McClory: Plenty of winners at Winni Derby

The results are in and Shane Nassar, a carpenter from Holderness, topped the final leaderboard Sunday morning with a salmon weighing 5.42 pounds and measuring 24.875 inches to win the 30th annual Winni Derby. Fishing around Sandy Island in Meredith, Shane went home with over $13,000 in prize money. Not a bad day’s catch! Most anglers gave up after two tough days of fishing. Persistent anglers like Shane and his two fishing buddies who hadn’t caught a fish all weekend were rewarded on Sunday as the fishing really turned on. The three best overall salmon were caught on Sunday. The junior division winner was Sam Zdon, age 11. His 4.26-pound, 23.625 inch salmon won him an Alumacraft fishing boat motor and trailer package. The top lake trout this season was hooked by Maine’s Jeremy Bryer at 9.18 pounds, 30 inches. He took home a check for $1,000. The second place salmon prize tipped the scales at 4.52 pounds. It was caught by Denis Alix of New Ipswich, NH.Fishing is a great way to spend some quality time with family or friends in the great outdoors. Free Fishing Day kicks off 2012 National Fishing and Boating Week, a nationwide observance encouraging families to have fun together on the water. This year’s Free Fishing days in Massachusetts and Maine will be June 2-3! Anyone can fish recreationally for free on both fresh and salt water during these two days. N.H. Free Fishing Day is on Saturday, June 2, so plan to get out and cast a line with your family and friends on New Hampshire’s lakes, rivers and streams. On Free Fishing Day, state residents and nonresidents alike can fish any inland water – or saltwater – in New Hampshire without a fishing license. Vermont’s Free Fishing Day is on June 9.The arrival of spring means the arrival of newborn and just-hatched wildlife. These youngsters soon venture into the world on shaky legs or fragile wings and are discovered by people living and working nearby. Every year, the lives of many young wild creatures are upset by people who take baby wildlife from the wild in a mistaken attempt to “save” them. These well-meant acts of kindness tend to have the opposite result. Instead of being left to learn their place in the world, young wildlife removed from their habitat are denied important natural learning experiences that help them survive on their own. If these animals are released back into the wild, their chances of survival are reduced. Avoid these problems by following one simple rule when coming upon young wildlife: If You Care, Leave Them There! The young are quite safe when left alone because their color patterns and lack of scent help them remain undetected. Baby birds found on the ground may be safely picked up and placed in a nearby bush or tree. Parent birds are not disturbed by human scent. Leave fawns (young deer) where they are found. Fawns are safest when left alone because their camouflaging color helps them remain undetected until the parent returns. Only when young wildlife are found injured or with their dead mother may the young be assisted, but must then be delivered immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Please note, it is illegal to possess most wildlife in Massachusetts without a permit.Have you been overwhelmed with the number of ticks that you or your dog have had this year? Isn’t it insane? Would you believe that this has a lot to do with the lack of acorns this past fall and the population of mice? Because of this, there will be an increase in Lyme disease cases. How are they related? Mice depend on acorns for food and survival. Without enough food the mice cannot survive and thrive. Now, guess who the preferred hosts for ticks are – mice. Without them the ticks need to find a new source for their blood meal. Any mammal will do, like deer, dogs and, yes, humans. We will become the new hosts for the ticks. May through July are the worst months, so use repellants with DEET as the active ingredient anytime you step outdoors into the woods. Lyme disease is d