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Fur Takers of America News #7148044
01/21/21 01:47 PM
01/21/21 01:47 PM
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 26
Indiana
Furtakers Offline OP
trapper
Furtakers  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: May 2019
Posts: 26
Indiana

So…What’s the FTA been up to lately?
(Updated 1/14/2021) (The order of appearance has no bearing on importance!)

Rendezvous 2021 We are “go” for the moment at least. June 17-19 are the dates in Charleston, IN, 2021. We clearly feel that if we can actually hold this event, some pent-up trapping interest will finally find a place to be expressed.
Many major trap supply dealers are reporting that since the pandemic began, traps and trapping supplies have sold very well. Several report a huge demand for “dog proof coon traps” for example, which is wonderful, as unmanaged raccoon populations always spell disaster for ‘coons, but all other wildlife, as well has human health and safety. It is conjecture but it is possible that people new to trapping see the dog proof as a tool they can master relatively safely without extensive education or expense, and outdoor activities are very much in the public eye as a “Covid-safe” activities.
We hope to see the marketability of wild fur to somehow get its feet back under it. These two potential shifts in social involvement could spell a great “shot in the arm” for the future of furbearer management.
The FTA Furbearer Research Grant Committee is supporting furbearer research.
The Furbearer Research Grant Committee and the Board approved a $5,000 grant to help Montana Trappers complete a marten reintroduction project in the Little Belt Mountains. Trappers investing in wildlife once again. The Montana Trappers are key players in this project, and have also received financial support from Furbearers Unlimited. (PROACTIVE)
Oregon back to Deja Vu again. There was a huge push by anti conservation folks to push a beaver trapping ban on public lands in Oregon. The initial effort last year was poorly prepared and based on NO data, and it ignored the State Fish and Game experts’ data to negate the entire argument. After a similar anti trap effort related to coastal marten succeeded in opposition to all data and DNR recommendations, the anti's felt maybe they had free rein. It was tabled, but as is often the case with the anti groups, “they’re back” with a revisit of the petition. This time they have a 201 page petition in response to the rebuttal by the conservation community that they had no data to support the ban of trapping beaver on public lands. This petition, to my reading, is over 200 pages that basically prove that beaver are a nice animal.
Stan Steele, long-time warrior for trapping in Oregon, is regularly sharing and collaborating with the FTA and every other trapper, or outdoor enthusiast who is willing to help. His efforts are a model. (PROACTIVE)
New Mexico “REPORT” The anti trap contingent in New Mexico recently published what they are touting as a “New Report” on trapping on public lands. It is unquestionably generous to call it a “report” because it is just a summary of unfounded arguments to ban trapping on public land, and of course eventually everywhere in New Mexico. Clearly the goal is to set the stage to reintroduce “Roxie’s Law” again. The group has invested huge amounts of money in this campaign, and has been tireless in their efforts to sway the state legislature to mandate their views into law. The alarm is that the legislative bodies have seen a shift a little farther to the ‘blue” side of the spectrum.
The color cover of the “report” has a photo of a NM landscape with sage, etc, and in the forefront is a cartoon rendition of a trap…huge saw-tooth like teeth. With literally a billion images of real traps available on the internet, they chose to have an artist create one making traps look like the most dangerous tool in human imagination.
.
The push is on in New Mexico to revisit the “Roxie’s Law” charade. A poacher, a while back, illegally set snares on a piece of public land and the result was a dead dog. Never mind that it was not a legal act, or that the dog owner failed to save the dog, etc., etc, the anti contingent has expertise on how to manipulate public opinion to their worldview, and we expect that bill to be reintroduced any day now.
During the BMP testing, there were over 250,000 trap nights (that’s a quarter of a million trap nights/sets) and less that 2% of the captures were dogs…and ALL dogs were released unharmed with no further veterinary care needed. And most of that occurred in much higher human population states than New Mexico. This threat is a fabrication. I’m not a statistician, but based on these numbers, I think it is safe to say your dog has a higher risk of being hit by lightning than being killed or injured in a trap.
Add to that, Biden’s pick for Secretary of the Interior (Deb Haaland) is a person who has been starring in videos lobbying for the end of all trapping on public land in New Mexico. Should this nomination survive the Congress, we expect a storm of troubles here. (PROACTIVE)
The FTA continues to participate in the upgrade the Furbearer Management Textbook Covid really unraveled the book effort, but recently Tim Hiller has stepped up to the driver’s seat once again, and after a few new chapter authors are arranged, we will move forward. (PROACTIVE)
FTA/NTA Collaboration FTA and NTA Collaborated on a December presentation to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus by Zoom. We are very hopeful that public health issues will allow us to host a live trapping field experience next December in Little Rock, AR.
