Archery, duck calls, shotguns, fishing, turkey mounts: Loving incongruity of Chicago Family Outdoor Day

Connor Kmiec releases his last arrow Saturday for a bullseye, with steadying from Dan Stephens of Illinois Learn to Hunt program, at the Chicago Family Outdoor Day at William W. Powers State Recreation Area. | Dale Bowman

Sounds of kids blowing duck calls and occasional shotgun blasts wafted the banks of Wolf Lake Saturday. The incongruity of archery, duck calling, turkey mounts, fishing, shotgun shooting and a hot-dog lunch mingled in the second Chicago Family Outdoor Day at William W. Powers State Recreation Area on Chicago’s Southeast Side.

Juliana Senorski tried to teach her younger sisters—(front to back) Angelina, Josie, Frankie—how to cast and fish , but they seemed to have their own thing Saturday at the Chicago Family Outdoor Day at William W. Powers State Recreation Area.

Juliana Senorski took charge to show her younger sister Angelina how to cast properly. Kevin Culhane and Carol McGhee had William, 5, and Morgan, 3, diligently blowing their orange duck calls. Displaying mounts of wild turkey varieties lined the Traveling Turkeys trailer. Connor Kmiec, 6, turned with a priceless expression when he hit a bullseye with an arrow, under the steadying hand of Dan Stephens of the Illinois Learn to Hunt program and watchful eye of his dad Carl, of the International Association of Machinists Local 126. Steve Wabi again instructed on shotgun handling, before taking adults or youth to the water’s edge to shoot at clay pigeons.

It was beautiful, and needed.

Kevin Culhane and Carol McGhee had William, 5, and Morgan, 3, making much use of the duck-call giveaways Saturday at the Chicago Family Outdoor Day at William W. Powers State Recreation Area.

It also took a community—Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2, New Concept Benefit Group, Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, Illinois Learn to Hunt, Illinois Conservation Foundation, T.E.A.C.H. Outdoors, South Cook County chapter of Pheasants Forever, Illinois Department of Natural Resources—to pull it off.

The Traveling Turkeys trailer was one of the cool things Saturday at the Chicago Family Outdoor Day at William W. Powers State Recreation Area.