McClory: This is a great time to be a winter enthusiast

A lot has recently happened to keep the winter outdoor enthusiast happy. Skiers and snowmobilers got their snow, the ice lovers got their ice, and more white happiness is predicted to fall over the next few days. Plus the show-goers have the Springfield Sportsman Show this weekend and the boaters have the boat show going on right now in Boston.The 30th annual Springfield Sportsmen’s Show runs through Sunday at the “Big E,” the Eastern States Exposition , West Springfield. The largest “pure” hunting and fishing show in the Northeast is filled with hundreds of booths, exhibits, seminars and action areas.You can preview the show at: www.osegshows.com. This show covers all an outdoorsman could dream of for fishing and hunting gear, outfitters, charterboats plus great deals on fishing boats.An OSEG exclusive is the Gamefish Center, a giant traveling aquarium stocked with a great selection of trout and salmon provided by the State of Massachusetts.Among the many features are: the Retrieving Pool where live waterdog demos perform all weekend, two Trout Ponds stocked daily for fishing, and a Casting Pool where spin, fly and bait casting experts will perform, teach and lecture. Who cried Wolf? You will when you see this fantastic display and educational demonstrations with live wolves.Wolves of The World brings five of North America’s most misunderstood mammals to the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show for the very first time. Billing themselves as “the most unique show on the road today” the Sandlofer family explains the history of wolves and tells stories of these rescued wolves that are raised in captivity and display the traits of the wolf packs, including the alpha male and female and how they interact. Is this the biggest whitetail ever taken in Massachusetts?We’ll find out shortly at the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show at the Northeast Big Buck display with the measuring of Greg Lussier’s Berkshire County monster. Preliminary measuring says that it should measure about 211 inches of non-typical antler, outdoing all other whitetails taken in the state.The sheer size of the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show insures a great cross section of equipment, seminars, outfitters and guides. Hours: Thurs., Feb. 21, 3 to 9 p.m.; Fri. Feb. 22, 12 to 8 p.m.; Sat. Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sun. Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets $12 adults, $5 kids 6-12, 5 yrs and under free.uNew Hampshire Fish and Game has made an exciting purchase! It is a private marina known as Downing’s Landing at the southern tip of Alton Bay. That means Fish and Game, after many years, has finally acquired a boat access facility on Lake Winnipesaukee, the state’s largest lake.”This is exciting news for New Hampshire’s outdoor enthusiasts because it creates the first state-owned and controlled public boat ramp with parking on Lake Winnipesaukee,” said Fish and Game Executive Director Glenn Normandeau. “For years, we’ve wanted to provide the public with a boat access site on the big lake, and I am thrilled that we’ve been able to do it.”The Downing’s Landing facility includes an existing boat launch with paved parking for vehicles with trailers, as well as a handful of cartop parking spaces. The site includes two buildings and several docks that will allow for excellent shorebank fishing opportunities, particularly during the spring salmon season. The facility will be open to the public for launching boats and shorebank fishing with no fee.uThe site may be temporarily closed while Fish and Game transitions ownership and determines what maintenance and repairs are necessary. Since the general use of the property will not change, it seems to be, for the most part, a “turnkey” facility that can be opened to the public with minimal work. This is quite different from most acquisitions of undeveloped property, which can take months or even years of planning, permitting and construction before a boat access site can be opened to the public.uIn the near term, parking configurations will b