Presidents Report - Shawn Johnson
President of Minnesota Trappers Association
Greetings Trappers,
Although the calendar reads "May" and an unseasonably warm and dry March and April lulled many into a false sense of security, here on the North Shore of Lake Superior, over two inches of fresh snow blanketed the ground this morning. Frost has been routine every morning and I just chastised my wife Linda for "warming up the car" for a balmy twenty seven degrees before she left for work this morning.
I asked her if she'd like me to put her Sorel's on the boot dryer for the night just in case...Linda does not appreciate how attractive a fresh blanket of snow looks in May- especially on "Mother's Day." I've decided that it's probably not in my best interest to push the issue with her any further. I'm betting she just might be contemplating just how well that fresh snow might adequately cover the extra large carcass of a recently deceased husband? I'd better back off for my own safety. At the very least, I'd like to keep my "first wife" my only wife. It's probably best not to aggravate the situation any further. I might be dumb, but I'm not stupid.
The Convention is on the Horizon
By the time this issue of the Newsletter is in your hands, we'll probably be done with snow for the next few months. I said "probably"- I'm not staking any money on the prediction though. Regardless of the weather, the Barnum convention will be closer and preparations for the Association's get together will progress right up until the opening bell on July 30. If most folk's schedules are as mine, predicting what available time I'll have next week, let alone next month proves to be an exercise in crystal ball prognostication. So I completely understand some folks hesitating to volunteer to help out at the convention on a specific date due to unforeseen circumstances. Nonetheless, District Eight will be hosting this year's event a long ways from home and I'm certain that Brad Wobbrock and Jim Blakely will certainly be appreciative of any assistance the membership would be willing to offer.
Convention festivities don't just come together out of thin air. Without the essential contributions of many individuals, none of this would be possible. If you are able to help at any point along the way please do so. Every hour donated is of great value and the more the membership is willing to assist, the smoother these events will progress. At the very least, take the opportunity to thank those that are behind the scenes year after year for the benefit of the membership as a whole. That small pat on the back goes a long way to prevent these dedicated volunteers from burning out and becoming discouraged. The Association is fortunate to have such fine individuals willing to do such a thankless job- please take the time to let them know they are indeed appreciated. Dave D'Aigle your vice president in addition to his duties in that post is once again taking the helm in coordinating demonstration presentations and scheduling. If you'd be interested in giving a demo, or have a suggestion about something you'd like to see added to the schedule, please contact Dave as far in advance of the convention as possible.
Gun Raffle
Gary would like to send out this reminder regarding the raffle ticket seller's incentive program. From Gary Meis Raffle Chair- To those members who have bought or sold incentive raffle tickets please be sure to attend the convention or make arrangements to have your incentive prize(s) picked up. Remember, effective this year the MTA has decided due to the high cost of postage in mailing out incentive gifts that said gifts must be picked up at the convention or arrangements must be made to have another person pick them up for you.
Perhaps directors will volunteer to bring these incentive traps to their next district meeting? Directors, this may be a way to encourage a boost of attendance at your meetings as well?
Award Nominations
On a final convention note for this issue, I strongly encourage those that feel that certain outstanding members should be recognized for their contributions to the sport of trapping and their dedication to our Association, seriously consider nominating them for Trapper of the Year; Lady Trapper of the Year; or Junior Trapper of the Year. Nominations can be sent to me via email or USPS whichever you prefer. Please explain the reasons you think this person should be so honored and give examples of the individual's contribution to the sport and the Association.
Please resist the temptation to put this off until the last minute- take the time to put down a few words on their behalf. I'm certain they will be grateful.
Legislative/DNR Agenda Items
As I mentioned in my column in TPC the pursuit of supporting a concurrent beaver/otter season has been abandoned. It is with a great deal of frustration that I make this announcement as two years worth of work and the contributions of many individuals from MTA as well as the DNR and State legislators proved to be all for naught. The consensus from the membership as a whole appears to be "Why do we have to give something up- to get what we desire?" I resist the temptation to get preachy here but I feel some things must be pointed out for those who fail to understand just how change occurs in Resource areas and the wisdom of the procedures in place at MTA for affecting those changes. Generally an agenda item is first proposed at the District level. A vote or consensus is taken at the district meeting and those that fail go no further at that time but those that are supported progress to the Board level. The District Director makes a presentation to the Board; it is discussed with the members of the Board along with DNR representatives in most cases, and then is either sent to all other Districts for their consideration or no action is taken by the Board at that time. The remaining districts poll their membership and bring those results back to the Board. If a majority of the Board representatives approve the measure, it proceeds to the General Membership for their approval or rejection. It is imperative that the predictable consequences of such a move be thoughtfully considered before an agenda item progresses to the General Membership. This is the vital point where input and suggestions from the DNR in particular become so essential. It should have been thoroughly explained to the voting membership that certain trade offs would be inevitable in order for this concurrent beaver/otter season to become a reality. The MTA has DNR representation on the Board for this vital function and MTA members from the DNR have routinely agreed to present the DNR's likely position on various agenda items to the membership at district meetings as well. To neglect to take these individual up on their expertise or worse yet to disregard their advice isn't wise. Ultimately, it is the Director's responsibility to explain to their membership what the likely outcome will be and to make certain that these likely outcomes are factored into the decision making process. Had the membership fully understood the likely ramifications of such a move to pursue a concurrent beaver/otter season, would this have progressed beyond the district level? Retention of spring caught muskrats and an extended independent otter season thus remain unresolved at this time.
