A hit with the ladies

It started a few years ago as just a thought in Linda White’s head. Now, the She Side, a women-led program of the National Trapper’s Association (NTA) to introduce and educate women about the sport of fur trapping, is a change-making force

-  Megan Plete Postol

In just the short time it has been operating, the She Side has introduced and educated hundreds of women about trapping.

White, co-owner of Trapping Girl, Inc. and Sawmill Creek Bait and Lure, had long noticed a trend: Women were interested in learning more about trapping but lacked a space tailored around their specific needs to do that.

After much brainstorming and discussion, she was given the green light by John Daniel, the president of NTA’s board of directors, to create this female-focused educational leg of the association’s annual convention.

White gathered her forces and the She Side debuted at the 2022 NTA convention held in Lima, Ohio. The group met in a separate demo area devoted to women, smaller than the main stage, and presenters took on a more conversational tone. This small-scale approach worked well. More than 500 people attended She Side workshops in 2022. Each consecutive day had a larger audience than the day before. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Women were excited to be learning about trapping from other women. One surprise was that organizers also had men approach and tell them that they preferred this set-up.