November - December 2022 Issue
It’s hard to believe it is already time to write the article for the November-December issue of the American Trapper. Where does time go?
The national convention in Lima, Ohio, was well attended and the Ohio State Trappers Association did an excellent job in hosting. A special thank you to everyone who helped make it a success.
With the success of the first NTA Kid’s Cave in Spencer, Iowa, you would have been hard-pressed to believe it could get any better, however, the 2nd Annual NTA Kid’s Cave in Lima, Ohio, more than doubled in activities, fun and education.
It takes a lot of volunteers, sponsors and hard work to pull off something as large as the Kid’s Cave. Thank you to all that helped, and a special thank you to Kent and Deb Weil for all the effort they put into this project.
I had sponsored a free bike giveaway for the child whose parents joined the NTA at the Kid’s Cave. Congratulations to 7-year-old Hudson Crouse of Willard, Ohio, for winning the bike.
Last fall, when I mentioned to Linda White about the possibility of doing a women’s seminar at the end of each day at the Kid’s Cave demo area, I never dreamed it would morph into the event it turned out to be. It went from being a single seminar each day to having its own area and various programs throughout the day. Linda and her crew did a great job. I look forward to watching it grow for next year’s convention. Thank you for all the hard work and dedication you all put into this newest addition of the NTA’s convention line-up.
For the second year in a row we have held the President’s Reception at the fairgrounds. It was very well attended with over 400 in attendance.
While not everyone has approved of the changes I made to the President’s Reception guest list during my presidency, I firmly believe that no one is as important as an individual member, and I felt honored to break bread and fellowship with the backbone of the NTA – our MEMBERS. The NTA belongs to you and you deserve the pat on the back. Another great honor I had that night was to present Ron Leggett with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Leggett family has contributed so much to trapping for decades. It was well deserved.
And, I can’t mention the President’s Reception without thanking the sponsors who made it possible to provide a free dinner to the NTA members at no cost to the NTA. A very heartfelt thank you to all who donated and for your support of the NTA.
Another addition to this year’s convention was the NTA Gathering Place. If you didn’t stop by to listen to the guitar picking and the stories told, you missed out on a good time. Thank you to Dave and Karen Linkhart for setting this area up and providing the flagpole for our new NTA flag which flew proudly under Old Glory.
Many years ago, when I was General Organizer, Dave and Karen talked to me about their belief that it was important for the NTA leadership to be present among the attendees at the fairgrounds.
That point resonated with me. As soon as Covid would allow, both Vice President Matt Lumley and I have stayed at the campgrounds as soon as the meetings and formalities were over. Being able to spend this extra time visiting with members, listening to their stories, and sharing some of my own, has given me memories that I will cherish the rest of my life.
Lastly, on the subject of conventions, I’d like to thank Bryan Nelson for the great job he has done. For his steadfastness, creativity and willingness to adapt on the fly, GOOD JOB!
As we wind down this year and prepare to go into 2023, there is much business to attend to.
At the time of this writing, the NTA Southeastern has yet to be held and once again we are teaming up with FTA to assure trappers are well represented at the NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit to be held November 29 - December 2 in Bozeman, Montana.
We are planning a live marten relocation-line to be organized by NTA Vice President Matt Lumley. This will give legislators and other attendees the opportunity to participate in a true trapline experience.
Our NTA/FTA team will attend this summit with the goal of making connections that will help protect trapping in the future.
Rusty Kramer, Dave and Karen Linkhardt, and I are in the planning stages for two Readiness Seminars to be held this spring, one in Idaho and one in New York state. The purpose of these seminars is threefold. The ultimate goal is to help states to have a plan in place so that when they come under attack from the antis, they will have a plan of action already in place and be prepared to do what’s instantly needed. The second objective is to build or strengthen coalitions within the various regions, and thirdly, but definitely not last, for leaders of the trapping community to come together and have productive roundtable discussions.
On a final note, by the time you receive this issue of the magazine, our time of the year will be in full swing. Go out and enjoy your heritage, and share the experience with someone new so that our way of life will not perish but will flourish into the future. •