It is with deep regret that I'm informing trapper man members that my longtime friend, John Vaia, from Grass Range, Montana passed away recently. John was 57 years old, and was one of the very best snare men and trappers that I've ever met. He came to Montana in the fall of '84 to work as a bird hunting guide for an outfitter that I was working for at the time, and like me, he fell in love with the western skies and long line trapping. He carved out a life in central Montana, and worked hard to do it. For twenty years, I doubt anyone else came near to John's coyote catches in the Missouri and Musselshell Breaks. I'm writing an article about him for Trappers Post magazine.