Wisconsin Trappers Association June-July 2012 Report

http://www.wistrap.org

President — Virgil Schroeder, 3471 Earlwyn Road, Cottage Grove, WI 53527; 608-764-5218; virjo4t@msn.com

Vice President — Scott Zimmerman, W9209 Bobolink Rd, Reeseville, WI 53579; 920-927-3420

Secretary — Shawn Bazile, N11950 Cty Rd E, Tigerton, WI 54486; 715-881-0707; sundrop9@frontiernet.net

Bookkeeper & Membership Assistance — Steven Van PO Box 305, Oregon, WI 53575; 888-601-8727, Ext 105; accounting@wistrap.org

NTA Director — Scott McAuley, 621 13th street south, Wisconsin rapids WI 54494; 715-323-8955; gov-trap@hotmail.com

Sergeant at Arms — Doug Gorst, 3941 Cty Rd. E, Pittsville, WI 54466; 715-884-6452

Trapper Ed Coordinator — Nicke Shumaker, P.O. Box 28, Caroline, WI 54928; 715-754-2121;
wctep@mwwb.net

Correspondence Course Director — Mike Widner, 1P.O. Box 26, Boscobel, WI 53805; 608-356-3621;
muskrat_mike@yahoo.com

Historians — Mary Cassidy & Larry Vanderhoef; W 10513 County Road P, Plainfield, WI 54966; 715-366-2453

Web Site Coordinator — Brent Straka, 7936 Cty A, Lancaster, WI 53813: 608-732-3548

Future Trappers of Wisconsin President — Maegan Loka, W4260 Spring Creek Dr, Tomahawk, WI 54487; 715-453-4223; ftwpres@wistrap.org

Future Trappers of Wisconsin Coordinators — Dan and Nicke Shumaker, FTW, P.O. Box 28, Caroline, WI 54928; 715-754-2121; email: wctep@frontier.com

 

Membership Options:

• Three-year individual membership without Trapper & Predator Caller — $80

• Individual membership with Trapper & Predator Caller — $30

• Individual membership without Trapper & Predator Caller — $15

• Junior (under 17) with Trapper & Predator Caller — $15

• Family Membership with Trapper & Predator Caller — $30

• Lifetime membership (under 65) with Trapper & Predator Caller — $500

• Lifetime membership (over 65) with Trapper & Predator Caller — $300

• Husband and wife lifetime membership with Trapper & Predator Caller — $600

• Future Trappers of Wisconsin membership (under age 19) without Trapper & Predator Caller — FREE

 

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

WTA

P.O. Box 305, Oregon, WI 53575-0305

 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Hello Trappers,

Well, trapping season is over and what a long season it was. Most trappers could trap all winter and right up to the last day. It was great weather for trapping in most areas. To make it even better, the fur prices were right up there as well.

Before you know it we’ll be stopping in on the district meetings and national conventions. The FTA Convention in Evansville, Indiana is coming up June 14-16. Next year it will be held here in Wisconsin at Marshfield. I hope many of you will be able to attend. It’s a good opportunity to get some ideas for next year when it’s in our own backyard. I look forward to being there and talking with friends that I only see once a year at the conventions.

The WTA Board of Directors Meeting will also be in June. It will be held June 30 at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. Come on over and check it out. The meeting will start at 9:00AM. Lunch will be served.

What an awesome Spring Banquet we had. If you didn’t come you missed the granddaddy of them all. Congratulations to the Spring Banquet Committee and all who had a part in helping them. All of your hard work and planning paid off. Very well done.

That’s it for now. Catch ya later. — Virgil Schroeder

 

SECRETARY’S REPORT

Board of Directors Meeting – March 17, 2012

Stoney Creek Inn, Mosinee, WI

Meeting was called to order at 9:00am. Roll call was taken and all elected officers and district directors were present or represented. The Pledge of Allegiance was said and reports followed.

Secretary’s Report – Secretary stated the meeting was being recorded and would accept proxies at this time. Judy Floistad was the proxy for District 1. Copies had been distributed of the January BOD meeting and any amendments, corrections or deletions were asked for.

Motion to approve Secretary’s report made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Judy Floistad. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report – Copies of the Financial statement were distributed. Question was asked if the Critical Care account had been reinstated or reimbursed per motion made at the Fall Rendezvous. Answer was no, it has not been done yet and will be addressed.

Motion to approve Treasurer’s report made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Judy Floistad. Motion carried.

Mission Statement – Scott McAuley read the proposed Mission Statement. Virgil asked for discussion and then it will be put to the General membership. The state level will have the mission statement and if a District level statement were desired it would be a Purpose statement. A district would not have to get approval from the General membership just the district membership. Districts are not required to have a purpose statement.

Motion to accept the mission statement as read and present it to the General membership for approval was made by Rich Kirchmeyer. Seconded by Jim Gordon. Motion carried.

Skinning DVD’s – Discussion on the skinning DVD’s being offered to correspondence course graduates at a reduced rate. This is due to these students not having hands on fur handling in classes. Should this be offered to all graduates – discussion followed.

Motion that all Trappers Ed students in a class, during or at end of the class be offered a skinning DVD for $10 otherwise afterwards they can purchase one at the e-store for full price made by Mike Bothwell. Seconded by Mark Loka. Motion carried.

Budget – The budget process was explained and defined. The approval process for expenses boils down to whether it is or isn’t in the current budget. If it is not in the budget, it will wait for next year and approval with that budget. Certain items cannot be streamlined or combined on the budget due to the WTA’s not for profit status and the ensuing IRS regulations. It was also pointed out that breaking the budget down too far into numerous categories would overwhelm the system. A very long, long discussion ensued on the budget categories.

