Oklahoma Fur Bearers Alliance District 4 Director Report September 2025

Hello from Southern Oklahoma where the grass is still green. I do not remember a summer where the grass has stayed this green and growing. There is plenty of hay here and I have been seeing lots of young turkeys and lots of fawns. The young coyotes are learning that when you hear a tractor running in as hay field it means an easy meal. There was a pair of Red Foxes that raised two pups at my mom's house under an outbuilding. We would see the parents setting on the round bales at the barn in the evenings. Pretty neat when that happens. Gary Jarman and I helped at the Grady County Fair Kids Day. We brought fur and traps for the kids to see. There were 391 kids that came by our booth. I would like to thank Noah Reaves, Josiah Witt, Nathaniel Witt, Mesa Payne and Jace Payne for the help. The kids did most of the demos and explaining what traps were for what animals. They also showed what fur was from what animal. They had a game that was played after the demo. Mesa Payne came up with this game. It was about animals, shelter, and water/food. The Kids Day had archery, horses, and many other things on a farm. We were treated to lunch at the Fair. Becka Payne has done a wonderful thing for the home school kids around the Chickasha area. The kid has been coming to the Waurika Youth camp for quite a while, and they are active in getting more kids involved in the youth camps

By the time you get the magazine the OFBA Fall Convention will be over. I hope that you got to see demos, get supplies and eat. I will let you know how it went on the next write up. Get your kids signed up for the OFBA Youth. They usually are the weekend before Christmas and the weekend after Christmas. The North camp will be at Stillwater, Oklahoma on Lake Carl Blackwell. The South camp will be at Lake Waurika in southwest Oklahoma. You will need to contact Shannon Sheffert at 405-742-7884 to get signed up. We will show the basic land and water sets, how to skin and how-to put-up fur. Meals will be provided by some of the best trapline cooks there is. I would like to thank Jerrod Davis with the Oklahoma Dept of Wildlife for everything that they do for trapping the Youth Camps. A big thanks goes out to Bill Duke for the traps that we use and give away to the kids at the Youth Camps. Also thanks to Cletis Richards with Appleroad Bait as he always donates lure and bait to the Camps. He has always helped the kids out. There are many more that give their time and knowledge to help the kids get started trapping or improve their skills.

Evan Crosby has asked if you have any stories or pictures that you would like to share, please send them to Evan to post them on the OFBA website. His email is Evan Crosby ofbasec@yahoo.com and he will get it posted.

Remember to get a kid involved with trapping as they are our future. Thanks, R.C. Edgar