Education Coordinator's Page
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Minnesota Trappers Association
Education Coordinator's Report
Summer 2021 Report
Greetings All,
Covid obviously put the brakes on just about everything worthwhile over the past year and in spite of these challenges, at least three Trapper Education Field Training Sessions and one traditional classroom course was completed in the State. District 8 hosted field training once again at Cumberland’s in Owatonna with Bill Ruhland from Montgomery as the lead instructor and District 2 had both the classroom as well as the field training portion in Middle River led by Dana Klos of Thief River Falls. The District 1 report is provided below. Now that social restrictions are finally being lifted, many districts are happily planning to restore annual trapper training schedules for September.
District One Trapper Education Field Training Session 04/17/21 Report:
The weather proved to be cooperative with an absence of rain or snow with favorable temperatures for this event. Last weekend's Trapper Education Field Training session was well attended with over thirty participants in all with only a single "no show" and one individual that unfortunately couldn't attend in good conscience due to COVID exposure.
Prospective trappers attended from across the State leaving hometowns in Sturgeon Lake, Emily, Little Falls, Grand Rapids, Isanti, Brainerd, Zimmerman, with many from the St Paul metro area, in addition to the Iron Range all made the trip to our home on the North Shore Saturday morning to take full advantage of the opportunity.
As reflected in the continuing trend over the past twelve years, the vast majority of those attending were in their early to mid-twenties and thirties although participant ages ranged from 11 to 58.
Twenty-six individuals were certified for license purchase during this session. Land and water trapping, dryland snaring in addition to weasel, otter, and beaver pelting demonstrations easily filled the hours from 9:00 am-3:00 pm.
Continuing our tradition, my dearly beloved Linda prepared and distributed lunch for hungry instructors and attendees around noon.
My heartfelt thanks to my "first wife" and our always dedicated Certified Instructor Team including Bruce Lotti, Paul Zieroth, and Phil Mannon for freely sharing their considerable knowledge and experience.
Five gallons of fox urine and several pounds of trapping magazines were given away. Raffle tickets and MTA memberships were sold at the conclusion of the session.
Thanks to the combined efforts of all, the future of our sport appears bright.
Keep your skinning knives sharp,
Shawn Johnson-Education Coordinator
Minnesota Trappers Association
6122 McQuade Road
Duluth, MN 55804
