Outdoors in RI: Turkey time, Archery, Deer hunting, SCOTUS, Voting, 2A update – Jeff Gross

by Jeff Gross, contributing writer

Turkeys!

Turkeys, Turkeys – and more Turkeys – everywhere!  While the RI DEM is asking folks to report poults sightings which have been thin, adults are everywhere.  The header photo, here, shows a group of 11 Birds that were in Conimicut, Rhode Island.  While the birds were not fazed by me nor the traffic, Abby was so enthralled by the birds she was shaking noticeably.  A sign of things to come this pheasant season, maybe? 

Turkeys are on the upswing in many different urban areas.  One report came in that a law enforcement officer could not exit his car as the bird was pinning the driver’s door. This could have ended quite differently say, “Honey I’m home, and I brought dinner” Fall hunting season for Turkeys is showing some great promise.  One of the benefits of harvesting your own game is one will not be caught up in the constant Listeria and Salmonella recalls that consumers are being bombarded with as of late.

Archery

One method of taking Turkeys and Deer is via Archery.  Smithfield Sportsmans Club is offering organized shoots that are free to the public.  Young and old alike can come and be trained on archery use, or experienced archers can use one of the 10 lanes available to get some precision improvement.  Smithfield has 2 dates in August and 2 in September. Rain will be the only reason for canceling.  Smithfield Sportsman Clubs will provide the needed archery equipment free of charge.  Shooting times are 8:30 until 11 am so a couple can grab breakfast beforehand or lunch afterwards. Smithfield Sportsmans Club is 2 miles off Rt 295 and 1/2 mile of Rt 44.  Get familiar with the club location as they also have a great family day in late September as well with all kinds of ranges available and a field of vendors.

Deer Permits – ready for the season

From the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM): deer permits for legal regulated hunting, including the “All Outdoors” package, went on sale August 1st. All licenses and permits can be found online at DEM’s Rhode Island Outdoors (RIO) online system at www.RIO.ri.gov and at local sales agents. In addition, DEM’s annual Summer Deer Survey is open.

Deer permits are sold as antlered or antlerless deer permits. Hunters must have the appropriate deer permit in their possession to legally hunt and harvest any deer. The cost of each deer permit for residents is $13.00 online or $13.50 at a sales agent; for non-residents, the cost is $26.50 online or $27.50 at a sales agent. The cost for the resident “All Outdoors” package (five antlerless and two antlered deer permits) is $78 online or $81 at a sales agent. There is an enhanced access fee applied to purchases at sales agent locations that are used to offset the administrative costs to bill, track, and account transactions at sales agent locations and support system development, operation, support, and maintenance.

To view the current deer hunting rules and regulations such as tagging and reporting requirements, hunters can pick up a copy of the 2024-25 Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide at local sales agents. The regulations guide can also be found online here. For more information about Rhode Island’s hunting and fishing licensing system RIO, click here. DEM’s annual Deer, Deer Harvest and Deer Hunter Summary serves as a guide for future management decisions to maintain a healthy deer population. All reports can be found on the DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife’s (DFW) Wildlife Conservation and Research webpage.

2A Update

Attention all sporting and fishing clubs.  Jared of Guns and Gadgets brought to our attention that roughly 10-million gun owners are not registered to vote.  16,000 of those not registered are in RI.  I would bet when one adds non-registered RI anglers to the 16K the number goes well over 20,000.  This is unacceptable. 

To all Club officers everywhere put a fire under the backside of the membership to get them to vote.  I hear so many comments that “it won’t make a difference”, so I don’t vote.  That is a lazy man’s excuse. 16K extra votes would have changed the race in RI’s 2nd congressional district enormously.  So, like many other times, I’ll step up to the plate.  Feel free to have me attend your club meeting in August or September and I’ll motivate the membership to vote.