During the preparation work, John Daniel commented, “This is groundbreaking.” He wasn’t talking about trappers fighting to carry the message to key people, he was referring to the level of cooperation and collaboration between the FTA and the NTA. The CSC presentation is the most current example, but in truth, we communicate regularly and often, and we continue to respect our separate identities, but we are side by side with whatever expertise we have to put in play to defend wildlife conservation in general and trapping in particular.
Sportsmens’ Alliance update and discussion. John and I shared a political update call with Jacob Hupp and Bruce Tague this week. I prompted this call, mostly over concerns with HB 8828. Bruce and Jacob filled us in on what they had about the bill, and we shared with them as well. It is being monitored very closely, and we are collaborating with the NTA and SA.
Furmark is back. In yet another collaboration between the NTA and FTA, John Daniel and I were part of a 4-person conference call today with Paul Stockal (UK) and Anna Marsbol, (Denmark). Fur Traceability was pursued again. Originally NAFA had funded the idea so that we could trace a fur from trapper to coat, and put a label on the final product that said something like “The fur in this garment was harvested under strict adherence to humane standards.” The fluffy millennials who buy “cage free eggs” would be purchasing fur again. The project is clearly one of those that has potential to really help improve the fur market, but like all projects like this, there are plusses and minuses. Furmark has contracted with a company called Baltic which specializes in research and certification processes. They have done this for the swine industry, etc. Furmark was funded to a great extent by NAFA, and now it will likely be funded by Fur Harvesters. We are probably all familiar with the general resistance to certification by many trappers. The end goal is attractive: Make high fashion furs more marketable…more money, more sales, etc. This topic will be addressed in an ongoing fashion. John and I spoke afterwards and we hope to put together a committee with both FTA and NTA folks to explore how to move forward with this, or if we want to oppose its moving forward. It is one of those big picture complicated issues, so if you have FTA members contact you with concerns, please reassure them that we are “on it” and we will put our best heads on the solution to some of the troubling issues.
In our conversations today, I do feel that the two leaders of the Furmark process clearly HEARD our concerns and issues. At this point, no telling what is next. It is very helpful to note that John is an elected Board member of the International Fur Federation (IFF) which is the organization behind the Furmark process.
We don’t guarantee that we will always make the best decisions, but we can promise that we are very assertively fighting for trapper’s best interests. In this particular issue, the NTA and FTA are as close to being in sync as with any complicated issue in my history with the two organizations. They are going to have to deal with the whole trapping community on one front.
This is only the beginning. Collaboration is our future.
(PROACTIVE)
AFWA Furbearer Resource Working Group Outreach Committee conference call on HB 8828. First, this bill is not altogether new. Adams (D-NC) has introduced some version of it for years, and it has not gotten traction, but with concerns over a new power structure in the play, it bears watching. We are waiting until it formally is introduced; no sense whipping up the troops if it is not, or if it is changed before it gets introduced. Rest assured, when the time is right, we will all have to pull out the stops to contact our congress folks…particularly Democratic Congress people who might be willing to listen. The liberal majority is a very small majority.
No question this bill is disaster. Not only would it end trapping (maybe slower than some bills, but it will end it) it has language that violates interstate commerce principles, it usurps the states’ expressed right to manage wildlife, state’s laws on interstate commerce, and it has a horrible process where the excessive fines ($500 PER TRAP) would be split with the whistleblower if they were to “call this problem in” leading to a conviction.
On the other hand, I do not remember ever being personally involved with AFWA/FBRTWG Outreach Committee efforts to consider how to address bad trapping bills before. I guess being on that committee has a benefit after all?
Anyway a bunch of good data was discussed, and the group will produce a document that will outline points regarding the bill. I have seen draft 1 and it is very, very good material.
Just a few points on HB 8828—The bill doesn’t actually ban trapping, but rather the carrying of a trap across a state line…
---so we can use the traps we have, but we cannot carry any of them to another state.
---we will not be able to resupply inventory unless you have a trap manufacturer in your state; or trap parts, etc.
---no foreign made traps can be imported
---Rendezvous trap sales would end. Traps in a given state can be bought/sold to other people in that state, but none that has or will ever cross state lines.
---the fines are horrible…$500 per trap, and there is a provision for “whistleblowers” that if someone is aware of a violation that took place and the violator is caught, the whistleblower gets to keep half the fine.
