Education Report

By: Deb Offerdahl, Education Director and Ken Olson, Mandatory Trappers Education, Minnesota Trappers Association


Deb Offerdahl
Hello to all,

As another convention comes to a close, we must thank Butch Dykhoff and his crew for putting on a great convention. The weather was a bit warm but everyone still had smiles on their faces and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We held a Trapper Education Instructor Class on Friday, and certified 13 new instructors.

I would like to thank them for their interest in helping educate new trappers. It is up to us to educate all future trappers so we can ensure the future of our sport. We will hold our next certification on January 2, 2009 in Isle. The time and place will be in a future report.

I would also like to take a moment to thank all the instructors that did put on classes this past year. Your dedication to our sport is greatly appreciated.

I would like to thank everyone that entered the Youth Photo Contest. We had 2 categories this year and here are the winners of this year contest:

We also had a $50 savings bond donated by the Republic Bank of Hibbing. The winner of the savings bond was Leah Schmitt.

Congratulations to all.

I would like to thank the individuals who donated their old TPC magazines. They will be handed out in our education classes. I am sure these magazines will provide great guidance to all new trappers.

I do have coloring books and many old issues of TPC for anyone putting on an educational class or doing any kind of program that would like to hand them out. Please give me a weeks notice so I can get them to you in plenty of time.

I am looking for approximately 4 people to help at Camp Ripley with a Youth Trailblazer event on Sept 20. The event runs from 8 - 4. If you are interested and can help, please contact me.

I wish you all a safe rest of the summer and a prosperous fall trapping season.

Deb Offerdahl


Ken Olson
Greetings,

Where is the time going? Here we are sitting just around the corner of another trapping season. It was a good convention in Fergus Falls. There were 12 new instructors added and another instructor refreshed. Congratulations to them and welcome to the list of instructors. Thanks to everyone that helped out with the in-field training sessions that were held there.

There has been a lot of inquires as to upcoming classes across the state. So please, if you’re planning on putting on a class yet this fall let me know. It just makes this job a little bit easier. There is a list of students that need there in-field training. I am asking you, instructors, to please return my calls contact or my wife. We don’t want to hold up students any longer then need be.

On this note, if any instructors are sitting on supplies and aren’t in the planning stages of doing a class, please return them to Deb or myself. It helps to keep good record of the supplies that we have available for classes.

Also if there does anyone that would still like to become an instructor get in with Deb or me. That way we can get you into an instructor class. There is always more room for additional instructors out there. You may think that there is enough, but the more we have the merrier.

Well guess I’ll close this report for now and get back to answering emails wanting more info into trappers’ education.

Please feel free to contact me at anytime if you have questions dealing with the Mandatory Trappers Education program. I will be more then happy to help you.

Kenneth Olson
MTA Mandatory Trappers Ed. Dir.
353 Stearns Ave.
Paynesville, MN 56362-1211
mta-ed@clearwire.net
(320)243-4230