Along the lines of voting, request your membership also verify their voting credentials, and their accuracy, online at the RI Secretary of State. I was a Tiverton resident until January 2024 but when I moved to Gloucester, the Secretary of State changed my voting location to Warwick. I have no idea why they did this. I wonder if I would have voted Democrat Nov 7th, 2024 in Warwick if I didn’t notice the severe error.  Oh, what am I thinking, there is no voter fraud right?  Again, have your membership double check as we are dealing with the RI government.  See SOS link:  Welcome to your Voter Information Center

SCOTUS

Sandra Day O’Conner was a left leaning SCOTUS Justice.  When she retired due to a health issue with her husband, the retirement had a profound effect on all of us. To give you a perspective from my point of view, her retirement set in motion a chain of events that I could not foresee.  Here is the story: Upon Justice O’Conner’s retirement due to her husband’s ill health, George W. Bush nominated Harriet Miers as her replacement. Ms. Miers was very similar to Justice O’Conner in regard to left leaning ideology.  Ms. Miers nomination caused an uproar in the conservative community as the community was sprouting it’s originalism roots. Ms. Miers withdrew her nomination and George W. Bush nominated now Justice Alito.  Justice Alito being one of the 2 staunchest 2A justices on the US Supreme court right now. Justice Alito authored the McDonald decision much to the dismay of many a blue state. Justice Alito also authored the Caetano decision, much to Massachusetts dismay, and set a numerical value for weapons in common use.

This writer began getting involved in 2A court proceedings in 2007.  The interest took off like a rocket after the McDonald case both from a student perspective but also from a personal interest as well.  Had Justice Alito not been nominated to the Supreme Court, Heller in 2008 and McDonald in 2010 2A cases likely would not have occurred.  The cases following McDonald peaked not only the interest in this writer but to the 2A community as a whole.  Each new SCOTUS case is viewed by the 2A community as the Super Bowl.  These cases unite the 2A community and hunting and fishing communities on common ground. But I digress. These cases sparked a passion in writing, and that is where the retirement of Justice O’Conner had an impact on my personal life.

In 2008 and 2010 the woman I was with at the time told me, “I don’t know if I want to be with someone who is so political.” I was backed in a corner as 85% of her family is Democrat.  That issue (along with many others) caused me to jump ship and I never looked back.  After a 2-year hiatus, my model train obsession led me to become friendly with a worthy candidate.  After being told “the young lady often wore a “Grunt Style AR-15 shirt” by my now editor, the chase was on.  However short lived, the pursuit was again influenced by Justice O’Conner’s retirement.  The crush was often 1-sided (her second rejection lacked confidence and showed hesitation, leading me to think I had a chance, so I refused to give up), but my editor did her best to keep me in the loop as to gain an advantage with the young lady. My editor also suggested writing as a way to vent when life doesn’t go the way one wants. 

The suggestion worked as the pursuit ended in mid-October 2018 when this writer (who was mastering the Internet as a universal tool) tracked down the USAF nephew of the young lady in order to send and deliver a Troop care package from the RIFGPA.  The troop care package filled 2 missions: 1) to show that I stand by my word and, 2) to see if I could track a person down literally on the other side of the planet using just the Internet. Both accomplishments succeeded. The latter in a matter of 6 hours.  The Internet can be a wonderful tool.  While the romance died shortly thereafter, the obsession of 2A writing was well on its way.  The strong bond between editor and writer was formed. (Even though we sometimes disagree like brother and sister). Had Justice O’Conner’s husband not taken ill, Justice Alito would not become one of 2 formidable 2A protectors at SCOTUS, further this writer would likely have never pursued 2A politics, add a left leaning editor would not be brought into the realm of the 2A world, and that editor now offers a forum to the 2A world, and in all likelihood, you would not be reading this article.

There is a statement that everything happens for a reason and very little is a coincidence. I agree with that theory, and you may now as well.

Atta Boys on personal lawsuit success

I noted last week the out-of-pocket awards burdened on 2 politicians who violated a gun owners 2A constitutional rights.  The personal lawsuits litigation has taken root I am happy to say so. It was a long 6 years, but the lawsuits are well on their way.  Atta Boy Ralph, for the reminder of how we were talking to the walls at the Federated when we urged these lawsuits to begin. The rest of the USA heard us my friend!  The rooting is now so entrenched that our conservative friends up in the great white north are now doing the same to their politicians who violate the Canadian Constitution. Trudeau’s cronies who routinely violate Canadian constitutional rights may find themselves broke.  Atta Boy, Kristine, for leading the litigation charge up there in Canada.  Will she make Canada great again?

See you next week! – Jeff

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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, Commentary, and Whimsical. He can be reached at: [email protected].