IFH BOARD MEMBERS

Bernie Nelson, President

My name is Bernie Nelson. I am 61 years old, I was born, raised and lived in Pend Orielle County WA until 2016 when I moved from Usk, WA to Oldtown, Idaho.

The things I did throughout my adult life are, logged for 20 years, coached high school baseball for 12 years, worked for Pend Orielle County
Road Department for 20 years, and retired from there in 2018.

Now I log part time, build traps, and hunt and trap every season. I have been trapping since I was 10 years old. I am a trapping instructor in
Idaho and Washington.

I am a life member of Intermountain Fur Harvesters, Washington Trappers Association, Idaho Trappers Association, and a member of the National Trappers Association and The Foundation for Wildlife Management. I am currently the President and a board member of Intermountain Fur Harvesters.

We as trappers know the importance to educate young and old to the art of trapping. I believe as sportsmen we all need to support each other, and by doing this we will all enjoy trapping, hunting, and fishing for years to come.

Bernie Nelson

David Carpenter, Vice President

My name is David Carpenter, I am 51 years old Born and raised in North Idaho. I have a wife of 30 years and have 4 grown children. My early career was spent in the woods as a mechanic for a logging company working long hours welding and keeping the equipment going. My days now are full with equipment and road maintenance at Lakes Highway District. Every chance I get I head to the woods for scouting, trapping, or hunting.

I have hunted and/or trapped most of my life. At age 10 I lived a couple of houses down from a fur buyer (Lars Eidnes). I was so fascinated and spent many days watching him skin and flesh. By the time I was 13 I had a job in his fur shed skinning and salting hides, working by the piece, skinning deer and elk legs, cleaning skulls, separating porky hair and quills, and cleaning and drying deer toes. I would wear out old timer knives and he would buy me new ones. I spent many hours as a kid reading Fur, Fish, and Game and Trapper and Predator Caller. I would read them cover to cover, over and over. Trapping connects you to wildlife in a way no other type of sport does. Learning the ways, habits, and nature of these animals is so intriguing to me and I love the challenge of figuring this out and setting traps. My first trapline was close to home and I would walk to set up and check the line, I was of course too young to drive. My cousin Jay was a big influence. He and I ran a trapline together and caught my first bobcat at 16. I love every aspect of trapping, from setting and checking lines to skinning and fleshing and fur harvesting.

Throughout my life, I have been able to share my knowledge and love for trapping with many. Mostly my son Dawson who has spent many hours with me in the woods as well as the shop with preparation and harvest. I am proud to say he is an exceptional woodsman and has the same love and respect for the sport as I do.

David Carpenter

Michelle Mills Nelson, Secretary / Treasurer

I am Michelle Mills Nelson, I have been involved in trapping since 2015.
I have traveled many miles on the trapline with my husband Bernie Nelson.
I have learned the art of skinning, fleshing & stretching Skunks, Racoons, Beaver, and Bobcats.
I am a Life Member of the IFH, the ITA, and a member of the F4WM.

Michelle mills

Mark Mechling

Born in the hills of Western Pennsylvania, I spent many enjoyable days in the woods hunting and trapping, Once grown, life carried me and my family to Florida where I got an entry level job working in a corrugated box plant. Over time and with lots of hard work, I ended up as a partner in the company which we eventually sold to International Paper. Being busy working and raising our 3 children in the Sunshine State meant I got away from my childhood passion of hunting and trapping.

Although Florida had been good to us from a career perspective, my wife and I missed the four seasons and for several years took vacations in the West — on the hunt for a change to our life. My wife and I discovered Northern Idaho and bought a home in the Cataldo area in 2002. Doing so allowed us to get back to our roots. I began hunting immediately and started actively trapping in 2015 after witnessing firsthand the impact wolves had on the St. Joe ecosystem.

I am a life member of Intermountain Fur Harvesters (IMF)and a member of the Foundation for Wildlife Management. I joined IMF as I share their goals of education of the next generation of trappers as well as the education of non-trappers to the value of trapping as a means of conservation of our wildlife.

Mark Mechling

Steve Sluka, Board Member

I grew up in Michigan and moved to Idaho 8 years ago with my wife and two sons after selling our farm.

I worked 33 years for an electric utility, operating hydroelectric facilities and transmission substations.

I grew up hunting, fishing, and trapping. Back in Michigan, I was the Newaygo County Pheasants Forever Habitat coordinator, a committee
member for the local D.U. chapter and a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. I continue to support Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation here in Idaho.

I am a strong supporter of the management of our wildlife resources thru hunting, fishing, and trapping. I currently work for Idaho Department of Fish and Game as a Habitat Wildlife Technician.

Steve Sluka

Layne Matthews, Board Member

I started trapping in the seventh grade while living in White Pine, Montana. I went after bobcats, skunks, beavers, and a few coyotes. With life calling and family moving as an adult, I worked for Riley Creek Lumber as a contract logger.  With this came acquiring a small ranch with a small herd of purebred cows.  Being in North Idaho, I was an avid hunter in my spare time.  I am now retired, along with my wife of 40 years (retired English teacher).  We still have a herd of cows, only smaller in number.  I started trapping wolves in 2013 as I saw the damage they were inflicting on our wildlife.  Obviously, they need to be controlled. I now have three hounds and spend about 175 days a year chasing after them, cows, wolves, mountain lions, or bears.

Layne Matthews

Mike Hicks, Board Member

My name is Mike Hicks, and I have lived in North Idaho for 22 years. My wife and I have two children. I am originally from Wisconsin and have been trapping furbearers for over 45 years. I grew up in a rural community working on family farms while hunting, fishing, camping, and trapping with my family. In high school, I put up fur for a fur buyer to earn extra money and found myself trading my wages for more traps and trapping supplies. Later, I was a crew leader for the Wisconsin Conservation Corps, teaching young adults resource management and carpentry skills for 10 years while also trapping nuisance beavers in the area’s abundant wetlands for the county, state, and federal government. In 2001 I moved to Idaho to work for the US Forest Service as a Wildland Firefighter and Timber Sale Prep Crew Supervisor, a role I retired from in 2015. I am a business owner that offers commercial beekeeping services, and we operate a retail store that sells beekeeping equipment and trapping supplies.

I am a lifetime member of the National Trappers Association. My family and I have memberships with the Intermountain Fur Harvesters Association, Idaho Trappers Association, Montana Trappers Association, Fur Takers of America, and North American Trap Collectors Association. I am honored to serve on the Board of the IFH and look forward to sharing my love and respect for the legacy of trapping and to work to preserve trapping’s future as a vital management tool.

Mike Hicks

Quenten Cole, Board Member

My name is Quenten Cole, I am 28 years old and was born, raised, and currently reside in Pend Oreille County. Born to a family of outdoorsmen I have been in the woods since the day I could walk. I joined the Navy right out of high school and spent 5 1/2 years traveling the world and going on two deployments. Upon returning home I dedicated any spare time to trapping, whether it was reading, watching videos, or just talking with more experienced trappers. I have been a part of the IFH for four years and am honored to be a life member and board member. As trappers, I believe it is imperative that we come together to teach the ethical and proper management of our wildlife resources/furbearers so that they prosper for generations to come.

Quenten Cole