Notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Tony Cumbo photographed these sandhill cranes visiting Lake Forest last week and noted, “So cool. made a dinosaur-type call never heard that before, so cool.” Cornell Lab of Ornithology lists “loud, rattling bugle calls” as the main of many sounds made by sandhills; but I like Cumbo’s description, “dinosaur-type call.”
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
Jan. 29-30: Diamond, (815) 907-7345
YOUTH HUNTING
Friday, Dec. 31: Deadline to register for 2022 Central Illinois Youth Goose Hunt on Jan. 17, (217) 785-8060
SHOWTIME
There are updates. Click here for updated list of shows, classes and swap meets for the coming months.
FISH GATHERING
Wednesday, Dec. 29: Johnny Wilkins, “Catching Fish For Real! Better Tactics for Hooking and Landing More Fish Everywhere,” Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m.
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Sunday, Dec. 26: Second dove season opens. . . . Snipe season ends
Monday, Dec 27: First scaup season, south central zone, ends
Tuesday, Dec. 28: Duck season, central zone, ends. . . . Second scaup season, south central zone, opens
Thursday, Dec. 30-Jan. 2: CWD/late winter antlerless deer seasons open
Friday, Dec. 31: Snagging for Chinook and coho ends on Illinois lakefront.
DALE’S MAILBAG
“How do other sites do standby pheasant hunting?” Pheasant hunter
A: The best way to go about controlled pheasant hunting in Illinois is to register online before 9 a.m. the day before you want to hunt. If you want to try standby, arrive either before 8 or 8:30 a.m. day-of.
BIG NUMBER
Dec. 20, 2012: Previous latest measurable snow in Chicago.
LAST WORD
“Expect good travel, but chains on your quad tires, chains on your feet or a pillow on your hinder are advised.”
Kurt Justice, Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua, Wis., on getting around ice fishing over the holiday weekend (had to look up hinder).
