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ALERTS, MESSAGES, NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS
Camp at the Convention! Or get a motel.
For those who want to attend both days of the UPTA convention, and are equiped for camping, the U.P. State Fair has nearly unlimited camping space right on the grounds, at reasonable rates.
The camping fee is $18 per night and includes water, electricity, a dump station, and showers.
When entering the main gate there is a self-registration station right near the dump station. Or you can just go in and pick out a spot and the night watchman will come around and collect the camping fee.
For some, camping may be cheaper and more convenient than making two trips to Escanaba. For further information on camping contact the Fair office directly at (906) 786-4011.
If you are interested in getting a motel the following links may be helpful:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=HOTELS&near=Escanaba,+MI&fb=1&view=text&cd=1
Chamber of Commerce Website
Convention Schedule of Events - 2008
Here is the long-awaited schedule of events:
Galen will be showing us how to make our own lure. I make my own beaver lure and it works very well for me. It also saves me a lot of money and allows me to be "more generous" with it during those cold, wet spring conditions that are hard on lure.
If you missed Bob Desbien's beaver demo last year, you don't know how fast a beaver can go from whole to ready for market in the hands of a real professional.
Don Rumford is then going to show us how one mink can bring $30 and one the same size can bring $2. As fur harvesters, it is important that we know what graders are looking for in order to get top prices for our fur!
Our weasel demo and weasel box project at our midwinter workshop got a lot of youngsters into trapping with their dads and grandpas in the winter AND AWAY FROM THE TV AND VIDEO GAMES! Mark Spencer will show kids and adults how to trap weasels and squirrels and even how to make some money doing it.
And Trapper Art may be my favorite person to watch for demos! He is FUNNY, informative, and really knows his stuff.
Fishers have gone way up in price and Galen will be showing us how to make sure we get our limit of fishers every season.
Steve Gappa has agreed to leave the coyotes alone for an hour or so while he shows us what he "cut his teeth on" before he got into coyote trapping. He started out as a water trapper and he really knows how to keep the coon population in check! With the recent prices for our "jumbo", heavily-furred U.P. coon this may be the best demo to watch this year!
And what can I say about Rich Clark that you don't already know. He knows exactly what the fur graders at the Canadian Auctions want as far as fur handling. And the way the Canadian Auctions want fur handled is probably the same way that every buyer of wild fur in the world wants it done! The Canadian Graders know how to make their customers smile.
And last but not least. A Craft Demo for the ladies. Non-trapping women who have accompanied their husbands to our conventions have been left out. But now they have an event of their own and can take home a beautiful item that they made with their own hands.
View or print this outstanding schedule by clicking on one of the following links:
Schedule of Events (MS Word Format)
Schedule of Events (Acrobat Reader / PDF File)
Schedule of Events (Browser / Internet Explorer / HTML
Convention Time Across the Country!
Our own convention is July 18 and 19 at the Fairgrounds in Escanaba and it’s going to be one you won’t want to miss. The Schedule of Events will be posted here shortly and a more detail writeup can be found below. It’s shaping up to be the best U.P. Trappers’ Convention ever!
If your fur check was big enough to let you go to more than one convention, here are some exciting suggestions. But make sure our own convention is your top priority!
Fur Takers of America
June 19 - 21
The Fur Takers national Rendezvous will be held in Columbia, Missouri on June 19th through the 23rd. It begins just a few days from this posting and I apologize for not getting the information up sooner. So if you’re going, you better hurry! Our own Rick Arduin attended last year and said it was a great time. He was most impressed by the people who run Fur Takers. He met most of the leadership and is glad we decided to join Fur Takers in their efforts to protect trapping. As most of you know district 3 of the U.P. Trappers’ Association is now affiliated with the FTA as “Affiliate 10D.”
The demo roster is awesome; there will be area tours, a tremendous array of kid’s games, contests and more. For further information see the May issue of the Fur Taker Magazine or visit the FTA Website by clicking on this link or going to our links page.
National Trappers’ Association
49th Annual Convention and Sports Show
August 7 – 10
This is the largest trapping convention in the country. If you’ve never been to “the nationals,” you should try to attend. I’ve been to at least four and they have all been very worthwhile. You can email the NTA for more information at info@nationaltrappers.com or visit their website by clicking on this link or going to the links page.
