Message from the President

 I grew up hunting and fishing with my dad as a kid and started trapping on private property 45 years ago, bought my first trapline at a government auction 42 years ago and have been trapping every year since. With buying my first trapline, I had to have a snowmachine, so being a true Canadian and maybe a little red neck I sold my car, a 1968 Nova SS, if I only had that car now it would be worth a fortune, but everything happens for a reason and I became a trapper. 

I currently own 2 traplines that are adjoining and spend over 100 days a year trapping, as well as over 100 days a year at my fishing lodge in the Yukon. The rest of the year is either spent promoting my lodge or doing stuff on the trapline. IE. Cutting trails, making boxes, making sets and the list goes on. I have been fortunate in that my whole livelihood has come from being outdoors. 

As past president of the BC Trappers Association for 8 years, I spent many days and countless meetings with the government and on committees addressing the main concerns that we have as trappers and for some of us, our way of life. Much of this time was also spent on habitat and wildlife issues as well as dealings with the forest industry which has the biggest impacts on our habitat and wildlife. 

As trappers we are the eyes and ears as to what is happening in the bush, we are the first ones to notice the declines or even in some cases, increases in wildlife populations, not just furbearers. Also, the changes in forest health, which impact everything. We have a big impact on predator management through our wolf and coyote trapping which benefits the ungulate populations throughout the province. 

I look forward to continuing to work with trappers and the government and protecting what we have for future trappers, our grandchildren, our way of life, and the wildlife that we all so much depend on. I often think about the great trappers and friends who are no longer with us and what they took with them. 

All we get out of life is the memories that we make, it doesn’t matter how successful you were in business or whatever your occupation was or how many things you have. What matters is the memories, family, friends and for some, trappers are the best friends that we can have. See you soon. 

Brian Dack, 

President of the TNTA