The state and all districts need to update their respective inventories for insurance purposes. If the item does not appear on the inventory, it will not be reimbursed. Items to be included but not inclusive are – all Trapper Ed equipment, trap collections, fur kits, TV’s, and media players, etc. Raffle items need to be listed to be covered. The fur kits initially contained furs valued at $1650 from the WCTEP.

The Critical Care account was initially meant to be a legislative fund, however it cannot be called a legislative fund due to the non-profit status, 501 (c) 3, of the WTA. It was stated we raise money to spend it on the education and promotion of our sport, not to bankroll it. If a legal battle occurs the Critical Care, account wouldn’t be sufficient for even a retainer. For accounting purposes, the Critical Care becomes just another account to take care of.

Motion to eliminate the Critical Care account and the funding of it made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Dave Louis. Motion Carried.

Motion to take the 2012 Fiscal Year budget proposal of Publications, Spring Banquet, Rendezvous, Raffle and Events as printed and amended to the General membership made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Dan Shumaker. Motion Carried.

Scott Zimmermann pointed out a Raffle Coordinator is still needed.

Membership Lists and Renewals – Steve Van explained the membership lists. Currently there are three lists maintained. They consist of the regular members list, the Trappers Ed graduate list, and the FTW members list. The FTW list is maintained separately due to the fact they are not eligible to vote. The TE graduate list is a complimentary membership with no dues paid so it is maintained separately. Most TE graduates do not renew their memberships after the first complimentary year also. Publishing gets the membership list from Steve and the TE/FTW lists from Nicke. Once a member from the TE/FTW list becomes a paid member, they will go into the database. Once they go onto the database, they will also receive a renewal notice. Question was asked why TE graduates are waiting months to get their membership. This has to do with the quarterly processing of graduates by the state and the quarterly publication of our magazine. A worst-case scenario was given where it would take 8 months for a graduate to get the magazine due to timing of class, state processing, and magazine publication. When a director asks for a membership list they do not receive the graduate list. They have to ask for the TE graduate list also. Steve reiterated the database only houses paid memberships. Question was asked if TE graduates receive a renewal notice – Steve affirmed that they do receive a renewal. Nicke maintains the TE list and Steve houses it. Steve stated he will meet with Nicke to get the TE list streamlined. Palm Coast (Trapper and Predator Caller) sends out two renewal notices early. The first notice is sometimes extremely early. After the membership / subscription lapses, they send out one additional renewal notice. This is standard practice for the magazine due to the fact that many subscribers are not members. Members that are getting the renewals are wondering why their dues were not paid/received. The renewals are generated by the T&PC for the magazine not the WTA. Members are also ignoring what looks like a standard T&PC renewal and aren’t noticing the WTA renewal on the bottom. We continue to try making this clearer and easier for our members but at this time, it can be confusing.

Checkbooks and Requestors – The events coordinator did not get a checkbook as motioned in October. The reason being there are no checks and balances and any corrections will take twice as long. The budget allows the treasurer to approve a check. The bookkeeper cannot be held accountable if the checkbook is misused. A prepaid credit card is not an option either, due to the fact it would need to be reconciled also.

Motion to rescind Scott McAuley being issued a checkbook as Events Coordinator made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Scott McAuley. Motion carried.

Motion to have Michael Leiser removed from the check requestors list made by Bryce Larson. Seconded by Mike Bothwell. Motion carried.

The list of check requestors at this time consists of Nicke Shumaker, Deb Koltis, Virgil Schroeder and Scott Zimmermann.

Motion to have Mark Loka put on the check requestors list with electronic deposit made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Dave Louis. Motion carried.

E-store orders are handled twice a week. Receipts for checkbooks go to Deb for reconciliation.

Deb Koltis presented phone plans for Scott McAuley. Cost is around $90/month including up to 5 phones. Current usage and minutes were discussed.

Motion to accept bid for phone service plan as presented by Deb made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Bryce Larson. Motion carried.

Deb will implement the plan.

Conventions/Rendezvous Report – Chris is looking into the FTA commemorative trap the costs will be $450 and up. More research is needed and he will get back to the BOD at the June meeting. District duties will be the same and he is looking to get headsets for the demo area.

Chris announced that 2013 will be his last year as convention coordinator, so anyone wanting or thinking they may want to fill this role please contact Chris for hands on exposure to this vital WTA position.

Motion to adjourn made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Mike Bothwell. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 12:02 pm.

Respectfully submitted. — Shawn Bazile

 

General Membership Meeting

March 17, 2012 – Stoney Creek Inn

Mosinee, WI

Meeting was called to order by President Virgil Schroeder at 1:02 pm. Quorum was determined to have been met and meeting was allowed to proceed with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Secretary’s Report – Secretary informed the members that copies of the last General membership meeting in September were available. The meeting was being recorded and any additions, deletions, or corrections would be entertained at this time. It was also stated that a motion to accept or second the report needs to be made by individuals who were in attendance at the September meeting.

Motion to accept Secretary’s report made by Rich Kirchmeyer. Seconded by Scott McAuley. Motion Carried.

Treasurer’s Report – Virgil read the financial statement and asked for discussion.

Motion to accept Treasurer’s report made by Dan Carroll. Seconded by Junior Prudlik. Motion Carried.

President’s Report – Virgil reported on the 160 bill that made its way around Madison and the current status of the wolf bill. He reported incidentals were up this year and we need to be ever vigilant in respect to incidentals. The FTA convention will be June 14-17 in Evansville, IN.

