Application Form for First Catch Award Program

The purpose of this program is to provide individual recognition to beginning junior trappers.  Each participant will submit a form documenting their first ever catch of a furbearer during a legal trapping season for furbearers in Virginia .   

Upon submission of the appropriate information a sew-on/iron-on patch will be provided to the applicant.  This patch (rocker) is an accompaniment to the already provided Trapper Education Patch earned by someone who successfully completes the Virginia Trappers Association Basic Trapper Training class.

 Each patch shall document the first ever catch of a specific Virginia Furbearer by a youth trapper during the regular trapping season.  There are eleven different patches available: otter, beaver, muskrat, mink, raccoon, opossum, skunk, coyote, red fox, gray fox, and bobcat. (Nutria is not included due to the small region of the state in which they are found.)

1. To participate an applicant must have taken the Basic Trapper Training Course within three calendar years of his/her first submission if under the age of eighteen. If eighteen years or older the applicant must have taken the Basic Trapper Training Course within two calendar years of his/her first submission.

2. For the purposes of this event, all years of participation are determined from the last day of the month of March of the furbearer trapping season year of entry submission.  An applicant’s age is measured from his/her actual age on November 15 of the furbearer trapping season.  (If a submission is made during the 2007-2008 furbearers trapping season it is considered to be submitted March 31, 2008 and the applicant’s age is considered to be that which it was on 15 November 2007.)

3. All application submissions will be made on the form provided and submitted to the individual’s District Director who will forward the application to his Regional Training Coordinator.  All applications must be received by the District Directors no later than April 15 of the application year.

4. Regional Training Coordinators will evaluate the application and if approved, provide the award to the District Director, and forward the Application to the State Training Coordinator for file.  District Directors will present the applicant with his or her award at an appropriate occasion.

5. The State Training Coordinator will advise the Web Master who will list the awardees on the appropriate web page.  He will also keep an electronic file of all awardees for five years from the date of award.

6. All application submissions will be maintained by the VTA Training Coordinator for a period of three years for historical purposes.

Highlight and print the following application:

Name: _______________________________________________     Age: __________________

                                                                                                                    On 11/15 of this trapping season

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

City: _______________________________   State: ________   Zip Code: _________________

County:  ___________________________   District: __________   Training Region: _________

Date of Completion of Basic Trapper Training Course: _________________________________

Location of Course: _____________________________________________________________

If you cannot locate your date and location contact the State Training Coordinator for this information prior to submitting this form.  See www.virginiatrappers.org for contact information.

I am applying for the FIRST CATCH AWARD for the following animal(s):

Coyote __________                Red Fox __________             Gray Fox __________

Bobcat __________                Raccoon __________             Opossum __________

Otter: ___________                Beaver: ___________              Muskrat: __________

Mink: ___________                Striped Skunk _________

I certify that this animal was caught by me with no physical help from another person and that this is the first time I have caught this type of animal in a steel live-catch foot hold trap, Conibear style trap, or snare (cage traps are not acceptable).  I understand that while I may have had help in the decisions involved in trapping this animal the actual anchoring and physical making of the finished set was done by me.

___________________________________              ________________________________

Signed                                                                             Date

___________________________________              ___________________________________

Signature of District Director                                                  Signature of Regional Training Coordinator

Patch issued to District Director for applicant: ________________________________________

                                                                                    Date                                         Initials

Date form received by Training Coordinator: ___________________

Date entered into database: ____________________   Initials: _____________________

                                                                                                            Training Coordinator