A recent conversation with my daughter Olivia, a teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School in Montague, and my 6 year old granddaughter, Vivian Charlotte Baron, a student at the same school, brought back memories of what we so often hear from teachers and students after a lengthy summer vacation. The usual comments from my daughter about hitting the sales at Staples, and getting the classroom sorted out and ready to go. And major discussions with my granddaughter about “back to school wardrobes,” and “will I make friends?” suddenly rule the moment as summer slowly leaves us, with autumn less than six weeks away.

But having said that, the calendar says it’s still summer, with many things happening out there that include some fun events and some fairly serious issues, which have captured the attention of many over the past few weeks. So let’s dive into it right now and forget for a moment that summer is slowly giving way to crisp air, foliage, and the start of another long hunting season, which makes me smile every time I think about it!

First off, Governor Maura Healy has recently signed into law new gun regulations (“Modernizing Firearms Laws H.4885”) calling it the state’s most significant gun safety legislation in a decade. And as I enter into my third reading of this exhibit, I have to say there are some positive aspects to it that I agree with. That said, there are other things that simply make little or no sense to me at all. I’m not attempting to support or discount anything of what this new legislation says. But I will say as I continue to seek out different opinions from all vantage points, the Gun Owners Action League, who I hold in high regard, along with volunteers working with GOAL, have come together in hopes of submitting a petition for a ballot referendum on H.4885/Ch. 135, and they need help. If you’re interested in learning more about this, or helping with their efforts, contact Mike Puntin (mtpuntin@gmail.com). Mike will be happy to explain what they’re hoping to accomplish with this effort, and how you can help with it.

SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES: If you’re anything like me, you’ve been enjoying some of the world’s greatest athletes competing in the Summer Olympics with great interest. My favorite was the local girl from Florence, Gabby Thomas, who won three gold medals while just bursting with the joy of youth, which is so relevant to the Olympic Games. But when you think about it in a different way, Massachusetts has so many wildlife species that could also be strong competitors in their own Olympic Games, if only there was such a thing. Recently, MassWildlife officials came together to compile a list of native wildlife that could potentially be gold medal winners in the Olympic Games for animals, and here’s a few examples of what they came up with:

Diving: Long-tailed ducks. Now, it can be said that many swimmers simply live in the water, but sea ducks actually do. And when it comes to diving, long-tailed sea ducks would be my favorite to take home the gold due to their impressive dives of up to 200 feet

The long jump: Bullfrogs. Bullfrogs may be iconic for their voices, but their athleticism is on full display when they use their strong back legs to leap into the air. These small but fierce competitors have been recorded jumping great distances, and are another choice for a medal in the games.

Weightlifting: Ants. You may expect something bigger than an ant to win a medal in weightlifting, but don’t underestimated their strength. Although small in size, ants have enormous neck muscle strength, capable of lifting objects into the air, over their heads, and onto their back.

REMINDER: Starting Aug. 1, 2024 you can check online with MassWildlife to see if you’ve been awarded the right to purchase an Antlerless Deer Permit (Doe Permit) in Massachusetts. You can check your permit status up until Dec. 31. But remember, if you are awarded a doe permit, you must purchase it in order to use it.

And finally, Sept. 4: Women in the Outdoors “Pint Night” in Barre is another opportunity to come together with a panel of women to discuss hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking and all things outdoors. Refreshments are always provided, and a cash bar will be open. This event is hosted by the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Women in the Outdoors program at the Stone Cow Brewery (500 West Street, Barre) from 6 to 8 p.m. Pre-registration is not required, but encouraged for this free event. All pre-registrants will be entered to win prizes. Contact Sasha Dyer for more information and to register (sashad@charter.net).

Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the N.E. Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also on the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Pro-Staff. He can be reached at jjontheridge@comcast.net