In 1997, the Alaska Trappers Association began recording ‘oral history’ interviews with veteran trappers & hunters. A couple of years later, the Hunter Heritage Foundation of Alaska agreed to provide financial support for the project. Interviews have been recorded with 131 individuals in 45 communities throughout the State. The project will continue indefinitely, with 2-3 recording trips per year to bring new individuals and communities into the collection.

The primary purpose of this project is to preserve the oral traditions of an active outdoor lifestyle. Secondarily, we also seek to share these stories with interested individuals around the world. To achieve this second goal, we utilize newspaper & magazine articles, radio broadcasts and audio CD recordings. Edited recordings with thirty individuals are available from ATA for the nominal fee of $5. A listing of those individuals can be found on the ATA web site: www.alaskatrappers.org

In the near future, we hope to develop a campaign to enhance public awareness of the project. In addition, we hope to donate a complete set of all edited recordings to each recognized library in Alaska. www.nraalaska.com

Andy Zarnke was born & raised in Wisconsin. He has hunted Randy Zarnkeand fished most of his life. He moved to Alaska in 1978 following completion of grad school, and began trapping shortly thereafter. Zarnke worked for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game in Fairbanks as a wildlife disease & parasite specialist for nearly 24 years, before retiring in 2002. He has been an active member of the Alaska Trappers Association for decades, and has served as ATA President since 2006. “The primary reason I retired from ADF&G was to dedicate more time to this oral history project. I firmly believe in the significance of preserving these memories. In addition, I thoroughly enjoy working with these veteran trappers & hunters. As a result, this project offers the best of two worlds … it is both rewarding and enjoyable. I hope that interested individuals will obtain copies of our audio CD’s. Listening to these recordings while driving down the road or sitting around the cabin can provide many hours of entertainment.”