Vice President’s Report – Scott reported he was at the fur college, been working with P&F and making as many district meetings as he can. He also presented the Vice-President’s Award by stating the individual he was presenting it to is always behind the scenes, always giving the 110%.

The 2012 Vice President’s Award is presented to Vicky Wanner.

Personnel and Finance Report – P&F has been able to work through a budget to be approved this year and there will be additional P&F meetings scheduled.

WCTEP Correspondence Course – Mike Widner stated there were a record 285 graduates in 2011 compared to 226 in 2010 and 228 in 2009. He reported there were 62 graduates already this year and new enrollment is 40 ahead of 2011.

NTA Director’s Report – The National convention is in Owatonna, MN this year so it is close for many Wisconsin trappers. The NTA has cut out its regional meetings not its regional conventions. They are making the effort to find savings where possible. So support them when possible. Scott reported he will need help at the Deer and Turkey Expo in Madison and that by August we will know if the NTA is coming to Marshfield in 2014.

FTW Report – Maegen reported that for fund raising they have been doing soda/water sales and raffles. She asked for any other fundraising ideas. She has worked on the trapping ethics video, toured the NAFA facilities, attended the fur school in Ashland for the college students, and worked the booth at Klondike days. She discussed the needs and purpose of the Basic trapping camps and said they are still looking for any donations of trapping books or videos. Also expressed the desire for more FTW members and the vacancies for certain FTW district directors. Maegen presented Shawn Rossler with a FTW sweatshirt for including her in the Trapping Ethics video.

FTA Report – Dan Carroll reports we will have a booth at Evansville and will need help if you are in attendance. The dates for the FTA convention at Marshfield in 2013 will be June 28-30.

FTA Convention 2013 – Chris Bezio said it will be run similar to the NTA convention two years ago. The FTA does have two demo areas with separate demos being run simultaneously. Our state convention vendors will have the first options to their “normal” sites at the FTA just like they did at the NTA. The WTA is an affiliate of the FTA but we are not part of the FTA. The FTA receives the auction revenue and the WTA will receive the remainder of the revenues. We will also be having a full blown WTA rendezvous the fall of 2013.

Fall Rendezvous – Chris also reported that the WTA Fall Rendezvous will have a four-fold brochure for schedule of events this year rather than handing out magazines as a cost savings measure. The food vendors will move to the arena. Dave Louis will be the gate coordinator. Volunteers will get a shirt for four hours worth of volunteering. We will try to do a survey at the gate – no names with info of- how far did you drive, are you a member or non-member, how did you know about this, etc. This information can then be used for obtaining corporate sponsorships. He is also looking at swapping prizes from other states – example would be hog hunting in TN for Lake Michigan fishing in WI. He also plans to schedule a wolf-trapping demo if possible.

Beaver Management Plan – Richard Clark read the goal/mission statement of the task force. He stated the pen has started to hit the paper in regards to writing up the management plan. An online survey was offered and there was good representation and information obtained by that. Information is available on the DNR website if you go to trapping then furbearer management then beaver. One of the largest hurdles right now is that there are no good harvest numbers for beaver. Ideas were offered and discussed on how to get better harvest numbers.

By-Laws – Scott Zimmermann gave a history of the proposed changes since last June when they were initially drafted. He read off each change and asked for a motion to accept or decline and any discussion.

Motion made to strike the word September in relation to annual meeting made by Rich Kirchmeyer. Seconded by Maynard Breunig. Motion Carried.

Motion to add definition of term “personally” made by Scott McAuley. Seconded by Jim Gordon. Brief discussion on definition. Motion Carried.

Motion to amend absentee ballot procedure made by Dan Carroll. Seconded by Jim Gordon. Lengthy discussion ensued as to the need for, methods used and procedures. Scott called for the vote. Motion Carried.

Motion to define roles of co-directors made by Rich Kirchmeyer. Seconded by Richard Clark. Brief discussion on the need for this definition. Motion Carried.

Spring Hearing Questions – Scott also presented the spring hearing advisory questions related to trapping.

Four day check on weasel boxes – Billy Porter with actual props presented the flaws he sees in the rule as written. Discussion followed concerning the hole size recommendation excluding many long-tailed weasels as well as the female marten. Point was made that a female marten is just as dead after a one day check with current hole size as a four day check. Scott called for the vote and the vote was a majority in Favor of this question.

Combine the mink/muskrat seasons – Spirited discussion followed. This could lead to more duck hunter/trapper conflicts. Other states around us have later start dates and this question will lead to unprimed fur being caught especially in the southern areas. This could almost be a spring season for rats in the southern part of the state, which could lead to duck incidentals. Discussion on how this could ease the current zone hopping with staggered openers. Scott called the vote and the vote was a majority in Favor of this question.

Support a $2 trapping license fee increase – Discussion on the fact this was proposed by the WTA to partially fund the furbearer specialist position. This would help ensure the position would remain and not disappear in a budget cut. This is also the position that performs the “state” portion of the trapper ed program. Opposing views were expressed that the WTA only represents 15% or so of the states trappers, therefore it is arrogant for the WTA to impose this on all trappers. Scott called the vote and the vote was majority in Favor of this question.

Maintain the current split bobcat season – Basic clarification was asked for and the vote was called with a majority in Favor of this question.

2012 Budget – Budget was presented and explained.

Motion to accept the 2012 budget as presented was made by Dan Carroll. Seconded by Richard Clark. Motion Carried.

