Outdoors in RI: Spring fishing and hunting – turkey season starts Monday – Jeff Gross

by Jeff Gross, contributing writer

Well the trout bite is on. 99% of anglers are doing either well, or in a lot of cases, extremely well.  A friend went Monday and had his limit in a couple of hours just using a black Mepps spinner. In the catch limit were 3 – 15 inch Rainbow trout. 

Today while this writer watched in envy from his boat, shore fishermen (Ron and Jeff pictured) caught these nice trout on the bottom with junk food.  Some of the trout were18-19 inches in length. They had a great day!

After throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the fish this writer should have stayed home and worked.  (He wouldn’t be typing this column at 9:30 at night if he did.)  Just to pour salt in the wound, a gentleman today caught a 25 inch Rainbow trout.  If you are on Facebook check out Sean’s catch:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/266338107859314.  “A better 401 fishing” Facebook page is lighting up the internet with people’s fish: everything from Trout and Bass to Stripers.  I wonder if they give lessons?  They obviously know something I don’t.

It is off season for upland game, however keeping your pup from being a couch potato is important. Those with new pups have the challenge of getting the youngsters ready for the fall season. Fortunately time is on our side. Abby has really taken hold of various hunting commands and is absolutely bonkers over pheasant and chukers.  See header photo. Hand signals are father along than where I expected her to be at 5 months. Just a point and Abby is headed in that direction. 

Did your pup pick up a bad habit or two last season?  Spring training is not just for baseball.  It is an excellent time to eliminate those bad habits or teach the pup some techniques that improve their game.  When Fall season does come around in the blink of and eye, you both will be ready.

In the next week or two a tip was given to me about emergency veterinarian services and care provided to those in need from a third party.  I need to research this information and plan to have it ready for next weeks article. Hopefully this information will help out some families in need that have beloved pets as there seems to be many families in this dilemma  in this recession.

Monday April 17th starts turkey season. I am not talking about the Rhode Island Capitol. Turkeys are abundant everywhere. 2 Hens crossed in front of my truck down the street, practically in my back yard.  All of a sudden a loud gobble came out from the front end of my truck. 

The pictured male was in hot pursuit of the two hens.  He was making a raucous.  Abby watched with keen interest at his behavior.  His beard was only 7 inches long, which is short for scoring a turkey but he would have looked great served up on my dining room table.  Other hunters will get to him first.  Hopefully that lucky hunter is a youth hunter or a disabled Military veteran. Both groups deserve that break. 

As a reminder, people using the state lands starting this Saturday one must wear an orange hat and or vest.  I hate to jinx Rhode Island but to date there are no reported turkey hunting accidents ever.  Let’s keep it that way.  Be sure of your target, and moreso what is behind the bird in case you miss.

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Jeffrey “Jeff” Gross spent 21 years as an Analytical Chemist at the USCG R&D Center in Groton, Connecticut, Woods Hole Laboratories, and Helix Technologies. Changing careers is a “great learning experience for everyone”, Jeff says, and I’m an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, a student of the sciences, and the world. The US holds too many wonders not to take a chance and explore them”.

Jeff is the Model Train and Railroad entrepreneur. Proud Golden Retriever owner. Ultra strong Second Amendment Advocate and Constitutionalist. “Determined seeker of the truth”.  Jeff is a RIFGPA Legislative and Legal Officer, Freshwater Chairman, NRA Liaison.

His subjects include Outdoors, Second Amendment, Model Railroading, and Whimsical.