Padding the coffers as you put it may or may not be occurring. The ATA has detailed financials available to their members. If there is "extra" money coming in to the ATA thata not necessarily a bad thing. Having a bit of money in the bank is important for all associations.
Now when I began trapping the world was much different than it is now. I was 4 years old and it was 1976. There was no trapping courses or certification programs. Everyone trapped and mentors were everywhere. Standards were horrible and humanness was not emphasized like it is today.
When I was 16 and able to acquire my own licence I was required to pass the Hunter Safety Course and have my parents signature on my licence. I live and breathe trapping and every available Avenue I could find was used. Magazines, books, videos, and especially talking to other trappers.
The times were different then. Everyone had a "secret" or some special concoction and most methods were kept secret. Many many years of trial and error taught me trapping. I did it because I love it, but it sure would have been nice for some of those guys to share abit more than they did.
Trapper Education is very dear to me. I absolutely hate seeing any animal suffer. It's for that reason that I take it upon myself to educate as many people as possible of the most humane ways to harvest fur. And helping out new trappers get over that learning hump quicker makes it better for everyone. New trappers who do not have success initially are more prone to break the rules just to make a catch. Those are the bad stories I hate hearing. Education takes care of all that.
As of right now I am the only instructor who activly teaches the 2 day course in Saskatchewan. Students are given all the government mandated theory but also set real sets and make actual catches. They see in practice how humane sets are made and the results. They also partake in all aspects of fur handling from start to finish. These students do not come out of any course a pro, but they personally have some hands on experience to take with them on their own lines.
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