Nominations – Floor was opened for nominations. The positions of President and NTA Director are up for election this year. A nomination was made for Scott McAuley for NTA Director, which was accepted. No other nominations for NTA Director were made. A nomination for Virgil Schroeder for President was made and accepted. No other nominations for President were made. Any other accepted nominations need to be made by April 1 to appear on the fall ballot.

Discussion on reimbursement rates and costs of the events coordinator.

Motion that the Events Coordinator will be reimbursed mileage at the state level and reimbursed for all events attended for all costs expended was made by Rich Kirchmeyer. Seconded by Maynard Bruenig. Motion Carried.

Scholarships – Junior Prudlik presented the Mike Abrahamson Scholarship. He explained the scholarship looks at a candidate’s background, hobbies, studies, references and some of Mike’s qualities. They would like the winner to remember the trappers because trapping is in their heart. He explained a runner-up is also chosen if the primary is unable to fulfill their obligations. Junior also stated he has Mike’s daughter assist in the selection due to the fact she is non-partisan and knows Mike’s qualities. The recipient of this years Mike Abrahamson Scholarship is Maggie McAuley.

Mike Widner presented the Dan Busch Scholarship. He gave an overview of Dan’s life which was prematurely ended in service to our country. He also explained that the most qualified is awarded this scholarship and sometimes it is the same person. The recipient of this years Dan Busch Scholarship is Maggie McAuley.

George Meyer – George reported the wolf bill did pass and October 15 will be the start of the season barring any legal issues. The bill with the bodygrip amendment was defeated 28-5. We can trap in state parks now, but not within 100 yds. of designated use areas. It can be prohibited if public safety or unique animal/plant concerns are present. The reduced Youth Trapping License passed. The on-line Trapper Ed for adults did pass. It was done for Hunter’s Ed and segued its way onto Trapper Ed. The wolf tags will be awarded with half as a random draw and the other half using accumulated preference points. After the gun deer season, dogs will be allowed as well as night hunting. There is a 60 day window for any party to file notice of intent to contest the delisting of wolves. At that point a judge will rule and we’ll be able to proceed. The tribes can have up to half the wolf permits in the ceded territories. The system will adjust for any non-use of permits by the tribes in time with the issuance/success rate model. The tribes have the right to access the wolf population not deny it.

Mission Statement – The Mission Statement approved by the BOD was presented and discussed.

Motion to accept the recommended Mission Statement was made by Dan Carroll. Seconded by Rich Kirchmeyer. Motion Carried.

Awards Committee – It was stated that no nominations have been received to the Hall of Fame for this year at this time.

John Olson / Shawn Rossler – John explained that today was Shawn’s last day as Assistant Furbearer Specialist. He started his DNR career in 2009 and gave a 100% the whole time even as additional duties were dumped on him. Shawn can count the new Trappers Education manuals and the Trapping Ethics video as two of his accomplishments. He is starting his new career with the state of Indiana on Monday and will be missed.

John then reported on the Sharptail Grouse Management Plan in the northwest sands area. They have 85% mortality rate due to predators. The adult mortality is 84% due to raptors. Nest mortality is predation by mammals. The nest success rate is 50-65%, which is a very high success rate. It is undetermined what the successful solution will be.

BMP’s are looking at recertification of certain traps. The Bassarisk (Ring-tailed Cat) and Wolverine BMP’s should finish up this year. The Wolf and Artic Fox BMP’s are for sure needed yet. Hopefully we can cooperate with the FWS to get wolf BMP’s done with problem wolves.

A mandatory certification recommendation has been made for the wolf harvest. There will be a one-day certification class for wolf trapping due to the large footholds that may be used for harvest.

John stated he did recommend the coyote season to be closed during April, May and June. He was misquoted in the Wisconsin Outdoor News, which did create a fervor for a period of time. It was an attempt to simplify the laws and regulations per the Governor’s recommendation. He also stated that creating a season tends to increase interest in a species.

Bobcat permit applications are on hold until June due to the sunset clause on the split season. Act 21 is holding it up. He tried for an emergency rule to maintain the split bobcat season but no emergency rule was forthcoming.

Motion to adjourn was made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Rich Kirchmeyer. Motion Carried. Meeting was adjourned at 4:08pm.

Respectfully submitted. — Shawn Bazile

 

Board of Directors Meeting

Wisconsin Environmental Station, Amherst Junction, WI

January 14, 2012

President Virgil Schroeder called the meeting to order at 9:34am. The Pledge of Allegiance was said and roll call taken. Proxies were presented by Districts 1 and 4. Question was asked if a voting board member could stand as proxy for another thereby having two votes. Discussion ensued and it is allowed. All districts and executive board members were present or represented and quorum was declared.

Secretary’s Report – Copies of the October BOD meeting were distributed and also published in the Wisconsin Trapper and Trapper and Predator Caller. Any additions, deletions or corrections will be entertained at this time.

Motion to accept Secretary’s Report made by Mark Loka. Seconded by Judy Floistad. Motion Carried.

Financial Statement –Virgil distributed copies and read the financial statement from Steve Van. Question was raised that since the FTW if is a non-voting district of the WTA are they held to the $3000 end of year limit like the other districts. Discussion followed.

Motion that as a non-voting district the FTW will not be held to the $3000 limit made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Dave Louis. Motion Carried.

