Tanned Fur Project
Organization > Program Chairs
Minnesota Trappers Association
Tanned Fur Project
Tanned Fur Project Coordinator
- Click here for list of people willing to process fur for this project.
- If you want to be added to the volunteer list, send a request to the Webmaster
- Fur Donation to Cedar Ridge Elementary School 2019
Tim Caven7444 County Rd 27Pennock, MN 56279(320) 599-4176
Above is a photo of MN Conservation Officer Demo Regas tagging an accidental otter I caught this spring while nuisance beaver trapping. Officer Regas said he donated the otter fur to the MTA Tanned Fur Project. Recently a conservation officer in the Grand Rapids area died in the line of duty. I think it is time to start appreciating the work these officers do for us., so hopefully, you get this in time. I hope you have a good memorial day.
Fur now, Jim Ojanen
Fall 2021 ReportIt is always a great pleasure to hand out awards and acknowledge those that have gone above and beyond for the Tanned Fur Project. This year’s winners announced at the summer convention in Barnum were:Conservation Officer of the Year:
5th Place – Officer Andy Schmidt4th Place – Officer Dan Starr3rd Place – Officer Troy Richards
Runner Up – Officer Tricia Plautz – Officer Plautz wins or is near the top year after yearWinner – Officer Demo Regas of Blackduck
Thank you to all Conservation Officers who continue to work so well with the Minnesota Trappers Association. As always thank you to Officer Scott Staples who is often the glue the holds it all together.District Competition:
3rd Place – District 1Runner Up – District 4Winner – District 3 – Congratulations to District 3, great job as always
Volunteer Fur Processor of the Year:
This is the first year this award has been given out and it goes to a very worthy individual. Don McGaffey of Brandon professionally processed a ton of green skins for the MTA. Thank you Don, you are appreciated.
Individual Competition:13th Place – Joe Jewett12th Place – Keith Friedsam11th Place – Rick Olson10th Place – Bert Highland – Bert not only donates a lot of fur but also a lot of squirrel skins that we can always use for youth education9th Place – Tie Andy Shoemaker and Dewey Schmitz8th Place – Doug Abel and Doug Padgett of Fairmont7th Place – Walt Gessler6th Place – Tie Paul Zieroth and Art Klipping5th Place – Flor, Hilburn, and Hilburn Team Trapline4th Place – Tie Allan Golden and Tom Boser3rd Place – Dale JindraRunner Up – Eric MaijalaWinner For the Second Year in a Row – Michael Shaleen, Sr. with an incredible donation consisting of 177 Muskrats, 81 Beaver, 17 Mink, 8 Otter, 7 Ermine, 5 Raccoon, 1 Red Fox, 1 Pine Marten. All this fur was nicely put up as well. You are incredibly generous to the MTA in fur donations and benefit auction purchases. Thank you Michael.
Thank you to all of the above and to each of you who donated even one skin, it all helps and adds up. We are currently positioned nicely to assist good teachers (who are pro fur) to put pelts in front of their students to handle and learn. Over the years I’ve gotten letters from many young people who got the trapping bug from handling tanned pelts in school that were donated by the Minnesota Trappers Association Tanned Fur Project. Be proud, you’re doing a good thing.Have fun this fall and enjoy all that outdoor Minnesota has to offer
Tim Caven
Tanned Fur Project Coordinator
Photo Right:
"Thank you to the Minnesota Trappers Association for the use of your furs. Our youth enjoyed learning about the animals and being able to touch the pelts. This has helped them to prepare for upcoming competitions."
--Benton County 4-H Shooting Sports and Wildlife
"TANNED FURS TO A GOOD CAUSE"
For years I had heard of a Stillwater Area High School teacher who does an incredible job in teaching High School Biology Courses. He has been employed there for over 30 years.
My three children had all been students of this teacher and all said the same thing, he makes learning really fun, is interesting, and teaches in a way that makes students interested in the subject, even when they thought they wouldn’t be.
A licensed Master Falconer, this teacher has been involved in Peregrine Falcon restoration since 2002, and regularly hunts with a variety of hawks and falcons. Live hawks or falcons are kept in the classrooms at the High School, giving students up close and personal experience with Birds of Prey they normally would never see or learn about.
This teacher has involved students in live trapping raccoons on the school Environmental Learning Center (ELC) fitting them with radio collars, and studying movement patters and denning locations. Deer have also been live trapped and radio collared there, so movements can be monitored.
Every year, a trail camera collects hundreds of animal photos from the ELC which get posted on a Facebook site, and in the classrooms, showing students just how many animals are present in the suburban setting.
A member of MOHA (Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance) this teacher has represented the Minnesota Falconers Association on issues relating to the sport of Falconry.
Almost every year, I will bump into young hunters in the Stillwater area. Always interested in youth hunting/trapping, I ask them where they got started or how did they find this hunting spot? In many cases, they say the same thing, we got interested in hunting from a Stillwater Biology Teacher, and he gave us directions on where to go!
On December 3rd 2019, I was able to meet with Stillwater Area High School Teacher Andrew Weaver, at the High School Biology Area, and presented him with a set of tanned furs, collected by Trappers from Minnesota, donated by Trappers from Minnesota, and tanned through the MTA’s Tanned Fur Project. He will now have beautiful tanned furs on display in their classrooms for students to see and touch and be used for animal identification. All will know that the furs were donated by Trappers and the MTA. He was very appreciative and couldn’t wait to display them in the classrooms.
Special thanks to Trappers who donate to the MTA’s Tanned Fur Project, and to Tim Caven of Minnesota Trapline Products, for heading up the Tanned Fur Project! Consider donating some furs this year!
Andy Shoemaker
Photo #1: Biology Teacher Andrew Weaver, with tanned furs.
Photo #2:
Stillwater Area High School Biology Teacher, Andrew Weaver’s class rooms have lots of interesting things in them. This is a female Goshawk, captured by Weaver and used for teaching students, and for hunting.
Photo #3:
Another photo of teacher, Andrew Weaver, with the Goshawk.