Notes come from around Chicago and beyond.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Emil Baumbach photographed this sandhill crane “bugling in a territorial display at another sandhill crane pair that was flying overhead” in Lake Forest.” He added, “Their bugling sound can be heard for 2.5 miles. Sandhill cranes have returned to our area and will be nesting soon.”
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).
WILD TIMES
HUNTER SAFETY
April 23-24: Braidwood, smitty@teachoutdoors.org
April 30-May 1: Ingleside, shawnfrey33@gmail.com
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION
Friday, April 8: Fox Valley Flydowns Hunting Heritage Banquet, Parkway Banquet Hall, Ingleside. Contact Jeff Vanderlip, (815) 713-0197.
SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL
April 23: Illinois & Chicago chapter’s 50th annual fundraiser and banquet, Medinah Banquets, Addison, Contact Marla Rimkus mkr1999@hotmail.com or 224-636-3750
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Next Saturday, April 9: Boat America, Chicago, Don Leonard, uscgachicago@gmail.com
WINGSHOOTING CLINICS
May 14 or 15: Introductory wingshooting clinic, Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, (815)423-5326. Click here for registration.
SHOWTIME
Click here for the complete list of shows, classes and swap meets for the coming months.
Through today, April 3: Illinois Deer Classic, Peoria Civic Center, illinoisdeerclassic.com
Thursday, April 7: Midwest Musky Club’s Annual Mega Raffle Night. Village Sportsman’s Club, Alsip, food, free admission, grand prize is Garmin Echomap UHD 93SV with Panoptix, midwestmuskyclub.com
ILLINOIS SEASONS
Through today, April 3: Second youth spring turkey season
Monday-Friday, April 4-8: First spring turkey season, south zone
DALE’S MAILBAG
“I don’t know about rest of Illinois, but, after the rain [last] week, I had trouble walking to my car without stepping on an earthworm. Sidewalk and parking lot were covered. Thought of my now deceased brother who lived to fish. He would have helped himself.” Ginny McGraw
A: I knew exactly what she meant. One morning I stuffed my pocket with dozens of night crawlers, a symbolic gesture of what I did when young.
BIG NUMBER
50th: Anniversary in April of the opening of the Salmon Stop in Waukegan.
LAST WORD
“A tree frog, clinging
To a banana leaf –
And swinging, swinging.”
Kikaku haiku, of which Katie Pickard Fawcett wondered, “Is the frog swinging with joy or is he clinging to a single leaf, his feet dangling in the air?” (Ah, life.)