There’s more. It is simply bad legislation…but given the political climate, what normally would be shuffled off to committee could somehow see the light of day.
If and when the final draft of the group’s comments are approved, I believe I will be free to distribute.
Connecticut has a bill that would ban the sale of “new” fur. Fred Becker (Jr.) reports that the General Assembly will hear bill Number 5031 that prohibits the “sale and trade of new animal fur products.” The Conn. Trappers are no strangers to these attacks, but we are in good communications with them, and have pledged FTA support in any and all ways possible.
The FTA officially has 88 Chapters and Affiliates across the country. This number has doubled since 2001. When the FTA comments to a politician, or in a public position statement, etc., it speaks for tens of thousands of trappers.
The FTA continues to regularly support the Sportsmen’s Alliance If the Anti Trap folks ambush a state’s trappers, calling in the Sportsmen’s Alliance is like the “coast guard” for a sinking ship. Ask an active trapper in states under siege like New Mexico if SA has been helpful. By supporting SA, the FTA has a legal and political “swat team” who have trapper’s backs. From Alaska, to D.C. to many state legislatures, SA has been assertive, effective and successful. It seems the only time SA doesn’t jump in with both feet is when they are not invited; and more and more, folks are learning that it is very helpful to invite them! The NTA and FTA collaborated on a donation to help support the SA’s Conservation Adventures programs in schools, beginning with Ohio High Schools, and with a model to go national in the near future.
We continue to be thankful for Bruce Tague, VP of Political Affairs and Jacob Hupp, the new States Representative. Their expertise has really been put to use, most recently in New Hampshire and New York. IF YOU HAVE A POLITICAL CHALLENGE, call Bruce at SA immediately.
The SA recently noted that over the years, the Fur Takers has donated to them over a quarter of a million dollars. (PROACTIVE and REACTIVE)
Trappers College continues to hit home runs year after year. Covid Cancelled this year; next year, the dates are September 12-18, 2021. Nearly all who registered for the 2020 College were moved to 2021, so if anyone has interest in 2021, it is imperative that they act asap, as this generally fills up in advance, but doubly so this time. We are thrilled to contribute to the education of trappers of all skill levels in the most comprehensive trapper education curriculum in existence. In addition, two-thirds of the students continue to be agency people; Conservation Officers, Wildlife Biologists, USDA Trappers, “Naturalists for Public Properties” and a host of similar occupations—the real background of tomorrow’s decision makers in state and federal government. The college continues to improve curriculum; in addition to the recently enhanced bear, lion, and wolf trapping data. There are also a cost share and scholarship opportunities…visit the FTA website and the College page. (PROACTIVE)
The FTA continues to work on a national level with furbearer biologists on the Association of Fish And Wildlife Agencies, Furbearer Taskforce Working Group (AFWA/FTWG).
This involvement began as a product of the BMPs for trapping, and continues in various other projects. The FTA “Improvement of Trapping Devices Committee,” chaired by Gary Jepson, has had influence on BMPs, on snares, on research, and as mentioned, on bodygrip projects. Attending these working group sessions also keeps the FTA up to speed on state, national, and international trapping issues.
Current topics include public and Agency outreach, dispatch methods, and selectivity studies on 220 bodygrips. Most recently discussions on lethal snares have been on the table. A great deal of recent work has been spent preparing science-based documents called “One Pagers” that summarize the data. These documents have the potential to be used by State Wildlife Commissions, media outlets, and a variety of venues where the participants do not have a clear picture of what modern management means. The documents address the topics of Humane Treatment, Sustainability, and Selectivity. Once completed, these tools can be easily reproduced and distributed when needed (PROACTIVE and REACTIVE)
The FTA continues to promote the DVD on Non-Target Release procedures. Dan Schweisthal, Education Committee Chair, has created this DVD which is based in part on the Minnesota Trappers Association “Zip Tie” method of releasing a pet from a bodygrip trap. It also shows the uninformed how to safely release a pet from a foot trap and a snare.
It is currently available on the FTA website, and on furbearermanagement.org Dan Schweisthal has copies for distribution; contact him for one. (630) 851-7119 varmintsheriff@hotmail.com It is also available on the FTA YouTube channel. (PROACTIVE)
Furbearereducation.com hosts great classroom materials and continues to be upgraded, with a segment under production to be incorporated into the “Attributes of the foothold trap/BMPs” DVD.
It also hosts the “Animal Traps, How to Release Your Pet” DVD, which is good information in general, but of particular value in targeting pet owners, a potential source of conflict for trapping. This DVD moves forward to help prevent issues from arising, rather than hoping to defend ourselves if and when they do. Furbearereducation.com is a free resource for trapper education, offering lots of trapping education materials and video presentations. Once again, a proactive extension of outreach to schools and youth. (PROACTIVE)

