How many trappers in your state are members of your association? Or for that matter the NTA and or FTA?

If we don't step up now, straight up trapping will die out within our lifetimes.

And I'm one of the apathetic but I'm fixing to change that. I am either re-upping or joining for the first time all three.

This is interesting, I have not been apathetic, but these low prices are making me become apathetic.

Apathy runs in the neighborhood of 80% or slightly higher at the state level. Probably higher than that at the national level.

It is a shame that 4 out of 5 trappers do not see the value in joining together to try to preserve what we do.

Not sure how many licensed trappers in Idaho but I know there are over 700 members of the ITA. We also have other organizations in ID, such as the Intermountain Fur Harvesters Association, Upper Snake River Trapper's Association and Foundation for Wildlife Management, but ITA is the big one.

Michigan Trappers Association has a deal going where when you join you get a membership to NTA and FTA, for $25 you can’t go wrong.

10% is roughly the rule across the country for permit sales and association memberships.

2000+ members in the Minnesota trappers association. Could be more but we have 3 different associations in the state. 3 associations have different views on things. Sad deal. One big cohesive group would be stronger for sure

How do I join the one that is for nonresident trapping?

Lol, I was thinking the same thing trapperkeck

Two of them are actually for it. The one that is not has the politicians on there side

Delaware has about 400 trapping licenses sold and 60-80 or so members of the trappers org. Don’t quote me on those numbers

I will do a little more research, but I sure that it is around the national average of 10% or so of the ones who hold the water for the rest

I am not trying to start a fight here, but someone please tell me why I should join our state's association(s). I think there is more than one.

I get joining other organizations that lobby on political issues but I don't get the vibe that we need that here. I could be wrong and things could obviously change. I guess one reason would be the optics of strength in numbers.

Anyway, help a stingy brother out.

And, what national organization is there that I should consider joining?

Society is divided and fragmented up as bad if not worse than before the civil war, church groups breaking up, even anti groups can't get along, why you have a bazillion different one's. Trappers no different as we as hunters. I was reading today on a deer hunting page a guy crying about them not being able to get along with one another and pretty much the same complaint ive heard trappers say for the past 40 years.

Oddly alot of times the hunters join force's with the anti's against trappers.

Problem with most trapping association's is they don't listen! Ego's get in the way of doing what's right and clique's spring up with this group against that group within the association, some run off and form their own group most just fade away back to their life, isn't like most of us already have enough problems in life, why volunteer for more?

Then some just never join ANYTHING for any reason.

Long as we continue to do the same ol thing we'll get the same ol result.

Is a way out of all this mess BUT it would require ego's be checked at the door, best idea's ran with, old idea's that haven't ever worked left by the wayside and a rebranding of who we are and what we do to attract major donor's not keep digging around in broke trapper's pockets for money.

Wake me up when all that happens.

How many of us have state trapping associations the actually give a flying rats hind end about their membership and just how their members truly make a living from trapping instead actively opposing those that do make a living at it?

When I have a member look me in the eye and say I'll fight you over expanding trapping opportunity or the association doxxing a trapper for advocating for change in the state I want nothing to do with that association.

It depends what the mood on trapping is in your state. In MN we have bills being introduced each year to start restricting us. Last year we were lucky because Covid dominated the session. Year before there was bills introduced to get rid of body grippers and snares. There was another that was going to make trappers have written permission to trap on private land even from the land owner where there is an easement to get to another property. It also mentioned about public water ways would be restricted. Then they added that this would not pertain to any other outdoor enthusiast. Can you say discrimination? That was a republican who wrote that bill. The MTA spent a day at the state capitol talking to legislators and got that one nixed. A bill was amended on the DNR omnibus bill to stop any potential wolf season if they were to get delisted. That passed by one vote but was later axed by a special committee. You think that would be a Democrat vs republican vote but it was not. It was strictly urban vs rural.

I would bet that your state orgs do have a lobbyist at the statehouse, or maybe one they share with other outdoor groups. The state trapper orgs sometimes share assets in fighting "anti" agenda.
If you don't go to the regional/state trapper org meetings or conventions you're missing out on a wealth of information and material available there.
To be honest I can't think of a good reason not to join at least one trapping org.
MnTA, FTA, NTA, Sportsman Alliance, NRA, GOA

Checking on how many trapping license sold in MN. Only thing I can find is from 2007-08. That year was 7100+. I am sure it is down now with the fur market

Our federation in Ontario has 6000 plus members,and about another 3500 belong to NAN,UOI,or Treaty3.

The NRA is wonderful or horrible... Depends on who you ask.

As for state orgs, here's a good one for you... When I was on the active NWCO roster we were told that we had to buy the professional trapper's license @ $68.50... OK, I'm doing this as a professional, so whatever. So a bunch of us get our lifetime licenses which covers the Pro license. Great, no having to fool with mailing off the paperwork every year and wait for the state to get my Pro license back to me.

One of our illustrious state orgs lobbies for, and gets passed, that NWCO's have to buy a special $75 annual license on top of what we already had to have.

I hung up my NWCO status... And with low fur prices and all the stupid BS regs we have to deal with I've pretty much hung up my traps.

So for the time being the anti's, the idiot houndsmen, and the greed of other trappers has managed to get me out of the game... But I figure it won't be too long until Capt. Alzheimer's runs the country so far into the ground that I'll end up having to trap beaver for something to eat... But at that point at least I won't have to pay for the privilege.

Mike

Our so called association hates NWCOs even though over half of them have the permit. More than one has told me that the NWCOs in Atlanta will screw something up leading to the loss of trapping in the state. So rather than embrace the NWCO and take the opportunity to teach or address the specifics of urban trapping the association runs off any pure NWCO like myself.
The result is we now have every bug company including the nationals that make their buck on fraud setting traps.