The WTA District 5 Winter Meeting will be held Sat. Feb.6, 2010 at Bud Pierson”s Fur Shed starting at 1pm. The fur shed is located at W22051 Wagner Rd. in Treampealeau,  Wisconsin. This is always a great afternoon of comraderie with fellow trappers-there is never a shortage of stories! For those of you not familiar, the  Wisconsin Trappers Association is a very vital organization dedicated to maintaining our priveledge to trap. It increases our opportunities to use products such as cable restraints and works closely with the DNR to set regulations and seasons that are mutually beneficial for the furbearers and the trappers. It also provides excellent social opportunities through events such as the state convention, the district summer rendevous’ and these winter meetings. We have been members for many years and would recommend all trappers to be members of this or their own state association. More info on the WTA can be found on their website at www.wistrap.org. Anyway there is also a short business meeting at the winter gathering . We are looking for a new District 5 director-please speak up if you or anyone you know is interested. Anyone is welcome to attend. If you so desire bring along a little something for the potluck lunch and/or something small to donate for the raffle. I look forward to this event every year!

      Got an update from cousin Keith Bollinger-a member of the Salwey family. He has been learning about under-ice muskrat trapping from the Last River Rat, Uncle Kenny Salwey. His tally so far is 19 muskrats!  What a combination of a great teacher and a wonderful student. We wish him continued success in his chilly under-ice escapades.

      We sure enjoyed Uncle Kenny’s latest book, the Old Time River Rats, as is everybody else that we talked to that has read it. I like to read before bed but I laughed so hard while reading this book that I had to adjust my reading time. This is the third book that Uncle Kenny has written.  It can be enjoyed even if you haven’t yet read the other two. We have all three available at our website -click over to the catalog.

      See you at the meeting.

     Tom Roskos