After a three-month rehab, columnist understands why we hate snow

Many of you know how much I enjoy the shooting and fishing outdoor sports, as well as snow skiing, and my involvement with Special Olympics alpine ski team.I really enjoy the snow and I am usually on the skis either coaching or for pleasure 50 times a season. This year, unfortunately my skiing season fell short this year due to surgery that requires 12 weeks of recovery. Being sidelined helped me understand why people hate snow.When you don’t have a snow activity that you enjoy or can’t participate in one that you enjoy, winter can be pretty long and boring. Yes, now I truly now understand people that don’t ski hate the snow, but I still love it!uVariable temperatures and longer daylight hours create a formula that melts ice, therefore eliminating hard water fishing.This phenomenon also yields the beginning of the long awaited-for open water fishing season! Are you ready?Where ice, snow and mud conditions allow, the 2-ton district tank trucks are rolling to local ponds to stock over 600,000 feisty brook, brown and rainbow trout!uBiologists with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Division of Fisheries and Wildlife are conducting an annual survey of Massachusetts hunters to better understand hunter preferences and effort in Massachusetts. It’s also to receive important “on-the-ground” information to aid in the management of game species in the Commonwealth.All hunting and sporting license buyers that had a valid email address in MassFishHunt received this survey invitation. NoviSurvey (the company Masswildlife uses for the survey) does not record your email or IP address with responses, thus your responses will remain anonymous (i.e., your survey answers are not linked to your identity), so please be honest.The survey should take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete. Let’s all show the division how important they are to us by completing the survey.uIf you’re planning to fish for striped bass this summer, join the thousands of anglers who fish the Striper Cup!On The Water presents a five-month tournament designed to bring the fishing community from Maine to New Jersey together to celebrate the beloved striped bass! Once registered, you can weigh in your trophy striper at any one of 80+ registered weigh stations to compete for hundreds of valuable prizes awarded every week to anglers in boat, shore, kayak and youth divisions.Form a team and you can also compete to win the Striper Cup trophy. But you don’t even need to weigh a fish to be a winner – all you have to do is attend StriperFest 2014, where all registered participants will be eligible to win the grand prize: a brand-new Striper 220CC boat!Sign up for $35 and receive an incredible registration package. For additional information call (508) 548-4705.uThe Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Becoming an Outdoorswoman (BOW) Program will again this year have a Turkey Hunting Seminar and Guided Hunt Workshop. This is a two-part workshop designed for adults who are new to turkey hunting and want to learn more about it.Part A is a turkey hunting seminar for both adult women and men (18+) to be held on Saturday, April 12 in Shirley. Learn about the lives and habits of the official state game bird.Though the focus will be on gun handling, turkey calling, and hunting strategies, photographers, birders, and wildlife enthusiasts will gain valuable information about turkeys. Part B is a guided turkey hunt on May 5 at the Devens South Post Military area for 10 adult women only. Women may sign up for Part A or Part A and B. Men may only sign up for Part A. First-time hunt participants must attend the seminar. Registration preference will be given to new participants. Turkey Hunt participants must possess a 2014 Massachusetts hunting or sporting license, valid MA gun license, turkey permit, and shotgun with appropriate ammunition. Registration materials for this event will be posted on the Outdoorswoman Events page the week of March 17 or call 508-389-6329.