FHA's 18th Annual Convention

Mark your calendars now!
Our 18th Annual Trapper's Convention will be held
April 3rd and 4th, 2009.

The Theme for this year's convention:
How do you apply new technology to your fur harvesting and fur handling activities?

Trapping, fur handling and fur grading demonstrations both Friday and Saturday, ALL DAY!

Convention Hotels
Please quote "FHA" when making your reservation.

PELT HANDLING CONTEST

The Purpose of The Pelt Handling Contests
Pelt handling contests are to promote the educational aspects of preparing pelts for market under a friendly but competitive atmosphere. It is also intended to educate as well as entertain those who do not wish to enter but who want to further expand and improve their own pelt handling techniques.

Contest Rules For Pelt Handling
For the Fur Harvesters Auction’s Convention, the pelt competition and handling rules will be low keyed and informal. However, there are a number of rules that will pertain to the contests.

1. Contests will be open to any interested persons. Everybody is welcome to compete. In order to cover some of the cost for the awards, a minimal entrance fee of $3.00 per contest will be applied.

2. The competitors will be allowed to enter one fur pelt for each species.

3. For pelting contests inside the Fur Harvesters building, only one animal per contestant will be permitted.

4. For the timed and no-time limit contests, beaver, otter, raccoon and muskrat will be supplied by Fur Harvesters Auction.

5. Best handled pelts will be prepared at home. The deadline for these pelts is 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 29, 2008. Pelts will be entered for the contest in the receiving room. They can also be sent to Fur Harvesters prior to the convention, but please specify clearly your intention of entering them for competition.

6. Contestants entering any pelt handling contest must register before the competition begins. NOTE: There will be a limited amount of raccoon, beaver, otter, and muskrat available. Contests requiring in-house animals will be on a first come basis. Contestants are welcome and permitted to supply their own furbearers for the timed and no-time limit pelt handling contests.

7. Judging of ALL pelts will be conducted IN THE OPEN for anyone interested in watching the judging.

8. Awards will be presented for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Results will be made available to the public and contestants shortly after the judging is completed.

9. The Ministry of Natural Resources plaque, for best handled bundle, will consist of 3 species of fur, EXCEPT muskrat, red squirrel, ermine skunk or opossum. Due to the prestige of the MNR plaque, combining best handled fur from other pelt handling competitions will not be permitted.

Rules for Beaver Handling Contest
1. Any person may enter - no teams.
2. Beaver will be supplied by the FHA.
3. Contestant will supply own knives, scrapers, etc.
4. Beaver will be put on marked boards, supplied using mails.
5. Three judges will be appointed. Their decision will be final.
6. The winner will be the best handled pelt. In the beaver no time limit contest, five hours are allowed each contestant.
7. In the case of tie, skin-offs will be run.
8. The top three pelts on the first event will be the winners. There will be no finals except in the case of a tie, or ties.

Judging Timed Beaver Skinning Contest
Speed: Fastest 10 points, next 9 points, next 8 points, next 7 points, etc.
Quality: All grease removed, lips and nose cut off, no cuts. In other words a near-perfect job of skinning scraping - 10 points. Deduct 2 points for cuts. (Each cut). Deduct 1 point for each separate exposure of hair roots. NOTE: Check carefully any scars that have opened and determine if fault of contestant. If in doubt do not deduct points. Check if pelt is raised on nails. Deduct 2 points if not.
Appearance: Shape, closeness of nails, type of leg closure. Deduct 1 point for each minor appearance fault, 2 for major.

Best Handled Pelt Awards (To be prepared at home)
1. Elmer Trick Award Raccoon
2. Magnus Nyman Award Lynx
3. Andy Tyson Award Wolf
4. Woodstream Award Beaver
5. Phillipe Giroux Award Wild Mink
6. MNR Trophy - Best Handled Bundle of 3
7. FHA Award Muskrat
8. Alex Shieff Award Marten
9. FHA Award Fox
10. FHA Award Fisher
11. FHA Award Coyote
12. FHA Award Otter

Canadian Open Raccoon No Time Limit Contest
Contestant must supply own raccoon (holding permit required), and his own equipment and stretchers. He must skin, flesh and board his raccoon. Judging will be based on:

