Originally Posted by Marty S
Was a smaller event than past years. Less people came out, covid changed the world coupled with high fuel, inflation, and the isolated location surely played into that as well. Perhaps we need to keep future rendezvous/conventions central for the time being until the people's mindset changes?
Too bad, was a good rendezvous, well done South Country Trappers!
The word on the street was that next year the rendezvous will be Barrhead, tho some insisted Fort Assiniboine??? and that it would be at Lac La Biche the year after.
There was a number of Ultimate trapper events held again this year with the highlights being the UTC race, no snowshoes this Pincher rendezvous tho. The typical skinning contests, beaver, coyote, youth muskrat skinning, including a first ever ladies beaver skinning,.
I'm hoping going forward to see the skinning events ramped up, in particular the ladies skinning, and not only beaver but also a ladies coyote skinning event??? Couple it with serious prize money and it could be a winner for increasing future interest, attendance, and participation going forward.
I say if we see adult contests with $1000 first prize, and promote/advertise this, that good things will happen. Likewise with the youth events, say a $500 first prize for muskrat and beaver, we could light some fires in the young people???
Problem is somebody has to pay the prize money, few are willing, perhaps we could crowdfund for it? Beaver, Coyote, muskrat contests, mens, ladies youth, sounds like raise $9000 for the purpose and perhaps the skinners, their families, and more importantly the up and coming show up in droves??? Take home cash and memorable trophies? just some ideas.
We do have to publicly thank Gary Godberson for his many years of organizing/planning the UTC events including the skinning contests. It's been quite enjoyabe both watching the contests and games and even participating in some of them.
Beaver skinning time I think the ladies was 6-7 minutes, think the men's was 2:18 by Duncan Abercrombie, but he ended up in a points/score tie with Shane Many Beavers after damage was assessed and so they had a run off race and Duncan came up the winner with a 2:38 time on his second beaver and much cleaner skin, as in less/no holes.
Coyote skinning times were very close, 2:04, 2:08, 2:10 as fastest three times, but no Garrett Patton and no Justin Wascisu. Brayden Grisnich had the skin off fastest at 2:04 but some fat guy beat him in score, funny thing tho, that fat man hadnt even skinned one coyote last winter! Hopefully next year Justin and Garrett can make it back and we'll see if we can't get a three way craziness race happening again next year... just 30 seconds faster???
As I said before, I'm hoping to see a ladies coyote skinning event next year. I suggested to Gary Godberson that we have a ladies fox skinning contest and he seemed to like the idea, but later I thought about how fragile freezer fox can be, how easily they freezer burn, tails be blowing up, etc, but we could just get a bunch of moderate size coyotes. They thaw so nice in summer and are loose and fox fast, surely our coyote skinning ladies would be happy skinning them?
Hope next years convention is much better attended, that fur prices keep going up and a coyote price and demand returns to get the interest level back up? If not, we just get creative???
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