Motion to accept Financial Report as printed made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Mike Bothwell. Motion Carried

Presidents Report–Virgil reported that there have been two incidentals this year and one has occurred in the high profile Dane County. He has given the DP (dog proof) traps a personal trial this year and has been very pleased with the results. He will be preparing a letter to the various DP trap manufacturers to get donated or at cost traps so all future Trapper Ed graduates can receive a DP trap of their own. With the 160 type bodygrip incidents up this year this will help expose “new” trappers to an alternative harvest tool. Point was raised that the regulations define a DP trap as a pull-only type trigger in relation to water sets and mink/muskrat seasons not being open and many DP traps are currently a push/pull style trigger. The WTA is working on changing the pull only definition in the regulations but point taken. Virgil states as he travels across the country other organizations continue to ask about the FTW. Word of its success continues to spread and other groups ask how to start and run a similar youth program. The Youth Trapping bill is in the legislative process. The Trappers Ed meeting is the Friday night before the banquet at the Stoney Creek Inn and is an open meeting. It has been lightly attended in the past and others input is always welcome. Virgil would like to find a “home “for the WTA and all the awards, plaques and etc. that it has earned. He is open to all suggestions and would like a spot found by the October BOD meeting.

Vice President’s Report – Scott reports the Fur Harvest committee is presenting three questions to the Conservation Congress – a four day check on weasel boxes, combining mink/muskrat season dates and a $2 increase in trapping license fees to support a permanent position to administer Trappers Ed. Discussed possible means to track incidental wolf catches, anonymous reports to provide data or possibly voluntarily tracking all incidentals for research data. Discussion on where and why to collect this data ensued. The DNR trapping survey doesn’t change for trends and not all trappers receive the survey. District 8 will again sponsor awards in the furbearer division for the other WTA (Wisconsin Taxidermists Association) at the Green Bay Deer Classic.

WCTEP Coordinator’s Report – A report was distributed highlighting the current WTCEP activities.

Correspondence Course Report – Mike Widner gave kudos to Nicke for the great job she has been doing. He reports there were 285 graduates last year (a new record) and there are 16 already at this point in January. Mike gave a brief history of the WTCEP and salaries. The course was written in 1988, there was a coordinator placed in 1992 and that was split into the current two coordinators in 1994. Mike said the video library is still working well and holding its own financially yet. There will be an option of the new manual with this year’s classes. We still have a need for new instructors. Instructors need to be WTA members per the DNR-MOU. An orientation class for the new manual can be set up by a trained lead instructor to train other instructors. Discussion on colony trap measurements, a directive has been sent out that the collapsible 6×6 traps set measurements are OK. A new cable restraint video is in the works. Discussion on on-line course, it is felt to be an ineffective means and everyone does not have access to a computer. There is a need a need for more furs for the district fur kits. Mike would like to see instructors reimbursed for their gas expense for classes. Discussion on class literature and pamphlets, John Olson was to have the body-grip book updated 5 or so years ago.

NTA and FTA Reports – Scott reports the NTA has ceased having the regional meetings for cost savings. Owatonna, MN will be the site of the national convention the first week of August. The WTA will be bidding on the 2014 convention at that time. Dan reports that FTA president Chick Andres will be at the spring banquet. Chris Bezio is in charge of the 2013 FTA convention in Marshfield.

Future Trappers of Wisconsin (FTW) Report –Maegan has been maintaining contact with state representatives with AB311 (youth trapping bill) and at this time the license fee would be $9.25. Shawn Rossler has asked her to be in the new trapping ethics video. She also continues planning for the spring banquet. Discussion on the legislative process followed.

Personnel and Finance Report – Scott Zimmermann reports that Michael Leiser will be stepping down from P&F in two weeks. He also asked that all parties get their respective budgets in.

Spring Banquet Report – Russ Warmka reports everyone will have the same responsibilities as last year. They will be meeting this month for further planning. Being an even numbered year the even numbered districts will be responsible for working the banquet. Discussion on commemorative traps for FTA convention.

Motion for Chris Bezio to have a special trap made to donate to the FTA auction made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Scott McAuley. Motion Carried.

FTA Convention – A list of district responsibilities is available from Chris. He will be attending the FTA to get an idea of the scale of their national convention. He will be offering first choice to current WTA rendezvous vendors just like during the NTA convention in Marshfield. The date for the FTA convention will be June 26-30, 2013. Question was asked on member/non-member admission prices for the Fall Rendezvous and what benefits to being a member there are. You are supporting the future of trapping with your membership; it’s not solely what’s in it for you. A $2 portion of the gate fee goes to the legislative fund. A $35 membership has roughly $32 in expense to the WTA. It was discussed that a survey of the membership should be done again. Chris asks that the districts get volunteer’s names and shirt sizes to him for the fall rendezvous. Tables were priced and are not a feasible option for the state to purchase for rendezvous use.

Publications Report – Bryce reports that once a month Steve Van sends the magazine list to Palm Coast (T&PC). Palm Coast does not allow Steve to access their list for verification. So there is a minimum of 60 days to correct an error.The magazine list is not the mailing list. The mailing list contains memberships that may have lapsed up two years prior. Contact Steve Van with any membership or mailing issues you may have. Bryce is continuing to look at ways to lowering costs of our magazine. Dave Hastings has stated that the Wisconsin Trapper is very time extensive; Bryce will inquire as to why that is. Various options and possibilities were discussed. It is desired to have Dave Hastings bring a report on publications with plus and minuses to the March BOD. Short discussion on reciprocal advertisings took place.

Virgil adjourned the meeting for lunch at 11:58am. Lunch was provided by District 6 and prepared by the lovely and talented Sue McAuley. Virgil called the meeting back to order at 12:34pm.

