Missouri Trappers Rendezvous 2010

Ozark Hills trapping legend and old river man Kenny Wells is honored with an award by MTA President, Doran Miller at the 2010 MTA Rendezvous.

If you know American history then you know that after the discovery of the New World the mountain men trappers were some of the first humans to lay eyes on the natural treasures of this great land (second only to Native American Indians). Lured by an overwhelming spirit of adventure and discovery, and fueled by a lucrative beaver fur trade in Europe, the mountain men laid out the routes for the country’s expansion west. A mountain man of old could stand in the middle of a great drainage intently studying the surrounding ridges and valleys and then point out where the game would be concentrated. He had an intimate understanding of the habits and travel patterns of game animals, furbearers, and predators. He had an innate sense of how nature worked around him. Indeed, he was an integral part of the great whole of nature. The vast wealth of knowledge and experiences to not just survive but thrive in the wilderness was stored in his mind and in the minds of his many brethren spirits. And, as exhibited this past weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks, the spirit of the mountain men is still very alive and well in Missouri.

The annual Missouri Trappers Association Rendezvous was held September 17, 18, & 19 at Lake of the Ozarks at the Missouri Trap Shooters grounds. The event was held at the same time as a sanctioned shoot was taking place at the trap shooting grounds. There was also a Harley-Davidson biker rally going on in Osage Beach. Trappers, shooters, and bikers - this was truly an epic crossing of paths of some of the most independent minded, freedom loving, and proudly self sufficient souls in the state. The event started Thursday afternoon as vendors from all over the country started filing in to set up booths selling everything a mountain man could want – traps, baits, scents, stretchers, knives, guns, tools, decorative tanned pelts, antler art, and much more. The atmosphere was that of a bazaar, just as it must have been at the famous mountain man rendezvous at Taos, New Mexico when the trappers came out of the mountains each year for supplies back in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Everything was abuzz.

The weekend entailed camping, meetings, buying and selling of supplies, visiting with old friends, a fund raising auction, and planning for the upcoming season. For the 2010-2011 calendar year, Missouri Trapping Season begins Monday, November 15, 2010 and extends through Monday, January 31, 2011. Beaver and Nutria can be trapped starting on the same day but extending through Thursday, March 31, 2011. New regulations of note this year include your cable restraint license being covered by the regular trapping license, otter & muskrat season extended statewide to February 20th with no zones or limits, and cable restraint season is extended to the end of February (cable restraint season starts December 15, 2010). These are great opportunities to spend more time in the woods and water while learning a deeper understanding of Nature’s Economy while helping conserve one of our greatest renewable natural resources. From that point of view I guess you could say we trappers, hunters, and fishermen are the original Green consumers. Our harvest is 100% renewable, 100% healthy (no preservatives, steroids, etc.), 100 % natural, 100% plastic and Styrofoam packaging free. Hey, you know what? I think we trappers have a very low carbon foot print. Man, who would’ve guessed! We’ve always been environmentally conscience and now we’ve become part of the ‘In crowd’!

Active participants in the circle of life - Great Uncles Tim & Tom O’Day with nephew Alex Stephens and an Ozarks bobcat.

Funny thing about trappers – the ‘In Crowd’ isn’t at the top of our list, and these days, considering pop culture, that’s a virtue. Like the old Willie Nelson song about cowboys that says, “…he ain’t wrong he’s just different but his pride won’t let him do things to make you think he’s right…,” we pursue what we love without concerning ourselves with what’s popular. Like the bear, wolf, or mountain lion, we are active participants in the circle of life. We participate in nature on nature’s level. In today’s fast paced world we are just now learning to get on the information super highway and tell the world how right it is to be an active participant in the circle of life. You want to really see the woods and water come to life? You want to more fully understand how wildlife interacts in their environment? You want to learn the true lessons of life and death in nature’s economy? Become a trapper. It will open your eye(s) to many previously unseen lessons. So says the One-Eyed Hillbilly.

Greg Stephens is a life-time student & 35-year veteran of the great outdoors. His column appears weekly in print & online publications. You can email him at gregstephens@one-eyedhillbilly.com. For more columns go to www.one-eyedhillbilly.blogspot.com.