The Alaska Trappers Association (ATA) met at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel last Saturday for its annual banquet, referred to colloquially as their “Trappers Fling.” But this year, the event also marked the 50th anniversary of the ATA’s existence, a milestone its been celebrating throughout March.
The semicentennial drew some special guests to the annual celebration, which was sold out (with over 300 attendees) for the first time in several years. Sen. Dan Sullivan, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and state Rep. Mike Cronk were all present. Sen. Scott Kawasaki also presented the ATA with a legislative citation honoring the 50th anniversary.
ATA president Randy Zarnke, who’s been with the organization for almost the entirety of its lifespan, attributed it as a testament to the ATA’s working relationship with the Legislature, Department of Fish & Game and Board of Game.The milestone gave Zarnke reason for reflection.
“I came four or five years later (than the ATA’s 1974 year of origin), but by comparison to today, it was a sleepy little town,” Zarnke said of Fairbanks. “And in the winter, there just weren’t a lot of sources of entertainment. And so the Trappers Association provided a lot of activity for individuals. And certainly the income was welcome from the harvest of furs.”
Among the speakers at the banquet was the one of the ATA’s founding members, Norm Phillips Sr., whose time with the organization predates even Zarnke’s. While the ATA rarely has speakers at the event, he was among roughly 10 this year.
“He in his age cohort kind of founded this organization and established the foundation,” Zarnke said. “And we’ve done our best to carry on. And now in recent years, I think we’ve taken even a step beyond what they ever expected it would be both in terms of size, and I don’t know if I’d say influence, but our ability to accomplish goals. So that’s I guess what making 50 years means to me.”
A Trapper of the Year, Ross Beal, was selected by a small subcommittee of appointed voters and honored with the organization’s highest honor at the Trappers Fling. Other events during the anniversary month included a fur auction at the Open North American Championship last weekend, which drew proceeds for both the ATA and its trappers.
The organization’s heightened visibility this month is also an opportunity for awareness, which is part of ATA’s mission to “preserve and promote trapping through trapper education and public awareness.”
“We promote ethical trapping so commonly, so often, that we probably burn people out on it,” Zarnke said. “The biggest conflict we have with anybody in Alaska is when a dog gets caught in a trap. And we just preach that if there’s a trailhead where people are skijoring and mushing and have dogs with them, you just don’t set a trap or a snare within a reasonable distance of that trailhead.”
The ATA has regular meetings at the Mushers Hall open to the public.
Contact Gavin Struve at gstruve@newsminer.com or 907-459-7544