By-Laws – Discussion and clarification of recent use of proxies at a district meeting. A proxy will be allowed for voting purposes at a district meeting. A member can hold any number of proxies and the respective number of votes represented by themselves and the proxies they hold. To be valid, a proxy will need to be verified by the district secretary or appointed individual with a current membership list. Scott Zimmermann presented the proposed by-law changes to the board. A BOD vote to approve was called and a show of hands recommended. Change #1 was approved 9-0, #2 passed 9-0, #3 passed 10-0 and #4 passed 9-0. It was suggested to publish the proposed changes with explanation for the membership to review prior to the Spring General Membership meeting. This was proven to have already occurred but would be published again for relevance. It was suggested that by-law copies should be available at the Spring Meeting and they are available to review or print on the WTA website.

Bryce Larson presented the 4-fold folder idea that will replace handing out magazines at events. Scott McAuley presented the new mission statement proposal. Discussion on district mission statements. There will be a vote on the mission statement at the March meeting and Scott will get it published in the Spring edition of the Wisconsin Trapper for review.

Fall Rendezvous – Chris is coordinating with a member, with resources, for a 50th anniversary WTA commemorative trap. Virgil sees a need for DP traps with the recent incidentals and recommends a DP demo at our Fall Rendezvous.

Scholarships – Scholarships are coordinated with Mike Widner and he explained the way in which the procedure works and generates the funds. The past year some mistakes happened and Virgil will see that they are corrected.

Beaver Management – Richard Clark reports a new plan is being drawn up. 1990 was the last updated plan and its mission was basically reduce, reduce and reduce. He read the mission statement of the new plan and discussed the four meetings that were held. These meetings were poorly attended, especially by trappers. There is also an online survey being done. Discussion followed on the meetings. Richard said the trappers will not get everything they want but the fisherman will not get all they want either.

The Raffle Coordinator will be stepping down and is willing to train his replacement. He has agreed to stay on for the next year so a replacement/volunteer will need to be found.

P & F Committee – Election of Officers – General discussion on terms and appointment of P&F members and election of P&F chairperson. There are no term limits to the P&F. However, after the election of a new President, the President at their discretion can appoint or remove members as they deem necessary. The exception is the elected Vice President. The BOD approves any new member to the P&F to provide checks and balances.

Motion that after every Fall General Membership meeting the P&F committee will meet and elect a new chairperson for the next year made by Dave Louis.Seconded by Jim Gordon. Motion Carried.

It was asked if the graduates from Trappers Ed classes are making it to the membership and mailing lists. Good clarification has been received from Steve Van on how this process works. Basically graduates end up on a different members list. The steps in this process were discussed. Some instructors have been sending their lists directly to Steve Van for faster results. Methods to streamline this process will be looked into.

The BOD meeting in March will key in on budget and membership, so Virgil recommends written reports if possible to conserve time. Virgil recommends bringing Steve Van to the March meeting to recommend budget structure and provide guidance.

Motion to donate $250 to sponsor a gun for the NTA made by Scott McAuley. Seconded by Jim Gordon. Motion Carried.

Banners for the WTA are now available. Mark Loka presented trailer quotes for housing the educational materials of the FTW.

Motion to buy a trailer for Trapper Ed supplies made by Jim Gordon. Seconded by Dave Louis. Motion Carried.

Jim Gordon informed everyone the District 5 meeting has been moved to the 28th. The June 30,2012 BOD meeting will be at Horicon marsh with a tour of the refuge. Cost of youth camps were discussed and suggestions for an advanced dryland camp location were requested.Buttons for district rendezvous’ and other events are available through the FTW.

Bryce Larson stated the Ag teachers, CESA classes, would be in need of a basic trap kits for classes. Bryce will bring back numbers (prices) at the March meeting.

Motion to purchase a grill for the WTA at a cost not to exceed $500 was made by Bryce Larson. Seconded by Dave Louis. Motion Carried

Motion to adjourn made by Judy Floistad. Seconded by Russ Warmka. Motion Carried. Meeting adjourned at 2:58pm.

Respectfully submitted. — Shawn Bazile

 

TRAPPER ED COORDINATOR REPORT

The Trapper Ed Program is currently experiencing many changes throughout its program this year. Some are positive and some not so good. But we have to take the cards we’re dealt and play them the best we can. There are many uncertainties of how the old manual will transition to the new one and how the online course that is now a reality will even be run. But with the talent and dedication we have from within our instructors I have faith that we can work together and overcome these obstacles and continue to stay the leader in Trapper Education.

First off, I must offer an apology to any WTA members who may have had concerns as to my whereabouts during the WTA General Membership Meeting during the Spring Banquet in March. The Spring Banquet and the Fall Rendezvous are very busy times for myself and my family. The Spring Banquet is when many instructors are picking up their class materials before, during or directly after the general membership meeting. I had both FTW and Trapper Ed reports written and ready to be given but at my place in the meeting I was busy sorting and distributing class materials. Again, I apologize and will make it a point to improve on this for future meetings.

Trapper Ed Grads 2012 – As of May 1st, 2012 we are currently sitting at 256 grads for the year already. 89 of these grads are from Correspondence. Many people are looking for classes right away early in the year and with the DNR website under construction, the unavailability to post classes directly affected the correspondence numbers. The DNR site is now up and running. Classes are also posted on the WTA website. If you plan on holding a class please let me know so it can get posted on both sites ASAP.

New Manual – The new manual has been distributed to every active instructor and you should have received a questionnaire regarding your thoughts and first impressions of the manual. These comments will help us to better plan for the Train-the-Trainer Workshops. For now, instructors can try the new manual out and use it as a reference with their classes but you will still be giving the students the old blue manual and test. You will be required to attend a Train-the-Trainer Workshop and learn how to teach from the new manual and administer the new type of authentic testing before actually handing the new manuals out to students.