Michigan Trappers Association
1957 – 2008
Annual Convention
August 22 – 23
The Michigan Trappers Association annual convention will be August 22, & 23, 2008. It will be at the fairgrounds in Evart, Michigan. Contacts: General Information – Gary A. Schinske gas@wmicu.org, 616-225-8680; Dealer Contact – Kevin Syperda syshome@cmedic.net, 616-636-5594; Gate Volunteers – Justin Sullivan 231-834-7403; MTA Booth Volunteers – Becky Widrig RWidrigB@aol.com, 734-699-1625; Discounted Motel by mentioning MTA Convention – Super 8 Motel, 231-734-0470.
This year markets the 51st Anniversary of Michigan Trappers Association, and the Dealer buildings are already completely filled. We will have 2 demonstrations per hour and Greg Schroeder from NAFA will do continuous skinning, fleshing and stretching demonstrations Friday and Saturday. Many other special events for the entire family along with special and commemorative raffles will take place throughout the convention. Camping and food is available on the fair grounds. The general membership meeting will be on Saturday with our featured speaker being Kraig Kaatz, President of the National Trappers Association, followed by our live auction.
Submitted by: Gary A. Schinske
President
Michigan Trapper Association
Northern Great Lakes Fur Harvesters
September 19 – 21
We were all sad when our old district 4 split off from the U.P. Trappers Association - -but it is high time that we “bury the hatchet” and support this great organization. I have been going to their conventions in Kinross nearly every year for several years now and it is always worth the trip over. I was most impressed by the demo they put on for all kids attending. They take them across the street to an actual lake and make muskrat and mink sets right in the water. And every kid attending gets a “pail-full” of starting supplies like a trap or two, a bottle of lure, a mink stretcher, etc. Dealers are eager to support this great effort with their donations of items for the kids! Rick and I have been working with NGLFH for several years now on issues important to all U.P. trappers and we can sum up the experience with these words: “Good people who really care about the future of trapping in Michigan.” -- Bob Steinmetz
Northern Great Lakes Fur Harvester's Annual Convention September 19-21, at the Chippewa County Fairgrounds, Kinross, MI. Follow I-75 North and exit 378 - follow signs. Contact Mark A Spencer (906) 292-4779 or Cory Carter(906) 233-9976.
Friday Hours 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm
Saturday Hours 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday Hours 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Submitted by Cory Carter, Secretary NGLFH
Trappers Convention – July 18 & 19 – Escanaba, Michigan
Once again the members of district 3 are confident they will be hosting the biggest and best convention ever held in the U.P.! And last year’s event was outstanding—so topping it—is a real challenge. But preparation began at the ’07 convention and has been on the agenda of nearly every district 3 meeting throughout the year. Keep the best and improve the rest: Trappers appreciated having over twenty top-notch supply dealers with huge inventories (at excellent prices) ranging from hard-to-find trap parts and excellent lures to hand-made, collector quality, bear traps and everything in between. Most of those dealers will be back this year and those who can’t make it will be replaced by other quality dealers. The ever-popular mini raffles, with enough prizes so even the “unlucky” can win once in a while, will be back! With last year’s demos rivaling those normally only found at national or statewide conventions, we are making sure we once again have top-quality trappers doing demos for us. The big raffle with its huge list of cash and guns will be back. (A top quality bow will also be added for those who prefer to hunt with bow and arrow.) The special raffles will be back: Win a fur hat, a commemorative knife, excellent wildlife art, etc. Free fishing at the pocket park for the kids will be back. We are also planning to add an event or two for the youngsters and for the women attending the convention. And new ideas and suggestions are still popping up at our meetings.
Plan to be at the Ruth Butler Building at the U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba, Michigan on Friday July 18 and Saturday July 19. The doors open at 8:00 AM both days and close at 6:00 PM. Admission is only $2.00 per day and kids 16 and under are admitted FREE. This could be the best $2.00 you have ever spent. Lunch will be available so you can stay all day!
If you have never been to a large trapping convention before, you will be amazed at how many tips, tricks, and useful ideas you will come away with. And you may be overwhelmed by the selection of trapping supplies and equipment available and by the excellent prices (with no shipping charges) on those items you need for your trap line. The sights, sounds, smells, and collection of trapping talent, all under one roof, can be a real treat for the newcomer. And even those of you who have attended every Upper Peninsula Trappers Association convention since 1962 will not be disappointed!
