A special thanks to Cory VanDriel for the 50 ermine he
donated to go along with several of them donated earlier in the year. We
can always count on Cory to keep the MTA stocked with ermine it seems.
My thanks also to Bill Schmidtke and Ken Olson for their continuous donations,
they donate heavy and often. Cumberland’s and Melby’s can always be counted
on as fur buyers that remember the MTA. Both of these good families have
donated often to the Tanned Fur Project for the past ten years.
My son Rob and I were able to put some pelts into the
Tanned Fur Project from our trip down south in February. These pelts of
course are not up to Minnesota size and quality levels but for donating
to schools, etc. they are just fine. We really figure we should stay down
there for a month or so next year......just for the Tanned Fur Project
you know, not that we would enjoy ourselves or anything. I would encourage
any of you that can to take a late winter trapping trip to a southern state;
it sure was nice leaving the frozen ground and snow for 50 degrees and
dry dirt. We averaged 6 coyotes, 5+ grey fox, and 5+ bobcats a day along
with red fox, otter, beaver, and lots of coon and opossum. We made several
new landowner friends down there and have memories that will last a father
and son a lifetime.
I have a few pelts here that came to me second or third
hand and I don't know the donor. Don't be shy about getting in touch with
me if you donated pelts and didn't get listed, I do want to know who you
are and give you credit for your donation.
I'm looking forward to school being out for the summer.
My reasons are a little different then the students however. Our traveling
tanned fur sets need a summer break. It is time to weed out the worn pelts
and try to replace them before the teachers are asking for them again starting
in August. It would be great to be able to donate sets of furs to
the pro-fur teachers that use them in their classes year after year but
that is unrealistic at this point due to the large demand and short supply.
Please donate what you can so that we can continue to loan nice sets of
pelts to educators that are on our side. They will do the work but we need
to supply the tools.
Have a great spring and summer and if you find a pelt
in your freezer when you're putting your walleye fillets away remember
the MTA Tanned Fur Project.
Tim Caven, Tanned Fur Project Coordinator
6699 156th Ave. NW
Pennock, Mn. 56279
email: info@minntrapprod.com
telephone 320-599-4176
fax 320-599-4314