The New Manual, with its size, is not meant to scare any of our instructors away whatsoever and should be more of a reference than anything. With the way many instructors run their classes already, you should be able to use the new manual, for the most part, with little or no change.

More specific information will be available at the Training Workshops as they are determined. All instructors will be notified by mail of these workshop dates.

AB311 – Now that AB311 has been signed by the Governor that means the online Trapper Education course is also a go. Although many of us voiced our concerns to the governor because we were, and still are against this course, he still “is confident in the DNR’s ability to implement and maintain an online trapper education program.” This is very upsetting and a kick in the face to the many trained volunteer certified instructors who have given their time and efforts to this program to build it to what it is today. This whole ordeal is a mess at the moment. It is in effect yet no one knows what is going on, how it’s supposed to be run, who’s running it etc. Again, with the dedication and patience of our instructors I think we can work through all of this. It was brought to my attention that once signed by the governor, a law has to stay in effect for one year. With a lot of thought, planning, better communication and notification of what’s going on with this situation we can get through this first year and with any luck and cooperation from all can execute changes next year.

I would appreciate any questions, comments or concerns you may have regarding Trapper Ed. Thanks.

Until next time. — Nicke

 

DISTRICT 2 REPORT

Hello district 2 we are getting prepared for our summer rendezvous June 8th -9th in Hawkin, WI. Friday night we will be having a fish fry thanks to John Lee and help. Saturday we will be starting at 8 am with demo’s running through out the day, grilled chicken at noon after the district meetings. Our district meeting is something we are all going to want to attend, we are considering a winter banquet instead of a meeting, and we need to discuss 2013 summer rendezvous it is the same weekend as the FTA in Wisconsin.

We have raffle tickets out for the summer rendezvous with some nice prizes available, also perks for selling tickets. There will be some great day raffles available , if you have not made our joint rendezvous for a while you might want to check it out. Dean Gullickson is our trap education coordinator if you have a class or a function that you need the trailer for please let Dean know ASAP so it is available for your use.

Garage sale season is hear so I would like to wish everyone luck in finding the good stuff, and like always use great care and be ethical about your season see everyone in Hawkins. — Dave Louis, 1121 Bundy Avenue, Rice Lake WI 54868, (715) 651-6437

 

DISTRICT 4 REPORT

District 4 Spring Meeting March 3rd, 2012

Our District 4 Spring meeting was held after a great potluck on Saturday March 3rd, 2012 at the Mountain Community Center. We had a good turnout with 31 members present.

Larry Brenwall, our local celebrity, a/k/a, Larry the Cable Guy….Red….Wolf Slayer and so on, gave us a play by play report of his double wolf catch and how the DNR came in and collared them and did other tests on them before releasing them.

Keith Thoreson presented Larry with a Black Walnut Coat Rack on behalf of District 4 for all that he does for our District.

Maryann gave us a detailed Treasurer’s report showing the income and expenses from the last few years so we could compare numbers and move forward with our financial decisions with the information we had on hand.

Summer Rendezvous Raffle Tickets were available to take and sell at the meeting.

District 4 Summer Rendezvous

July 7th, 2012

Mountain Community Center, Mountain WI

(Please note corrected date!)

We finalized some of our District Summer Rendezvous activities. Our demo line up will have a few new topics this year including a Round Table Discussion from our new District 4 member, Mike Sharden, who will talk about the Trapline of an Englishman compared to our everyday traplines we are used to. Warden Joe Paul will also look into contacting a Biologist or Carcass Carver who can come in and tell us exactly what they look for and why we have to turn in our bobcat, fisher and otter carcasses. Other demos will include Fall and Winter Mink by George Porter, Coyote and Cable Restraints by Larry the Cable Guy, Line Planning by Bill Porter, Skinning by Richard Clark and Dog Proof Traps by Bill Porter. Tom Olson will probably do his usual beaver and muskrat demo.

Larry Brenwall made a motion and Don Dombrowski second it to have food that would not have to be grilled so it will take less time to prepare and not have so many volunteer hands tied up. We agreed to have Hot Ham Sandwiches, BBQ and Hot Dogs.

Don Dombrowski made a motion and Bill Porter second it to have the FTW make attendance buttons for our Rendezous again this year.

A few extra guns were included this year with our yearly allowed purchase amount of raffle guns. Kathy Bazile made a motion and Shawn Bazile second it to keep the extra guns on site and use as walkarounds depending on the attendance or put aside and use as necessary for future use.

Bob and Jodi Millard suggested bringing in a Wildlife Painter that they know of who they said did great work to be a vendor for our Rendezvous. Jodi will get a hold of her and offer her an invitation.

District 4 Director and Secretary positions are up for re-election this year at our Summer Rendezvous. If anyone is interested in these positions please attend the meeting or give Dan a call.

Bill Porter gave a hands-on report on his concerns for the 4-day weasel check and the reduced hole size proposal. He provided us with a detailed demonstration including a Coleman full of weasel and a board with the proposed hole size cut out of it showing everyone his concerns.

Richard Clark gave an update on the Beaver Management Studies going on throughout the state and also read the three furbearer related questions on the Conservation Congress Hearings line-up.

District 4 will again be representing the WTA at the Gillett Youth & Ladies Day in June, The Langlade Fair in July and the Oconto Fair in August.

Larry Brenwall made a motion and Don Dombrowski seconded it to adjourn the meeting.

