VTA Trapper Training

 

Trapper Training Contacts

Trapper Training Schedule

Application Form for First Catch Award Program

The VTA is dedicated to trapper education, whether it be with the non-trapper, the veteran trapper or the young trapper.  Currently, we are working in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries to establish a trapper training education program.  Similar in nature to the hunter's education program, we feel this program will help all trappers learn the basics & the essentials of humane wildlife conservation, by way of trapping.

Trapper Training Contacts:

 

·Coordinator- Statewide:

Ed Crebbs

175 Waldrop Rd

Gordonsville VA 22942

540-832-2708

email: edcrebbs@yahoo.com

 

·Williamsburg- Region 1:

North of the James River
Willie Ernstes

4257 Acquinton Church Rd

King William VA 23086

804-769-9488

email: fshcats@aol.com 

South of the James River
Kevin Cornwell
13256 Queens Gate Terrace
Carrollton, VA 23314
757-238-2438
email: Kevin_cornwell@hotmail.com

 

·Forest- Region 2:

John Duncan

10450 Russwood Rd

Bent Mountain VA 24059

540-929-4990

email: benttrapper@aol.com 

 

·Marion- Region 3:
Region 3 East
Gene Wirt
5401 Old Pike Road
Pilot VA 24138
540-381-4661
email:  Gene.Wirt@dgif.virginia.gov

Region 3 West
Tom Hampton
154 Dry Run
Marion, VA 24354
276-782-9190
email: tom23@earthlink.net

 

·Verona- Region 4:

Craig Lam
305 Lee Ave
Elkton VA, 22827
540-241-3738
email:  rescue801engine@aol.com 
 

 

·Fredericksburg- Region 5:
Acting Region 5 coordinator

Ed Crebbs


Trapper Training Schedule:


 

September 20th, 2008


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.)

RULES         

  1. To participate an applicant must be under 18 years of age and have taken the Basic Trapper Training Course within three calendar years of his/her first submission.  (An applicant may continue to submit entries for a total of four years or until age eighteen, which ever occurs first.)

  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

 


 

 

Below is a very nice email sent to the VTA about the Basic Trapper Training Course given in Bedford VA on Saturday March 25, 2006. The gentleman who sent the email is Larry Washburn, of Dover DE, and his son is Daniel Washburn. The family owns land in Bedford and Franklin counties, VA. Larry has given permission to use his email in it's entirety.

 

Date: 3/30/2006 13:29:28 -0500
From: ****** <******@aaa123.net>
To: to:
Subject: Pictures

 

Hi,
Here are some pictures we took 5 days after the course you all gave.
My son Daniel trapped this beaver this morning.
Also, would you let the guys know how great their course is.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My son Daniel and I attended the Virginia Trapper's Association Education Course on 25 March 2006 in Bedford County, Va

I have been to many, many Federal, State and local courses during my past 67 years. In most of the courses, it appears that the instructors try to embarrass and make the student feel like a fool if they ask a question - a kind of holy-then-thou attitude.

Of all the courses I have attended, the  Virginia Trapper's Association Course was the "very best". The instructors were outstanding in their knowledge of trapping and the way they presented the course. They were open to questions and comments from us students and never once made anyone feel bad or stupid. Instead, all of them would repeat instructions and gave us many personal experiences and tips to help us.

As one of the instructors said... their goal is to preserve this great heritage and tradition for the ones who will follow in their footsteps.... by teaching the proper way of trapping techniques. Without these knowledgeable and dedicated experts, we would never learn how to get started. The great heritage of our's would be lost forever.

In case you didn't attend the course: ....
We learned about Game Management and Gaining Permission to trap.
We also learned about the equipment we need, how traps work, proper trap preparation, cleaning, using dips, dyes & wax.

Demos in trapping mink, muskrat, beaver, raccoon, bobcat, fox, and coyote using footholds, conibears & snares.

Trap Anchoring, Land Sets, Water Sets, Trap Fastenings, Snares & Snaring, Trap Modifications, Fur Handling, Diseases, Baits and Lures, habitats, travel patterns, and Trapping Tips.

Now you may wonder if we learned anything...
Yes we did learn a lot. The instructors were the best I have ever seen.

I'll attach a couple of pictures of a beaver that we got 5 days after the course.

 

 

 

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