President — Stephen Pickard, P.O. Box 52, Rockhold, KY 40759; phone: 606-528-2726; cell phone: 606-521-0968; e-mail: spickard1@bellsouth.net
Vice President — David Kriege Jr., 3513 Cowie Ave., Erlanger, KY 41018-1608; phone: 859-342-8109
Financial Secretary — Dave Dykes, 152 Mapleview Ct., Mt. Washington, KY 40047; phone: 502-538-3290
Executive Director — Chet Hayes, 3951 Neises Rd., California, KY 41007; phone: 859-635-3102; e-mail: lhayes@fuse.net

Membership Options:
• Class A Kentucky trapper including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $25
• Family Membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $35
• Associate Membership including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $20
• Youth Kentucky trapper including subscription to The Trapper & Predator Caller — $15
• Lifetime Class A Kentucky trapper — $250

Complete membership application on first page of
association section and send dues to:
UTK, Financial Secretary
Dave Dykes
152 Mapleview Ct., Mt. Washington, KY 40047
502-538-3290

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

By the time you are reading this, you better be ready or very close. We are just a couple of weeks from the start of the season. I would focus on ’coon and fox early and by Thanksgiving the others should be OK except for bobcats. There is a market for fall beaver, but I was disappointed in the price I received for my November beaver last season. They just weren’t very furred out in November.
I hope many of you made our fall meet in early October. Details will be in next month’s report.

I’d like to mention two of our members that volunteered to work for UTK at the West Kentucky Wood Expo in Sept. Freddie Horn and Curtis McGehee did an excellent job I heard talking to the 200 kids that cycled by their exhibit that day. You know you have sparked an interest when the kids want their picture taken holding some fur.

Seventh district director Phillip West is putting together a presentation for the schools in his area as well. We are fortunate to still have schools that have not been invaded by the animal rights crowd and appreciate our kind of message. Stacey White and I did a presentation at Whitley County High on Sept. 26 and are planning on going to Danville on Sept. 30 to talk to around 20 Boy Scouts that actually want to start trapping.

I have been getting several phone calls from people wanting to join UTK from all over the state. Between the Web page, our new ad in Kentucky Afield magazine, and word of mouth, Kentucky trappers are joining forces with us to make us a premier trapping organization not just in Kentucky, but the entire nation. Our focus being twofold to work directly with the KDFWR and educate new trappers and children is a winner.

Speaking of working with the KDFWR, are you aware many state trapping organizations are constantly frustrated with their fish and game departments not working with them to provide sound wildlife management practices? In fact, trappers are looked upon as “less than equal” with hunters and fisherman. I read with interest the report last month from the Montana Trappers Association. It seems they are constantly at odds with their fish and wildlife dept. I do believe the citizenry of Montana is being invaded from another western state that is long, crooked and borders the Pacific Ocean. I am starting to see more and more state associations trying to communicate and work directly like we are and not sitting around waiting on something bad, like a ballot initiative or anti sentiment, to happen before being heard from. Good relations between trappers, hunters and wildlife managers is just a win/win for everyone and I contend UTK is a model organization for trappers everywhere.

I have posted Big Windy’s, Jimmy and Heather’s, Kentucky NAFA routes and dates on our Web site. I would like to encourage each of you to take advantage of these local pickups to save on shipping to NAFA. They have it down to a science. Each piece of fur is bar coded by Heather and is credited to you before it leaves Kentucky. Ship your fur with confidence. Jimmy will also buy green fur on the routes as well if you’d rather sell that way and get paid on the spot.

I have not spoken with the USDA concerning the rabies study, but the counties appear to be the same as last year on the fox, coyote, skunk and raccoon specimens. If you would like to help and live in this area, contact Erin Patrick at 865-771-7256 for instruction. Also, Laura Patton wants bobcat and otter carcasses this year so please save those for her and she will arrange a pickup.

I am a news junkie and I fear we are in for some tight times ahead. This will no doubt impact both the demand and price for fur worldwide. The dollar appears to be weakening daily. While trapping is important to all of us, try to keep it in perspective.

I think I say this every year, try to get out and have fun on the trapline and take a kid if you can. Any outdoor activity should not be about numbers, size, first or biggest antlers. Try to enjoy trapping, hunting and fishing for what they are. It’s a way to get outdoors and learn and enjoy. We need to appreciate that we simply get to do these things in this, the greatest nation on the face of the earth. See you next month. — Stephen Pickard

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

With the Fall Fling taking place just days after this month’s deadline, news of that will have to wait until next month’s report. I think, however, it is safe to predict it will be a good success, well-organized and well attended.

We would like to take time to remind every trapper out there to trap legally and ethically this fur season. Obey the regs., respect the landowners and fellow sportsmen, and always do the right thing. Remember you represent not only the image of UTK but also the image of trapping.

Our biggest challenge as an organization at this time is raising money for the James W. Ferguson Scholarship Fund through the marketing of the elk tag we have been awarded by K.D.F.W.R. As soon as it is decided how to best accomplish this, we will quickly get rolling with it, well in advance of fall 2009. We will need ideas, help, and support from every UTK member, director, and officer.

Thanks to everyone who has helped out with Hunter Ed classes, our workshops, Spring & Fall Fling meets, J.A.K.E.S. events, and all the UTK endeavors this year of 2008. It has been a great year for us.

In closing, just a reminder: the proposals passed by the commission in August DO NOT go into effect until Nov. 2009. These include closing trapping season at sunset of the last day instead of noon, new definition of a legal snare, and extending the bobcat season through February.

Also, a quick note of thanks to Steve and Josh Pickard for a great job on the Web site in recent months. It is getting a lot of attention and is a good source of feedback from the members to the organization. It has a number of useful links and forums. When director Phillip West set this up for us, I never imagined it would be the valuable tool and resource it has become. Thank you, Phillip.
Until next month. — Chet Hayes

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