 

DISTRICT 6 REPORT

Dist. 6 members,

The June 9, 2012 Rendezvous at the Adams Co. Fairgrounds in Friendship Wi. has been postponed until further notice due to a lack of communication on bylaw discrepancies causing a conflict of interest and mistrust. — (S.T.P.) Tom Baggs 608-564-7947, tbaggs1960@hotmail.com

 

DISTRICT 8 REPORT

Sorry for the very brief report but I am over due on submission and I need to keep this very short.

Thank you to all district 8 members who came to our spring meeting and helped sponsor the district 8 table at the spring banquet. Thank you also to those of you who helped at the various tables selling tickets and buying tickets. Your attendance and contributions are greatly appreciated by the WTA and the spring banquet committee.

The last and important item is our spring rondy. Please mark Sunday May 20, 2012 at the Maribel Sportsmen’s Club on your calendar. There will be three trapper ed classes meeting from 7 AM to 9:30 AM. Our regular rondy will start at 10 AM. We will have demos, raffles, lunch and beverages available throughout the day. Our annul meeting will be held at noon. Stop by for some fun, fellowship and prizes. A detailed letter with a more complete agenda will be mailed to each district 8 member with cash raffle tickets in April. For those not in district 8 contact Bryce Larson at brla@tds.net for more information and directions. — Bryce Larson

 

DISTRICT 9 REPORT

GET READY AND MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! Our District 9 Rendezvous is on Saturday, June 2nd from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Reedsburg Outdoor Club just north of Reedsburg, WI. The address is S2064 Luedtke Rd, La Valle, WI 53941. We’ll have some great vendors there with all of your trapping supplies: Tom Olson Trapping Supplies (651) 436-2539, Florin’s Trapping (608) 873-7127 and Clark’s Willow Tree Fur (920) 897-3618. Get your supplies there and save shipping costs. Keep in mind that you can call ahead for big orders and have our vendors bring those big orders to the rendezvous for you to pick up. We have fantastic demonstrations scheduled: Tom Olson – Beaver Trapping (with 330’s and castor mounds) plus some added Muskrat Tips, Mike Schmelling – Wisconsin Dry Land Cable Restraints, Tom Florin – Curiosity Sets for Beaver, Dan Carroll – Muskrat Skinning plus Grilling Muskrat and Beaver (with samples right off the grill!), plus a dog-proof trapping demo still to be announced. Tailgaters are welcome, and there will be free camping available on-site on Friday and Saturday night if you want to hang around and have a good time. We will also have hot food and cold beverages available for purchase from the Reedsburg Outdoor Club, so plan your day with us. We will have games, raffles, educational opportunities and a great time with fellow trappers! We have our next District 9 meeting – A BRIEF INFORMATIONAL MEETING – at noon on Saturday at the Reedsburg Outdoor Club during our rendezvous. This time around, the entire facility will be ours, so we have plenty of room and should have a really nice event.

We will be looking for any donations of raffle items, so if you have items to donate, or connections with retailers, etc. who are willing to donate prizes, please contact Denny Knuth at 608-524-2255.

Again, I need to emphasize the importance of providing us with updated email addresses. Email is our quickest and cheapest way to get information out to those of you who have access to computers, so please take advantage of it if you can! If you would like to be added to our District 9 email list, or if you have changed your email address, please send your current email address to me at phrzim@yahoo.com and I will update my email list. I will also be happy to send copies of our meeting minutes out to you as well. If you would like to reach me by phone, you can also call me via the WTA phone system at (888) 601-8727 ext 209. That toll-free number transfers directly to my home phone.

I am looking forward to seeing MANY of you at the WTA District 9 Rendezvous on Saturday, June 2nd! BRING YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS! — Patrice Rhodes, District 9 Director

 

DISTRICT 10 REPORT

Another trapping season in Wisconsin has come to an end. Most trappers were happy with the increases in fur prices. Next year prices should be good, but in the excitement that comes with the prospect of higher prices, trappers must remember to be aware of how we trap and where we make our sets. Avoiding incidental take of pets should be the top priority of all trappers. In Wisconsin there are millions of trap-nights each season and the incidental catches are very rare. This past season we saw that the death of even one dog can bring pressure to enact anti-trapping legislation. Our goal should be zero incidentals.

District 10 had our winter meeting on March 10 at NAFA in Stoughton WI. The meeting was well attended and successful. New ventures for District 10 this year we will be setting up WTA booths at Dane and Green County fairs.

I would like to thank NAFA for allowing District 10 to have our meeting at their facility. I would also like to thank NAFA wild fur shippers council for buying lunch and for Reverend Gerald Wendt for donating barbecue coon for our members to sample. Our raffle was successful. Thanks to Karen Moriello for donating and X-Box 360 4G gaming system, thanks to Tom Florin for donating a dozen traps and thanks to all those who donated items to the raffle. Also thank you to everyone who bought raffle tickets.

District 10 Summer meeting will be held August 18, 2012 at the Albany American Legion. Hope to see all of you there. — Mark Peters

 

DISTRICT 11 REPORT

Greetings from District 11,

Well not much going on right now, we just finished putting on two Trapper Education classes in our District. My class had 21 students and except for the rain on Saturday the class went well. I would like to thank Slade Noreen, Dan Sabish, Kurt Schmidt and Dan Sabish Jr. for helping out and making the class a succsess. A special thanks to Tom Weiss for showing up at the class and delivering the traps to the students, Schmitt Enterprises from Minnesota got us the traps and helped support our education class so a big Thanks to them.

I don’t know when this issue will get out but our District 11 Rondy is scheduled for May 19th at the Daniel Boone Conservation Club in Hubertus so I hope to see you there. Well thats about it for now, my turkey is still running in the woods so I better see if I can find one on the last day of the season.

Until next time, take care. — Mike

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