The FTA is a small determined group of individuals who accomplish a great deal, and get a lot of mileage out of every nickel we receive. Our guess is that if “Charity Navigator” was to evaluate the FTA, our numbers of “Dollars spent on fundraising and infrastructure” would be an absurdly low percentage compared to other non-profits; and it is fair to say that the vast majority of the work we do is proactive…meaning we are not “…putting out forest fires, but cultivating and managing wildlands to prevent future burns.”

"Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -St. Francis of Assisi

Re: Fur Takers of America News [Re: Furtakers] #7148096
01/21/21 02:11 PM
01/21/21 02:11 PM
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,520
Kentucky
ky_coyote_hunter Online content
trapper
ky_coyote_hunter  Online Content
trapper

Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,520
Kentucky
Thanks for the update, see you at the convention.

Long live the FTA!


Member - FTA
Re: Fur Takers of America News [Re: Furtakers] #7148098
01/21/21 02:11 PM
01/21/21 02:11 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 41,592
Northern Maine
Bruce T Offline
trapper
Bruce T  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 41,592
Northern Maine
Thanks for posting.


Nevada bound
Re: Fur Takers of America News [Re: Furtakers] #7148423
01/21/21 06:39 PM
01/21/21 06:39 PM
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,211
W NY
Turtledale Offline
trapper
Turtledale  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,211
W NY
Belonged to the FTA for a while now. Never been to their rendezvous. Will go this year if it's on. Thanks for the updates


NYSTA, NTA, FTA, life member Erie county trappers assn.,life member Catt.county trappers
Re: Fur Takers of America News [Re: Furtakers] #7154206
01/25/21 08:31 PM
01/25/21 08:31 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,456
Wheaton Ks
L
lee steinmeyer Offline
trapper
lee steinmeyer  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,456
Wheaton Ks
I sure hope it happens this year. Not having a convention or the college last year was almost like missing out on a whole trapping season!


YOU CAN IGNORE REALITY, BUT YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING REALITY.

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