Mark your calendars, talk to your boss about getting July 18 & 19 off of work, make out your “shopping list”, start putting a few bucks aside, book a room at a motel (or contact the fair board about camping) and get ready to learn many new ways to improve your trapping skills. Be there. Bring a friend. And tell every trapper you know about this great event. Any help you can give us to promote this great event for trappers would be appreciated. If you are “computer literate” perhaps you can post the event on forums or boards that you frequent. If your local radio stations have free event announcements for clubs and non-profit organizations give them a call a let them know about our convention. Almost every business I have asked will let you put up a poster in their front window or on their bulletin board. Most companies have bulletin boards for use by their employees. Some of you attend logging or sporting events or other gatherings where you could pass out posters or have them available for participants. The ways you can help promote this event are as numerous as your imagination will allow! Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give us. The better and bigger we can make the convention the more top-notch dealers and demonstrators we can attract to future conventions. And this translates into more bargains and more trapping knowledge gained by those of you who attend these conventions!
Submitted by Bob Steinmetz, Secretary, District 3
Here are links to our poster so you can print out copies for your own use:
A "Too Successful" Workshop?
If success can be measured by the interest and excitement of the young participants, then the Third Annual Trappers Workshop, which was held in Hermansville on February 16 –was a blow-out! The event was sponsored by district 3 of the U.P. Trappers Association. The kids watched intently as Rick Arduin and Bob Whitens showed them how to trap weasels and how to prepare the weasel furs for market. Then they excitedly lined up to receive the free weasel boxes which were pre-cut by Eugene Arduin and assembled in front of them by Mike Lewis. (The wood used for building the boxes was kindly donated by local businessman Daryl Triest of North Star Log Homes). Along with their weasel box, each youngster received a weasel stretcher, a trap for inside the weasel box, a copy of Trap & Trail Magazine donated by the publisher, John Lee, and a bottle of commercial weasel lure donated by Asa Lenon, a well-known U.P. lure manufacturer from Gulliver, Michigan. You would think that most kids would take their “goodies” and leave, but most of the youngsters stayed all day. Many could be found talking to adult trappers, asking questions, looking over the many traps and supplies available from the two supply dealers (Scott Burton from Burton Trapping Supplies in Manistique, Michigan and Rich and Maryann Clark from Willow Tree Supplies in Coleman, Wisconsin).
And later on, the youngsters became part of the huge crowd of adults and kids gathered around Richard Clark as he showed trappers and potential trappers how to skin, flesh and stretch – raccoons, mink, muskrats, and other furbearers. Rich is an excellent fur handler who knows “every trick in the book” for getting top prices for your furs.
The ladies and young girls from the Faithhorn Methodist Church had a nice selection of food available at reasonable prices including hot dogs, sloppy-joes, and two kinds of delicious soup. They also had hot coffee, donuts, and rolls for early arriving trappers.
The members of District 3 of the U.P. Trappers Association believe that trapping is a necessary and effective wildlife management tool, utilizing a beautiful, renewable resource—and they sponsor fair booths, conventions, and workshops (like this event) to educate the general public on the benefits of trapping, to promote their sport, and to assure that there will be an adequate number or trappers in the next generation.
The only “problem” with this particular workshop, according to Rick Arduin, District 3 President, was that the workshop was almost “too successful.” Only about 30 weasel boxes and “starter kits” were available and about 70 or more kids showed up! Most adults and kids understood the “problem” and “rain checks” were given out to about 40 kids who didn’t receive their promised goodies.
Admission to the workshop was free, magazines and trapping literature were available free of charge, and about 50 small and medium, sized door prizes for both adults and kids were given away. Also there was a proud winner of a beautiful pair of beaver mittens donated by Mike “Mountain Man” Nowack of Mountain Man Furs in Channing. Trappers jumped at the chance to win these beautiful mittens, and at only $1.00 for a chance to win, the donation jar quickly filled up. As people left, many stopped at the front table telling those working there: “Great workshop—we will be back again next year.” Here is a picture of the large crowd around Rich Clark's skinning demo: images/File/100_0248.jpg And here's a picture of some very interested (and a few distracted) Kids watching Rick Arduin's weasel trapping demo: images/File/100_0243(1).jpg
No Dues Increase Yet!
Good news for district 3 trappers who are expiring! The voted on dues increase won't be going into effect till after the July convention. Changes didn't get made on the website and The Trappper and Predator Caller wasn't notified -- so people have still been sending in $7.00 or $17.50. Also a dues increase should really be done at the regional level, so all the districts are on the same page!
