VTA Training Coordinator

Ed Crebbs
175 Waldrop Rd
Gordonsville VA 22942
540-832-2708
email: edcrebbs@yahoo.com
Assistant Training Coordinator - Mike Perdue
9150 Poor Mountain Road
Bent Mountain, VA 24059
Home-540-929-4412
Cell- 540-589-4508
email:
mikeperdue@verizon.net
This is your Virginia Trappers Association working for you.
Master Trapper Program
The purpose of this program is to provide professional recognition to individual trappers. It is designed to recognize the sustained effort of a trapper to both become a more successful trapper and to participate in the training and education of future generations of trappers.
There are three levels of achievement
possible in this program for which a
There are some issues with availability and accessibility to certain furbearers by those in far eastern parts of the state. These issues will be addressed on a case by case basis.
Only one award may be applied for in a calendar year.
To earn the Apprentice Trapper Award the applicant must:
Provide documentation of thirty (30) or more trapping days within the most recent licensed furbearer season and a record of catch providing documentation to show the legal catch of at least six (6) different species of furbearer taken within the most recent licensed furbearer season (copy of trapping log or diary for that year). (No animals caught outside the licensed trapping season, i.e. early live fox catch period or Damage Control, may count towards this award.)
To earn the Journeyman Trapper Award the applicant must:
All requirements above must be completed within a three year period.
To earn the Master Trapper Award the applicant must:
Provide documentation of sixty (60) or more trapping days within the most recent licensed furbearer season and a record of catch providing documentation to show the legal catch of at least ten (10) different species of furbearer taken within the most recent licensed furbearer season including three of the following: bobcat*, coyote*, mink*, or otter* (copy of trapping log or diary for that year). (No animals caught outside the licensed trapping season, i.e. early live fox catch period or Damage Control, may count towards this award.)
As a trapper earns each of the three award levels he/she shall receive a certificate of recognition, a Program Patch for that level, and the patches (rockers) that signify the catch of the required animals. These patches will be on a one time issue only.
A check made payable to the VTA in the amount
of $25.00 for the Apprentice Trapper award, $30.00 for the Journeyman
Trapper award, and $35.00 for the Master Trapper award shall accompany the
application. If the award is
not approved the fee will be returned to the applicant.
Any member of the VTA may purchase the rocker style patches which accompany the award for his/her own use but the three program patches (one-time issue only) may only be earned through participation in the Awards Program.
=========================================================================================
Application for Master Trapper Program Award
Address: _______________________________________________
City: _______________________________
State: ________ Zip Code: _________________
County: ___________________________
District: __________ Training Region: _________
I am applying for the ________ Apprentice __________ Journeyman _________ Master Award.
Date of Completion:
Basic Trapper Training course: ___________
Attended the VTA Annual convention: ________
Apprentice Trapper Award: ________________
Assisted with a Basic Trapper Training Course, classroom or field exercise (circle one)
instruction: _______
Advanced Trapper Training Course,
Part One or Part Two: ________
Journeyman Trapper Award: _______________
Conducted one training demonstration (trap-setting) and one classroom section at a Basic
Trapper Training Course: _____________________
Advanced Trapper Training Course, Part One or Part Two: __________
Mentored one beginning trapper, season of: ______________________
If you cannot locate your date of completion for any training you have participated in and know the location, contact the State Training Coordinator for this information prior to submitting this form. Go to www.virginiatrappers.org for contact information.
I certify that I have caught the following animals as required above for the (circle one only) Apprentice / Journeyman / Master Trapper Award:
Coyote* __________ Red Fox __________ Gray Fox __________
Bobcat*___________ Raccoon __________ Opossum __________
Otter* ____________ Beaver ___________ Muskrat ___________
Mink* ____________ Striped Skunk _________
I certify that these animals were caught by me with no physical help from another person and that these animals were caught in a trap other than a cage trap (steel live-catch foot hold trap, Conibear style trap, or snare. I further certify that none of these animals were caught outside the licensed furbearer trapping season, i.e. early live fox catch period or Damage Control.
A copy of my trapping log or diary is attached providing documentation of _______ or more
days trapping and ________ different animals caught as cited above.
A fee of $25.00 / $30.00 / $35.00 accompanies this application. Check # _________________
___________________________________ ________________________________
Signature
of Applicant Date
___________________________________ ___________________________________
Signature
of District Director
Signature of Regional Training
Coordinator
Patch and certificate issued to District Director for applicant: ____________________________
Date
Initials (RTC)
Patch and certificate awarded to applicant by ________________________ on ______________
Date entered into database: ____________________ Initials: _____________________
State Training
Coordinator
Training Coordinator’s Report for September, October 2010
As I write this I am sitting in the house wishing for cooler weather. Seems like it wasn’t too long ago I was digging down through 23 inches of snow to find my traps. 2 months ago I was at the convention and did not see a lot of you. You missed a great event. J. R. did us good.
We’ve been busy getting out the word about trapping. We have attended four events already in July and two in August in Campbell County and Highland County. Now in September we have every weekend (including Labor Day) booked and two of them are double booked. Then we have three weekends in October booked. After that we will try to stand down and get final preps done for the upcoming trapping season.
Last weekend we had our first ever Advanced Trapping Class in Highland County. We expected about 25 and 44 signed up with 40 attending. This was a trial run. We used it to establish a curriculum for future classes. I have received some excellent feedback from several who attended and will be standardizing the curriculum so we can do it around the state. I really want to thank Warren Pence, Glen Mabe, and Jon Donaldson for the great work they did and Billy Price for setting up and organizing this event. They are already planning for another Basic class there next year. By the time you read this Region 1 will be conducting a program for college Biology classes at Christopher Newport University. Way to go Kevin!! Region 1 and Region 5 have Basic classes coming up in September and October. I already have 9 seats reserved in September. Get your non-trapping friends to a class and start training your replacement..
Do not forget the Master Trapper Program this season. It is a great way for you to showcase your skills and help start a non-trapper on the way to learning our art. Our own VTA President, his wife, and daughter are all working toward this, this year. Me, too! I am embarrassed to say that I have forgotten to do the necessary paper work to get myself in the program, but that will change this year. You should join us too! Let’s make this the year of the VTA Apprentice Challenge. I’ll bet we can get 40 certified Apprentice Trappers this year. OK District Directors, how about you? How many can you get certified in your district???
I have a large supply of used 330 Conibear traps and some small foot hold muskrat traps that I am selling; also some large coyote traps. I bought most of these and have repaired some that needed it and have dipped all of the water traps and I am boiling, dying, and waxing (some of) the land traps now. Once I get my money out of them the rest will go in the scholarship fund. If you are interested in any of these, contact me.
Remember to take a non-trapper on the line with you this fall and teach them about what they are missing. Show your hunting buddy how much he does not know about the animals in the woods he hunts.

