Greetings Trappers, As I write this we are trapping coyotes and coon on several farms in Winona County. Started with a little rain but has dried up and has made land trapping fun again!  I’ve been asked why we trap in the early part of the season. Well we live in dairy country and we have essentially a 3 week deer season. There are very few farmers that will let you trap on their farm during deer hunting. They have family and friends hunting or they lease out their woodlands to hunters and get paid very well by the way, so they don’t want anyone disturbing the area by driving around checking coyote traps. If we wait until after deer hunting to trap, it’s a crap shoot as to whether or not the ground is frozen, covered by a foot or more of snow and with the snow you can’t determine where the farmer has new seeding or cover crops that shouldn’t be driven on. 

We don’t actually trap for the fun of it, we are doing predator control trapping and try to catch as many animals as possible in what’s usually the best conditions. That is why we trap early. 

Jo and I are looking forward to being at the winter meeting and Legal Defense Banquet this January. Also we should be able to make it to the Trappers Day at the Capital this year. If anyone would like to car pool up to the Cities, let me know and we’ll figure out a plan to get as many trappers there as possible. Our next District meeting will be March 14 at the Stewartville Sportsman’s Club. All current members will get a card in the mail prior to that day. With the start of the new year it’s a good time to make sure your memberships are current for the MTA, NTA, and FTA. Please consider joining all 3 organizations, we’ve relied heavily on their support in the past and I’m sure we will at some point in the future with all the animal rights wackos out there. 

Take care and I hope you’re enjoying trapping as much as we are again this year!  

Respectfully, Terry McElmury