Home > Press Room > Providence Journal Article December 7, 2003

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Sports: Tom Meade

Outdoor Notes by Tom Meade: Web site takes a shot at helping R.I. hunters, anglers

01:00 AM EST on Sunday, December 7, 2003

Mark Mingain, a member of the Wallum Lake Rod & Gun Club, the North American Hunting Club and several conservation organizations, has launched a new Web site for hunters and anglers in Rhode Island. RIHunts.com has all the information -- including topographical maps -- to take you anywhere outdoors.

"I designed this Web site to fill a need for the hunters in Rhode Island," Mingain said in an e-mail. "Users can find out what's going on in our outdoor community. The site contains a wildlife management area section, club directory, forums, links, photo gallery, a feedback section and a calendar. If users can't find info on my site, there are links to the Department of Environmental Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, etc."

If you're looking for a place to shoot, RIHunts.com has a list of ranges with their phone numbers, and even a permit application to use the newly renovated state range at the Great Swamp.

There are forums on general matters, hunting, firearms, archery and fishing in saltwater and freshwater. If a previous hunting Web site is an example, the forums will probably get the most use, and, with some discipline, the moderators will be able to keep the area free of caustic whining so it's a source of helpful information. Good luck.

The calendar is especially helpful. Go to a date and it will tell you which hunting seasons are open. Click on the season, and you'll get detailed information. The feature makes it easy to decipher hunting regulations that are becoming as complex as commercial fishing regulations. There's also a schedule of hunter-safety classes.

The section on businesses will help you find tackle shops, gunsmiths, butchers, and any other service you may need.

The most attractive feature, though, is the wildlife-management-areas section, where you can click on an area, get a verbal description of the land and its wildlife, and then click on either a reference map or a full-color topo map that you can print out and take with you.

With RIHunts.com, Mingain has performed a valuable public service for the outdoors enthusiasts of Rhode Island.

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