Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.
BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED
Paul Vriend sent another of his wonderful photos, this time of two bucks jousting this fall at a North Side cemetery.
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. To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).
WILD TIMES
HUNTER SAFETY
Here is the word from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:
ILLINOIS SEASONS
Today, Dec. 26: Second dove season opens
Monday, Dec. 28: First scaup/bluegill season, south-central zone, ends
Tuesday, Dec. 29: Second scaup/bluebill season, south-central, opens with daily bag reduced to one
Thursday, Dec. 31, to Jan. 3: First seasons, late-winter antlerless-only and CWD deer
DALE’S MAILBAG
“Though I’m a Chicagoan since ‘49, I was born in Minnesota, the `Land of 10,000 Lakes,’ as it says on its license plates, and where lots of its residents fish. Bass, blue gill, sunfish, crappie were on our menu all summer during the Depression. We all pronounced crappie as you do, in case it matters. Still do.” Ted Manuel
A. Bingo, the man speaks with the wisdom of years (and agrees with me).
BIG NUMBER
300: Estimated nesting pairs of bald eagles in 2020 in Indiana, the year bald eagles became officially recovered there. Bald eagles were reintroduced in Indiana from 1985-89. Click here to read more background.
LAST WORD
“Fishing downtown on the Chicago River all these years, it was one of the most unique seasons ever. There were no tour boats, very few kayaks and maybe a handful of fishermen. I’m sorry to say it did not help fishing. I believe the lack of water turbulence from the tour boats was a detriment.”
Jeffrey Nolan, responding to the column last Saturday recapping 2020 in the outdoors
