Monarchs, fall color, deer harvest: Notes, Chicago outdoors

One of the many monarchs using the Pheasant Forever habitat on the Bleich family farm in Iroquois County during their fall migration. | Provided by Mike Bleich

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors.

DALE’S MAILBAG

``Best time to see them is about an hour before sundown when they come to maple trees on the yard to roost.’’ Mike Bleich

A: Bleich noting the monarchs on their migration that heavily used the fields on the Iroquois County family farm, which utilizes modern Pheasants Forever habitat techniques. See the photo above.

WILD OF THE WEEK

A monarch chrysalis in Mount Greenwood.

Amy March found this monarch chrysalis last Saturday in Mount Greenwood under their bird bath. (I forgot to ask how she noticed it.)

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. Send nominations to @BowmanOutside on Twitter or Instagram, to Dale Bowman on Facebook or email BowmanOutside@gmail.com.

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY
Oct. 26-27: Elgin, hsmagno48@gmail.com . . . Mokena, (708) 479-1020

DUCKS UNLIMITED
Thursday, Oct. 3: Barrington area banquet, Avante Banquets, Fox River Grove. Contact Ray Dolan, (708) 436-6949

PHEASANTS FOREVER
Thursday, Oct. 3: DuPage County Sportmen’s banquet, Abbington Banquets, Glen Ellyn. Contact Joe Cuturilo, (630) 244-5002

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Monday, Sept. 30: Boating Safety, Des Plaines, Chas. Hague, sailnrails@gmail.com
Saturday, Oct. 5: About Boating Safely, Bolingbrook, Darryl Haefner, jlyrrad@comcast.net

WATERFOWL OPEN HOUSE
Monday, Sept. 30: First of five statewide waterfowl regulation planning open houses, 5-8 p.m., Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area hunter check station, Wilmington.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Monday, Sept. 30: Final day, applications to lottery for bobcat permits, $5 non-refundable fee, il.wildlifelicense.com/start.php
Tuesday, Oct. 1: Bowhunting for deer and wild turkey begins. . . . Snagging season for salmon (coho and Chinook) begins, select lakefront locations.

BIG NUMBER

61,096: Final deer harvest total by Illinois bowhunters in 2018-19, 40 percent of the total harvest.

LAST WORD

``There you’ll find trees such as oak, white ash, red maple, sugar maple, hickories, and burning bushes, which by the end of the season shine with a brilliant scarlet in the sun.’’

Illinois Fall Color Report, description of Great Rivers Country, where fall color peaks the second week of October. Click here for the report.