McClory: Special Olympians impress in winter games

From Vancouver, British Columbia, to Massachusetts, the Olympic torch continued to burn in Worcester and at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton for the Special Olympic winter games. More than 2,000 athletes and coaches took part in this year’s winter games. Athletes from all over the state competed in various venues throughout the weekend. We were at the mountain to coach and cheer the Nashoba Shooting Stars. This alpine ski team of 15 dedicated athletes practices twice a week on the slopes of Nashoba Valley, Gunstock and Mount Sunapee, for the events of slalom, giant slalom, and downhill. These inspiring special athletes put their heart and soul into these events. Even though it was “Skiing in the rain,” the hard work paid off because every team member made the medal podium at least one time, to collect a gold, silver or bronze. The North Shore area was represented by Swampscott’s Gabriella Foley. Gabriella took home a bronze medal in her slalom alpine event. Congratulations, Gabriella!According to figures released by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), over 540,000 feisty brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout are being stocked this spring. Stocking will begin when the ice, snow and mud conditions allow the stocking trucks access to the waterways. “We’ll be putting out 320,000 rainbow trout that will average 12 inches or longer, and about 78 percent of these rainbows will be 14 inches or larger,” observes Chief Fish Culturist Dr. Ken Simmons. “They’ll be distributed statewide throughout the stocking season by our five regional Wildlife District offices.” About 47,000 brown trout, averaging more than 12 inches, will be stocked along with another 115,000 browns in the 9-11 inch range. Brook trout will also be stocked with approximately 11,500 fish measuring a foot or better, and more than 66,000 in the 6-11 inch class. Simmons says he is particularly excited about this year’s crop of two-year-old brook trout, which is one of the best in years. He attributes this year’s success with the two-year old brook trout to a combination of hard work by hatchery staff and good growing conditions at the hatcheries where they are produced. Anglers can also anticipate trying to tame some of the 6,000 tiger trout to be released, all topping the 14-inch mark. These handsome fish, a cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout, have become popular with folks lucky enough to hook and land one.Young people ages 12-17 who want to try out turkey hunting can take the opportunity by contacting participating sportsmen’s clubs in the Massachusetts Youth Turkey Hunting Program. Now in its second year, the Youth Turkey Hunt (YTH) is a partnership program involving the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), the Massachusetts State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (MA NWTF) and participating sportsmen’s clubs. The program is designed to provide young hunters ages 12-17 an opportunity to learn how to properly handle and shoot a shotgun for turkey hunting, participate in a field oriented pre-hunt workshop that provides specialized training in turkey hunting and safety, and hunt wild turkeys under the supervision and guidance of a safe, experienced adult hunter serving as a mentor on a special day set aside just for youth. Some clubs scheduled pre-hunt workshop sessions for March.Adult women interested in learning more about the wild turkey and trying their luck in a guided turkey hunt should sign up for this two-part Turkey Hunt for Outdoorswomen. Designed for adult women who are novices, the first session will be a one-day seminar on April 3 and will focus on gun handling and ballistics, turkey calling, and developing hunt strategies for the hunting teams for the hunt on May 3. The second session will be an actual turkey hunt at Fort Devens. Participants may choose to take part in one session or both. For the seminar, no previous hunting experience is required. First