President's Report

March 2010

Hello Vermont Trappers:

Well the snow came in one day and went in one day. Mother nature has reared her ugly head this year. I got 27 inches of snow in one dump and in one day and a half we lost most of it. Some pretty nasty flooding and now temperatures well below zero. When will it stop. I love winter trapping but am not fond of chopping ice daily, along with re-adjusting traps due to water level changes. Its got to change soon, ya think???.

The first fur auctions in Canada are history and the price of fur looks good for a change. Still not real good but better than last fall. All indicators say it will get even better but I will believe it when I see it.

The annual Yankee Classic is history and what a surprise. I have never in my life fielded so many requests to take the trapping class. It seems that at every event the interest swells which is good I think. Sounds like a few of us will be busy teaching all the new folks who want to become trappers. If you are an trapper and want to become a instructor it just got easier. The Fish and Wildlife Department has implimented its Mentor program , that is it has named Chief instructors in each county who will over see a new instructor teach a class and then the CI will either recommend or deny the new teacher. Sounds like a sweet program and can not wait to put it to use. I am the CI for Chittenden County so if you are interested give me a call and I will get you into the next class in April. Speaking of the Classic I would like to thank Brent Teillon, Paul Ainsworth, Richard Bayer, Trevor Gingras, Crystal Gingras, John Lapre and David Martin for all of thier help. It was a good time and well attended.

March 27, 2010 , mark your calender, the 17th Annual Fundraising Banquet for the Vermont Trappers Association will be held at the Elks Club in Montpelier , Vermont. Cash bar at 4:30 and Buffet style dinner at 6:30. If you have not got your ticketd yet you may be to late but call and see. This banquet sells out early every year and is a kick a.., uh butt event.

Another situation has come to light recently that needs addressing. It was learned recently that only 90 of the members of the Vermont Trappers Association are members of the National Trappers Association. To me, and this is my opinion only this has to change. The NTA works on a national level to preserve our rights as trappers as witnessed recently in the Maine fiasco. Without thier legal advise and monetary support Maine trappers would be in trouble and they readily admit that. And they are not only in Maine but any state that the anti trapping folks are causing a problem. Without thier support trappers would be S.O.L. period. I belong to the NTA and have for years, and last fall I joined the Maine Trappers Association not because I trap in Maine but because I wanted to help support thier annual battle they have been waging. So my request to everyone who reads this is to take five minutes and think about how your life would be without trapping being a part of it. If after five minutes you do not think it would be a problem swell, I would guess you were never one to begin with. If you could part with some fur money to sign up please do it, it should be part of your yearly trapping budget, just like buying your license every year.

Thats it for now. I hope winter is soon over and the ice is gone in time for some spring rat trapping. Good luck on the trapline and don't forget to bring a kid along with you.

Randy Barrows