Be Careful What You Write!
The following quote was passed on to us by Gary Schinske, president of the Michigan Trappers Association:
From time to time I have questioned guys about what they post on this and other forums. My request was based on my perception of how someone could misunderstand or deliberately use the information against trappers in Michigan. In the current issue of American Trapper the new President of NTA, Kraig Kaatz makes a similar request. Here is a quote from his published report: "While fighting against the various animal rights groups, it is important to be sure our friends do not inadvertently provide fuel against our efforts. Some years ago while in a congressional committee meeting, one of our enemies produced copies of conversations that were posted on a website. The comments were posted by a trapper, and then the antis used them against us while we battled for our rights. The NTA asks anyone and everyone who has media access, whether through books, magazine articles or videos, to be very careful as to the content. Anything that could be viewed as inhumane, unethical, heartless or vulgar in any way must not be published in any form. You may not realize but the antis will joyfully use anything a trapper writes, videos or films against all of us. Please do not encourage or participate in any actions negative to the industry."
This same request is echoed by Michigan Trappers Association, Mid-Michigan Independent Trappers, Northern Great Lakes Fur Harvesters and UP Trappers Association, District #3.
Submitted by Gary A. Schinske
Trapper Education Manual Available
Trapper education in Michigan is finally getting somewhere. At least the manual is ready and it appears to be an excellent resource. Check it out! Valuable information for new and experienced trappers alike. It pretty much covers trapping from A to Z. Click on the following link to be taken directly to the download page. If you have a phone modem you may want to download a chapter at a time as this file is huge: www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10880_12399-174841--,00.html
Longtime District 3 Member, Kelly Johnson, Has Died
District 3 trappers have lost another local “trapping legend.” Kenneth A. “Kelly” Johnson, 85, of Whitney died at the VA hospital in Milwaukee on Thursday, August 9th, 2007. I was closer to Kelly than I was to the other “famous Johnsons”, since we met often on the “spring beaver line.” Kelly ranged farther and wider than I did and I’m sure he knew were most, if not all, of my traps were located. When we met, there was always a “warm hello” and usually a report of a beaver or otter in one or more of my traps that he had observed that day. It was nice knowing that my traps and fur were safe under the watchful eye of this legendary trapper. Kelly never ceased to surprise me. One spring, when he was in his seventies, he informed me that he had already taken over 100 beaver that spring and that he was still doing all of the fur handling himself! That’s a lot of work for an old man! Years ago, when he couldn’t find an adequate beaver trap, he simply designed and built his own. And his traps compare in holding power to the modern day MB’s and CDR’s! Most “old-timers” I knew refused to use the “new-fangled” conibears – but not Kelly. He hauled hundreds of beaver out of the smaller creeks that lacked adequate drowning water, as he smiled and watched his competition drive past these prime locations. Already, back in the “bounty days”, he had reversed the jaws on his #4 double longs creating some of the earliest “offset jawed” traps, which he knew were more humane without compromising holding power. Probably about 15 years ago, he showed me how he had looped the triggers on his #110’s to make sure that mink couldn’t sneak through – and he also explained to me that mink were also less likely to go around the trap, as the loop formed a “round” opening that they weren’t afraid of. Too bashful to attend our meetings, Kelly did attend most of our local conventions and was a loyal supporter of U.P. trappers and district 3. I believe he belonged to the U.P. Trappers Association even before district 3 was formed and I know for sure he has belonged every year since. In fact, if Kelly was late in renewing his membership, I knew he was either seriously ill or confined in a hospital somewhere! Kelly will be sadly missed by everyone who knew this kind, gentle, honest “old Swede.”
Kelly was born in Whitney on March 17, 1922, the son of Axel and Julia (Anderson) Johnson. He was raised in Whitney and attended school there, in Perronville, and in Bark River. Kelly had a distinguished military career serving in many critical battles in the South Pacific and was honorably discharged after reaching the rank of corporal. He is survived by his brothers, Ben (Marie) and Donald and sister-in-law, Izetta. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom respected and loved their “Uncle Kelly”. In addition to his parents, Axel and Julia, Kelly was preceded in death by sisters, Martha, Thelma, Helen and June, as well as brothers, Clifton, Arthur and Glenn.
Submitted by Bob Steinmetz, Secretary, U.P Trappers Association, District 3, Chapter 10-D, FTA
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