Posted By: martentrapper
Some ATA History - 01/24/24 12:13 AM
In early 1987 I was on the ATA board with President, Larry Voorhees. I was the secretary, dealt with Jim Greiner, the magazine editor, and I was in charge of the ATA registered trapline maps. In those days ATA members could put their trapline on a topo map and send it into ATA. This information was available to guys looking for untrapped areas and was also to hopefully provide proof of use to govt. entities, if needed. Additionally, by submitting your maps you agreed to allow ATA to moderate any trapline area dispute.
The association had received a packet of information detailing a dispute between 2 trappers. Both of these guys were up in NW Alaska pretty much in the middle of no where. One was a pretty serious trapper, living full time remotely. The other had a property in the general area but wasn't quite as serious in trapping the area. The serious trapper had sent the packet and it was laid in my hands. There was fairly detailed documentation, with pictures, of various problems the non serious guy had committed but nothing in the way of trapping violations. The serious trapper had created and sent the packet and he was insisting ATA boot the other guy out of ATA. He said he would resign his membership if we didn't.
I assume I discussed this with Larry and maybe at a board meeting. I don't remember that for sure tho. I wrote back to the serious trapper, that was the only way to converse with him, and said "kicking people out wasn't something the board wanted to get involved in. The other guy actually came to my apartment in Fbks one day to talk to me. I don't remember what transpired tho. I'm sure I relayed we wouldn't be kicking him out.
I later met both of these guys but not thru ATA. Both owned airplanes and traveled in areas I traveled years after this story time. The serious guy passed away a few years ago. He was an interesting person with lots of trapping experience.
I hope that ATA still has the maps. The trapline program isn't advertised and isn't used anymore. Those maps definitely contain historic information. Likely former board members and other well known trappers contributed maps of their lines in the past. Maybe if the maps are available they could be a subject for a future speaker at the membership meeting.
The association had received a packet of information detailing a dispute between 2 trappers. Both of these guys were up in NW Alaska pretty much in the middle of no where. One was a pretty serious trapper, living full time remotely. The other had a property in the general area but wasn't quite as serious in trapping the area. The serious trapper had sent the packet and it was laid in my hands. There was fairly detailed documentation, with pictures, of various problems the non serious guy had committed but nothing in the way of trapping violations. The serious trapper had created and sent the packet and he was insisting ATA boot the other guy out of ATA. He said he would resign his membership if we didn't.
I assume I discussed this with Larry and maybe at a board meeting. I don't remember that for sure tho. I wrote back to the serious trapper, that was the only way to converse with him, and said "kicking people out wasn't something the board wanted to get involved in. The other guy actually came to my apartment in Fbks one day to talk to me. I don't remember what transpired tho. I'm sure I relayed we wouldn't be kicking him out.
I later met both of these guys but not thru ATA. Both owned airplanes and traveled in areas I traveled years after this story time. The serious guy passed away a few years ago. He was an interesting person with lots of trapping experience.
I hope that ATA still has the maps. The trapline program isn't advertised and isn't used anymore. Those maps definitely contain historic information. Likely former board members and other well known trappers contributed maps of their lines in the past. Maybe if the maps are available they could be a subject for a future speaker at the membership meeting.