Georgia Trappers Association Teaches Coyote Trapping At Coweta County Baptist Church

Mike Wilson with the Georgia Trappers Association explains how to make a T-bone set.

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1: 28

You can’t wait to plug in your SD card from the trail camera to see which bucks survived the season. You are already planning your food plots and supplemental feed to keep them healthy and strong for next season. Pictures begin to roll across your screen as your anticipation grows to aggravation.

Yes, some promising bucks and mature does showed up at the feeder on the field edge. However, so did a bunch of unwelcome interlopers with tongues hanging out in full pursuit of the deer you have worked so hard to provide for. You also know that most, if not all, of those does are pregnant and will give birth in late spring and early summer. You really get worked up when you think about how many of those fawns will end up in the mouth of one of these invasive carnivores —coyotes!

You made a special trip to your favorite turkey hunting spot a few days before season. You sit on the tailgate of your pickup as the sun begins to rise over beautiful Georgia pines and oaks along the creek bottom where longbeards love to roost. Just as a group of wood ducks whistle by, you hear what you came for—a gobbler breaking up the quiet with a loud good morning making your heart race as you think of opening morning.

However, recent experience in the turkey woods has prepared you for less gobbling as coyotes use boss turkey talk as diner bells for their next meal. Prized hen nests will be destroyed, young poults caught and population numbers continuing to decline in part because of unchecked coyotes ravaging your flock.

So, other than complain and fuss, what are responsible sportsmen and sportswomen in Georgia supposed to do about our canine predators? Well, if you are like some, you decide to do something about it! You saw a flyer about a Free Coyote Trapping Workshop at Sharpsburg Baptist featuring the expert instruction of the Georgia Trappers Association and signed up—that’s what you do!

Sharpsburg Baptist Church in the Newnan area offered their second-annual Coyote and Predator Trapping Workshop on Saturday morning, Feb. 24 for anyone who wanted to get a handle of their predator problem.

The morning started at 7 a.m. with volunteers from the church preparing a big homemade breakfast for participants to enjoy. The kitchen crew prepared fresh eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, coffee and juice for the crowd to gather.

Other volunteers helped with registration, door prizes and parking lot greeters as the sun began to rise. A group of volunteers met guests as they arrived, got them registered and signed up for door prizes before heading into the fellowship hall for breakfast and the first session.

A common reason given for coming to the workshop was an interest in trapping and how to get started. Several men talking said that they were attracted to trapping in general and especially to predator trapping due to their desire to offer some protection to native game and non-game species.

Jason Chapman with the Georgia Trappers Association.

Jason Chapman, one of the leaders with the Georgia Trappers Association, commented that they promote trapping and offer workshops around the state to help people manage their land. Although the market for fur has pretty much disappeared, the interest from outdoorsmen and women in bringing out the best in the land we manage is still a major reason people want to get into trapping as a means of unwelcomed predator control. The trappers gave each young person a special gift bag and picked up several new members at the event.

The trappers spent the first session inside talking about state regulations, equipment and tips to get started. The trappers took everyone outside to enjoy four live demonstrations of different types of sets they use to catch unwanted predators.

The whole idea of sportsmen as managers or stewards was the topic of the devotional brought by Pastor Wallace McAbee. Quoting Genesis 1: 28, the pastor talked about how God commissioned us to be stewards to subdue or bring out the best in the land and wild places we touch.

The group listened as the pastor talked about how God has a special plan for us in a relationship with Him through his Son, Jesus. Everyone was offered some information about the church and a relationship with Christ before they left for the day. In addition to the breakfast, the church offered predator traps as door prizes and logo-branded tumblers for everyone who wanted one.

Sharpsburg Baptist is hosting several community events in the coming months, including an “Introduction to Family Camping” on March 23, led by a DNR naturalist, a “Families Facing Crisis” seminar sponsored by Christian Families Today on May 18 and a Massive Car Show and BBQ on June 8.

Our church family offers our heart felt thanks to everyone who attended and especially to the Georgia Trappers Association for their expert guidance and practical advice for anyone who wants to bring out the best in Georgias’ wildlife and wild places.