lot of their power.
At least that’s my take on it.
I just arrived back home from a Trapper Training class that Alan Worrell and Karen Parker put on. I was there to help but it was kind of a bust as the instructors outnumbered the students. Oh well, we have to do the classes if only for one student.
On a related note the WDFW has completely washed their hands of the Trapper Training program including it seems updating their web-page on class schedules. As a result of this we’re going to see if we can add a page to our web-site on Trapper Training and get the WDFW to link to our site. It appears we cannot depend on WDFW for much.
A couple left over items from last month. I have been getting a number of complaints about the Rendezvous, the cost, the heat, the facilities, the heat, to far away and of course the heat. All have been duly noted and we will try not to repeat the mistakes.
Speaking of the Rendezvous, when we were getting ready to leave I noticed a comforter, sleeping bag and jacket laying in the grass that some one forgot. The name Casey was written in the jacket. I have them and if you are the owner give me a call and I will get them back to you.
Also Dave Vinke had a trap that he had brought for a demonstration go missing. I’m going to give anyone that returns it the benefit of the doubt and assume it was an honest mistake when loading after the auction. Take a look at what you brought home and see if there is maybe an extra trap.
One other thing to report and this in the not so good category. More problems with the Sovie estate. Georges Business checking account should have been transferred to us by now. One of the heirs is contesting that it is part of the business and that it was in reality George’s personal and sole checking account. We have retained a lawyer. Win or lose this eats up funds and is not good. Close to $70,000 is at stake.
Almost forgot, NAFA has named a new agent for Washington. He is Adam Stowell and he lives at Chehalis. NAFA will send out contact information for him before the fur collection season is on us.
That’s all I can think of for now. Hope you have a great year.
— Bruce Vandervort
