[Reprinted from original]

As surely as the sun rises in the morning, every trapper and predator hunter knows that another season is near its end. But they already know the answer to the question of what they will do next. They know that the action of their sport isn’t about to end in its entirety.

Yes, those mornings of running the trap line, of late night hunts for predators when your hands felt frozen, and of cold chills running through your body will soon be forgotten. You’ll no longer be checking the weather every morning — or every night — before heading outdoors.

Oh, well. While the next few weeks still offers numerous coyote hunts by sportsman clubs and the beaver season continues until the end of March, we’ll keep ourselves busy. Hours will be spent finishing the put up of furs, fur auctions will be attended, and traps will be hung up for another year.

Maybe you’ll even spend a day in the trapping shed making preparations for next season. This will be an opportunity for preparing baits and lures from the glands of the animals you’ve collected during the season. All the while, in your mind, you’re thinking over how productive the season was and starting to plan for how to improve your next season.

Then when it’s all over and you’ve collected those fur checks and are still looking for something more you can plan on attending the Pennsylvania Trappers Association Banquet. That will be held on Saturday, March 23, at 4:30 p.m. at the Red Fern Inn, 421 Old Kersey Road, Kersey.

So come out and enjoy an evening with fellow outdoorsmen for an evening of games, raffles, auction, food and good ole fashioned fun. There will be many prizes from traps to guns, as well as many drawings. Bring the whole family, as there will be prizes for kids and ladies as well. Call 814-781-6664 for tickets ($30 each or $50 per couple).

David Orlowski is a writer, hunter, fisherman and outdoor enthusiast from Potter County. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association.