Bucks being bucks, piping plover record, perfect cost analogy come in notes on Chicago outdoors

Mark Kosevich photographed this big buck in a south suburban forest preserve. | Provided by Mark Kosevich

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.
BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED
Mark Kosevich photographed this 12-point buck in a south suburban forest preserve. ``He’s been rutting for a couple weeks and has been active with numerous does, very impressive buck,’’ Kosevich emailed. ``Spread has to be [22-24 inches].’’
BOTW Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. Send nominations to @BowmanOutside on Twitter or Instagram, to Dale Bowman on Facebook or email BowmanOutside@gmail.com.
WILD TIMES
OUTDOORS & ART
Saturday, Nov. 23-Jan. 5: ``Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum,’’ 50 acres of trees transformed with lights and music, adults, $13-$23; children $7-15, mortonarb.org/illumination.
FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday, Nov. 19: Club member speakers and pizza party, Arlington Anglers, Poplar Creek Banquets, Hoffman Estates, 6:30 p.m., arlingtonanglers.com.
Thursday, Nov. 21: Johnny Wilkins on float fishing secrets, Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m., fishtalesfishingclub.com
ICF FUNDRIASER
Nov. 25-26: Director’s Hunt, Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area, ilcf.org/portal/upcoming-events-online-registration
ILLINOIS SEASONS
Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24: First firearm deer season
DALE’S MAILBAG

A buck showing signs of rut activity on the Salt Creek bike trail.

``Seemed to be acting strangely. Walking slowly paying no attention.’’ Mitchell Brown while on the Salt Creek bike path between 25th avenue and Mannheim.
A: It’s called horny as hell, plumb tuckered out from all the mating, or both. To which Brown emailed, ``So a happy young buck!’’
BIG NUMBER
10: Record number of piping plovers pairs, producing 26 young, in 2019 in Wisconsin, via a Wisconsin Public Radio Report. Read it at https://www.wpr.org/2019-record-year-piping-plover-wisconsin.
LAST WORD
``That’s like buying a boat to save money on a fish dinner.’’
Capt. Augie Ralph, making a perfect analogy on keeping track of deer-hunting costs in a comment off last Saturday’s column, which may be read at https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/11/9/20956484/illinois-deer-hunting-logging-dollars-involved-do-i-really-want-to-know-exactly-how-much