HIGHLANDTOWN
Trapper's Workshop and Field Day
Article from Jan
- Feb 2001 Buckeye Trapper
by Ken
Gallagher
On October 28 & 29, 2000 Highlandtown Wildlife Area held
its first Advanced Trappers Workshop and Field Day. We had 12
very good students attend who were there to learn and that they
did.
We started at 9:00 AM on Saturday with Wildlife Officer Scott
Blattert (also an excellent trapper). He talked to the students
about laws and ethics, and then I talked to them about trap basics,
types of traps, how to repair a trap, etc. Vern Snyder spoke to
them about snares, and Mark Kohler talked about trap dying, waxing,
and pan adjustment. After that, we hit the trail. We set several
raccoon snares first. Each of us took a few students and showed
them the dos and don'ts of using snares and then the students
set all the snares. Next we went to the creek where Mark and Vern
showed the students several water sets, raccoon cuffs, blind sets
for mink, etc. immediately following we went to the lake, where
the students got to wade out in the marsh and set traps for muskrats.
The students made bodygrip sets and drowning sets with foot hold
traps. After that we showed the students how to make dirt hole
sets. We finished up the day by letting the two oldest students
set snares for beaver. Jeff Janosik, the manager for Highlandtown
Wildlife Area, had been asked by the fisheries division to have
the beavers removed from the pond.
On Sunday we started about 8:30AM to check and pull our traps.
Only one raccoon was caught, this was a little disappointing,
but the weather was not in our favor that night. Anyhow, it gave
Vern the opportunity to show the students how to dispatch the
raccoon and Mark to show them how to bleed out the raccoon, the
first step in pelt preparation.
The day got better, at the lake the kids pulled out a total
of seven muskrats. The smiles on their face made everything worth
while. We left there and went to the beaver pond where Dan Murray
and Charlie Reffitt snared two nice beavers. We put the beaver
in live traps and carried them out to the parking lot for the
rest of the kids to see. It was a great treat for the kids.
Back at the headquarters, Mark showed the students how to skin
and flesh the raccoon. We also showed them how to put the hide
on a stretcher and how to measure them. We gave a muskrat to each
student who didn't have one, and they all got to skin and flesh
their own muskrat.
With a total of seven muskrats, one raccoon, and two beaver,
we had a great first Highlandtown Workshop and Field Day. With
that, I want to thank Jeff Janosik for letting us have the workshop
at Highlandtown, Vern Snyder and Mark Kohler, Scott Blattert,
Glenn Wilson for helping with all the events. Also I want to thank
Kevin and Jayne Gallagher and Mike West for helping to prepare
and serve lunch. There were several OSTA members who called to
offer their support and help for the event, which was greatly
appreciated.
|
