Chicago outdoors: Tombstone & doe, skull & antlers, sandhill cranes on the move, and most extreme rogue wave

A doe sheltering by a tombstone earlier this winter. | Paul Vriend

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Paul Vriend took another of his iconic photos, this of a doe at Rosehill Cemetery. which “gives the illusion it’s buried up to the neck in snow. However, it is just sitting in a hole and using the tombstone as a wind block.”

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).

SHED OF THE WEEK

Conrad Brouwer with his one and only shed antler find.

While hiking in Will County, Conrad Brouwer put a different spin to “shed hunting” [photo left]. “Best and only shed I ever found, and by accident,” he emailed. “The gals I were hiking with spotted it and I picked it up thinking it was just one antler. Surprise, it was the whole thing.”

SOTW, an occasional note on shed antlers found around Chicago outdoors, runs when worthy, generally 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

March 12-13: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818 . . . Diamond, (815) 907-7345 . . . Morris, (815) 942-6644

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Friday, March 4: Central Kane dinner, Kuiper Family Farm, Maple Park

FISH GATHERING

Thursday: Eric Esko, “Early season Musky and Walleye tactics, Midwest Musky Club, Village Sportsman’s Club, Alsip, 7:30 p.m.

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Next Saturday, March 5: Boat America, Don Leonard, uscgachicago@gmail.com

SHOWTIME

Click here for the complete list of shows, classes and swap meets for the coming months.

Today, Feb. 26: Salmon Unlimited Swap Meet, River Grove Moose Lodge, 7-11 a.m.

Today, Feb. 26: Hoosier Coho Club’s Fish Tales & Tackle Sales Outdoor Show/Swap Meet, Orak Shrine. Michigan City, Ind.

Today-Sunday, Feb. 26-27: Fish-On: Portage’s Fishing and Outdoor Show, Woodland Park, Portage, Ind.

Friday-next Sunday: March 4-6: Northwest Indiana Fishing and Outdoor Expo, Lincoln Community Center, Highland, Ind.

Next Saturday, March 5: Indoor Fishing Flea Market, Rolling Meadows High School

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Monday, Feb. 28: Crow season ends

DALE’S MAILBAG

“Sandhill cranes flying over Matteson.” Henry Brummel on Sunday

A: Brummel was the first to send notes about sandhills flying during the three days of warmth early this week. Enough contacted me that I put in some time just listening to see if I could hear or see my own.

BIG NUMBER

58: Feet (17.6 meters) of the most extreme rogue wave, confirmed in early February. It struck off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, on November 17, 2020, via earthysky.org.