Chicago outdoors: Big sheds, red foxes, color and cardinals, IMA Hall of Fame, Izaak Walton on anglers

Rod Thorson found some big shed antlers last weekend. | Provided

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.

SHED OF THE WEEK

Rod Thorson, half the morning team at WLPO-FM, sent this photo (at the top) of sheds found on their family farm on Sunday. “Our cameras indicate majority still carrying antlers tho,” he emailed.

SOTW, an occasional note on shed antlers found around Chicago outdoors, runs when worthy in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

WILD OF THE WEEK

Ed Van Cleave knows my love of red foxes and photographed these in his mother’s backyard in Beverly.

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

Red foxes in Beverly.

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

March 13 to March 14: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818

ILLINOIS PERMITS

Tuesday, March 9: Over-the-counter sales of archery/firearm spring turkey turkey permits begin

DALE’S MAILBAG

“I saw this cardinal near Beck Lake. It seemed more red than normal. Does the color of the bird change in winter?” Ray Adams

A: Color is an interesting side to male cardinals. From NestWatch on allaboutbirds.org (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), “The intensity of a cardinal’s redness is related to what he’s been eating. So when females see a bright male, it’s a signal that he’s healthy and holds a good territory.”

Cardinal near Beck Lake.

BIG NUMBER

5: Members of the 2021 of the Illini Muskies Alliance’s 2021 Hall of Fame Class—Rob Hilsabeck, Steve Kroll, Dan Koniewicz, Rich Gallagher, Jim Ashton—who are hoped to be honored at the 2022 Muskie Show.

LAST WORD

“If all the theories were correct, there wouldn’t be a fish left in all of our lakes and rivers and streams.”

Izaak Walton, via inspiringquotes.us