Shape and stretch 10 points
Fleshing – Grease removed 10 points
Cleanliness of leather 10 points
Shape of window 10 points
Front legs 5 points
Fleshing of head 5 points
Shape of Tail 5 points
Nose / lips 5 points
Total 60 points

Canadian Open Raccoon Timed Contest
LLOYD COOK AWARD
Judged on:
Time - 20 points
Shape - 10 points
Inspection Window - 10 points
Cleanliness leather and hair - 20 points

No Time Limit Awards
These Pelts Are To Be Prepared In The Fur Harvesters Auction Warehouse

1. Woodstream Award Otter
2. Con Ducharme Award Beaver
3. Don Ward Award(children) Muskrat
4. FHA Award Raccoon
Timed Awards
Pelts Are To Be Prepared In The Fur Harvester Auction Warehouse

1. Lloyd Cook Award Raccoon
2. MNR Award (women) Beaver
3. FHA Award (men) Beaver

Top Youth Fur Handler
Don McMahon Memorial Award

Kids Best Bundle
Ontario Conservation Officers Association Award
Age: up to 15
Bundle consists of three of the following furbearers: Muskrat, Mink, Marten, Weasel, Red squirrel.

Youth Muskrat Skinning Contest
Youths entering must be 12 to 16 years of age with parents’ permission, and the son or daughter of a trapper. Contestant supplies own knives, scrapers, etc. Stretchers and muskrat will be supplied by FHA. Judging on speed, quality and appearance.

Best Bundle - MNR Plaque
This award is given to the trapper submitting the highest quality bundle of pelts, consisting of 3 species.

A Guiding Hand
Doug Thomas Memorial Award
Teams will consist of two people:
1 licensed trapper and one person 16 or under.
Fur to be prepared: 1 beaver and 1 raccoon.

Entrants must jointly work together. All skinning must be done in the warehouse (no time limite). Skinning must be done by 1:00 pm on Saturday. Animals to skin will be supplied.

Trap Setting Contest
One each of No. 330, No. 280, No. 220, No. 120, Footsnare and No. 3 Coil Spring padded jaw, must be set and remain set. Safety device supplied must be installed on conibears.

Fox: FUR OUT
Proper Shape 10
Tail split & pinned 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
Cleanliness of leather 10
Ear cartilage removed 10
Ears pinned flat to head 10
Front legs in 10
Lower lip removed 10

Coyote: FUR OUT
Proper Shape 10
Tail split & pinned 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
Cleanliness of leather 10
Ear cartilage removed 10
Ears pinned flat to head 10
Front legs in 10
Lower lip removed 10
Saddle removed 10

Lynx: FUR OUT
Ear cartilage removed 10
Ears pinned flat to head 10
Front legs in 10
Paws skinned out 10
No claws 10
Shape 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
Cleanliness of leather 10
Lower lip removed 10

Fisher: FUR OUT
Shape 10
Saddle removed 10
Front legs in 10
Cleanliness of leather 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
Tail Split & pinned 10
Lower lip removed 10

Marten: FUR OUT
Front legs in 10
Shape body 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
Tail Split & pinned 10
Ears pinned forward 10
Lower lip removed 10

Otter: FUR IN
Shape 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
Cleanliness of leather 10
Inspection window 20
Shape of tail 10
Lower lip removed 10

Muskrat: FUR IN
Shape 10
Grease removed 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
General appearance 10

Mink: FUR IN
Inspection window 20
Shape 10
Cleanliness of fur 10
Cleanliness of leather 10
Grease removed - saddle on 10
Lower lip removed 10

Raccoon: FUR IN
Inspection window 15
Shape 15
Cleanliness of fur & leather 20
Lower lip removed 10
Tail split & pinned 10

Beaver: OPEN SKINNED
Shape 20
Cleanliness of fur 10
Nose & whiskers removed 10
Cleanliness of leather 10
Legs sewn 10
General appearance 10
Ears removed 10

Timber Wolf: FUR OUT
Handling - Shape 20
Claws on 10
Paws skinned out 10
Front legs out 10
Grease removed 20
Ear cartilage separated 10
Tail bone removed 10
Lip split 10
Nose skinned - cartilage out 10
Anus left on pelt 10
All pads left on pelt 10