Mel Mittelsteadt – by Sheldon Cieslak
One of the highest compliments you can bestow upon a man is that you felt
you knew him well before you met him. The highest complimentyou could
pay said individual is that when you finally got to know him, everything
that you heard about him was true.
Both compliments fit Mel Mittelsteadt. Mel was more then an exceptional
trapper and snare man, he was a great human being. He was generous with
his time and knowledge. More then one person spent time in his fur shed
learning the finer points of fur handling, lure making, and proper techniques
to harvest fur.
You never knew where Mel would show up, selling raffle tickets and promoting
the North Dakota Fur Takers of America. He was always spreading goodwill
and speaking of sound wildlife management.
Mel was exceptional with young people. He showed great patience and offered
steep discounts on traps to young people who were just starting out in
trapping. No questions that were asked went unanswered.
The fur harvesting community and the world as a whole could use a few
more Mel’s.
Gary Jepson- by Brent Kuss
Gary Jepson is a long line trapper from Killdeer that hardly needs an
introduction to most members of the North Dakota Fur Takers.
There are few people in this organization that have dedicated as many
hours to the ND chapter let alone the hours that he spends on the national
level serving on many committees and as Vice President of both the state
and national organizations.
Gary’s hard earned knowledge has been shared with many trappers
in North Dakota and beyond at rendezvous’, through private trapping
instructions, at countless other state and national conventions and as
an instructor at the Fur Takers College.
Gary has a passion to make sure our trapping heritage will be preserved.
He uses his many years on trap lines in many states and at home to dispel
false information used to damage fur harvesting and to promote ethical
means of harvesting fur as a natural resource for the present and future
trappers to come.
The selection committee inducted two more great men into the Trapper’s
Hall of Fame.
