....my apologies...thats a impressive list of credentials you have listed!

You hit the nail on the head ! For us to run an association (WSTA) it is tough and thankless for the most part AND how is the association fault if you didn’t get top dollar ? The buyers are there but you can’t force them to pay a high price for something that isn’t worth that said price it’s business some years we win some years they win

The "correct" buyers? How do you do that?
An association can set a date and location, then let it be known to all. Hopefully the date works for the "correct" buyers, I guess.

Slick Pan who are these "correct buyers you speak of that were not at the sale? There were buyers there that have a lot of years buying behind them. I don't see George holding back if the fur was worth $5 more on a sealed bid. There were quite a string of buyers at the sale. You never did say if you were at the sale, are you basing the tempo of the entire sale off Misty's report? What was the sale average on beaver?

I do understand Musty’s frustration he puts up good fur done right then you see fur put up that’s laughable and you get the near same price , it’s frustrating but it’s part of the gamble

I haven't seen any averages yet when I do I will post them.

There is a fairly strong market out there if one can find an honest buyer that is hungry enough to do the work and is willing to pay the price.

How deep it is, is another story.

By chance did you weigh your beaver hides before you sold them?



That a result of a hatter market. Put up becomes less relevant.

I been biting my tongue but can't any longer.
--Greedy associations? We are in the middle of a federal grizzly lawsuit. Even though we are only paying 1/3 of the bill it is still draining our accounts. Fur sale is our biggest fundraiser.
--Too big of egos to merge organizations in Idaho? I personally nominated and encouraged the leaders of the two other Idaho groups to run for ITA director positions. I personally have stood on the platform of merging all groups into one organization since I ran for the President position a decade ago.
--My wife and me were at the St Maries sale from start to finish. I have attended every Upper Snake sale since I became president as well.
--I won't apologize for non residents bringing or shipping fur into our sale. Almost 20% of our membership is out of staters and they have just as much right to come to our sales as anyone else. Just like Idahoans are welcome to go to a out of state sale.
--I'm sorry our March sale was too big. We are looking at solutions on fixing that problem by next year.
--By the way, due to requests from buyers and trappers we will be having a clean up sale on April 27th. Consignment only. Hoping it is a quick 4 hr sale.
--Very proud of our volunteers and so I do get defensive of them.

Rusty

absolutely! keep doing what your doing rusty.

Rusty,
When I mentioned greedy associations I was referring to the smaller Idaho associations having their own fur sales when they could combine, get better prices and figure out how to split the proceeds accordingly. I was in no way referring to the Glenn's Ferry sale.

"I personally have stood on the platform of merging all groups into one organization since I ran for the President position a decade ago." As it should be.

What happens in Montana as far as laws and regulations are drafted using Idaho's. In Montana the association is not strong enough to stand on it's own. They did nothing that I am aware of when our wolf trapping season was delayed because of the antis going to court using the grizzly bear as a means to stop wolf trapping. The Montana FWP also did nothing to stop that.

One question-why as a trapping organization,are you spending time and money on a hunting issue?

we are all in this together...united we stand divided we fall

As a trapper I want my association to protect trapping,not draining the funds for hunting issues.
Hunting orgs have way more money than trapping orgs,and often work against trappers interests.
Hunting lobbys have been responsible for lots of snaring and bodygrip restrictions and limiting trapping seasons in some cases.
Some trapping orgs have been taken over (or attempted to be taken over) by hunters claiming to be trappers.

what hunting issue? Probably an ESA issue?

I tend to agree with your statement Boco..^^^^^

In the 1980s I was the only trapper (I was in my late teens...18 or 19, I think) at several state-sponsored meetings coordinated by fox and bcat houndsmen that were attempting to have a limit put on those species for the trapper....so they would have more to run with hounds.

At one of those meetings I thought I was gonna have to fight my way out of there. None of those "hunters" were friends of trapping back then.

the grizzly lawsuit is not about a hunting issue

swamp boco is one of the biggest cheerleaders for canadian trap restrictions AITHS he seems to like to be on both sides of the fence...wants all fur certified

We have less trapping restrictions here then you have by far.thanks to those Standards and our trappers who initiated them.
You poor buggers not only have trapping restrictions you have actual trapping bans.
Time to give your head a good shake.
What is truly laughable is that because you were against certification you killed the goose that laid the golden egg,talk about shooting yourself in the foot,lol.

....lol.... more BS