Incidental Catches
Not all has been wasted however, as the DNR in general and the Enforcement Division in particular, are seriously attempting to create a uniform state-wide reporting mechanism for dealing with transportation authorization of out of season catches and Conservation Contact information. This will not be limited to otters, muskrats in the spring etc. but all incidental out-of-season catches. There must be a simple procedure that is straightforward and easy to understand that protects both the legal trapper and at the same time provides Enforcement with the capacity to adequately enforce the law on those that persist in violating. At this time there is no mechanism in place that accomplishes either. Otters accidently taken in spring beaver sets will continue to be a persistent obstacle to overcome but that doesn't mean that striving to reduce the take of accidental otter catches should be abandoned. Although most trappers take measures to reduce the number of otters taken in the spring, some make no such effort. Using common sense in the field is no doubt the single most effective tool in reducing the otter kill. It's irresponsible that some trappers choose to set most crossovers and bottlenecks on the waters in the spring without taking into consideration possible conflicts with traveling otters. Scent sets made in "notches" on the bank are much more selective for efficiently taking beavers and avoiding otters as are baited sets. Many are experimenting with double triggering systems on their body-grippers that reduce the chances of an otter being taken yet still selectively allow the taking beavers. I strongly encourage anyone interested to contact me for a copy of "River Otter Avoidance Techniques" put together by John Erb with some suggestions on how to do a better job at discouraging otter take in the spring. Although I hesitate to get into specifics, the anti-trapping crowd focuses a great deal of their attention on incidental/by catch and attempt to use it against by suggesting to the courts and the public that trappers target fur animals indiscriminately. Let's not add any unnecessary fuel to their fire by failing to do our part to reduce these incidental takes to the best of our ability.
I continue to encourage the district leadership across the State to include otter avoidance technique demonstrations at their district meetings to help educate fellow trappers on new and better ways of ensuring more selectivity. This is particularly vital for guiding the next generation of trappers to become responsible conservationists as well. It is in our best interest as sportsmen and women to self regulate our behavior in the field to avoid unnecessary and burdensome laws from being placed on the books in an attempt to accomplish the same.
Limit Species Validation
Thus far all districts reporting have unanimously supported the DNR's request for support of a limit species validation system to be implemented. This proposal would be patterned after the current system in place for big game and turkeys. A paper "tag" of the same material would be issued along with the purchase of a trapping license for each limit species. The trapper would mark the species, date of take and possibly the sex of the animal before transporting. This paperwork wouldn't have to be attached to the animal physically but would provide documentation of the take in a uniform manner. This should assist the DNR in helping to assure a more equitable harvest opportunity and help to curb some of the abuses in the current system that all ultimately suffer for. Although many factors are no doubt in play, it's no coincidence that a nine day season was implemented at least partially, in response to some taking unfair advantage of the absence of a validation system.
Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook
The MTA and DNR through the diligence of Jason Abraham and Con Christianson primarily, continue to work on the clarifications that have been deemed necessary in future publications of the Hunting and Trapping Regulations handbook. Several of the areas brought forth by the membership would require statute (state law) and DNR Rule changes to adjust and modify something the membership may want to seriously consider for future agenda items. Areas pertaining to legal outcomes, fines and court proceedings, rules of evidence, search and seizure etc. will not be individually addressed in the synopsis but guidance on how those that wish to secure this type of information will be provided by way of referral to the DNR website or statute number information. It is my hope that this exchange will become an ongoing partnership well into the future for the benefit of trappers, the DNR and ultimately our resources.
Stream Restoration and Beaver Control
A meeting with Deputy Director of DNR Fish and Wildlife Ed Boggess in St. Paul this past winter has opened greater communication between the interests of trappers and that of other user groups regarding stream restoration projects and the beaver control activities conducted along with them. I'm pleased to report that the MTA
has secured a voice in future developments and implementation of these programs. A group of MTA members took the initiative to attend a tour of the Dark River Project near Chisholm with MTA member David Holmbeck to gain a better understanding of what has transpired there and how it is of great importance that trappers be aware of how these projects come into being and are evaluated. I thank those members who took the opportunity to stand and be counted as advocates for our resources and their habitat. I strongly encourage any MTA member who is passionate about protecting our resources to attend one of these tours and to make a pledge to attend public input meetings in their area. If you'd be interested in taking a tour of this particular project, please contact me directly for more information.
The more individual trappers that get involved, the greater our voice in the decision making process.
Rich Raeker
One final note, as most are aware by this time, the MTA suffered the loss of one of its’ greatest champions this spring with the death of Rich Raeker. Rich battled cancer for many months but ultimately God decided to heal him by taking him to himself.
Please lift up Rich's wife Linda and their family in your prayers and take the time to read the tribute piece in this publication in his honor. God speed my friend.
Keep your skinning knives sharp,
Shawn