North Side Cooper’s hawk, Illinois trophy bucks, largest mushroom, first-time duck hunt: Notes, Chicago outdoors

Cooper’s hawk on Chicago’s North Side. | Provided by Andrea Raila

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK
Andrea Raila photographed the Cooper’s Hawk pictured above and below near Norwood and Broadway on Chicago’s far North Side. 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.

Another view of the Cooper’s hawk on Chicago’s far North Side.

DALE’S MAILBAG
``Where do you look up current Illinois archery records? Can’t find anything current on the DNR website or Google. Took a 139+ 8-point this morning with crossbow. Scored at processor.’’ Jim O.
A: Tim Walmsley used to keep the Illinois DNR Big Buck Program up to date. That hasn’t happened for years. Though Walmsley still does it informally. He also mentioned that a 140-inch 8-point buck is nice, but Illinois has produced numerous 8-point bucks in 170s.

Cover of the second edition of Tim Walmsley’s Trophy Whitetails of Illinois, last published 20 years ago in 1999.

BIG NUMBER
2,385: Acres covered by the world’s largemouth mushroom, Humongous Fungus (Armillaria ostoyae), at Malheur National Forest, Oregon, according to nationalgeographic.com. (In case you think your hen of the woods is huge.) For more, go to https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/nature/the-worlds-largest-living-organism.aspx

LAST WORD
``Took a 10-year-old first-timer and watched him shoot his first and four total ducks. Explained where and why while we set deks @ blind and he did AWSOME picking up in big wind. Took me back to when I fell in love with the experience and bonding with family and real friends.’’
A Glen Ellyn man reporting on the Ducks Unlimited Migration Map on a southwest Michigan hunt.

WILD TIMES
HUNTER SAFETY
Tuesday-Wednesday, Oct. 22-23: Chicago, (773) 355-1691
Oct. 26-27: Elgin, hsmagno48@gmail.com
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Today, Oct. 19: Fall trout season opens. Nearby sites include (Cook County) Axehead, Belleau, Busse Woods North, Green, Sag Quarry East, Wolf; (DuPage) Silver, Pickerel, Grove; (Kankakee) Bird Park Quarry, Rock Creek (Kankakee River SP); (Kendall) Big Lake (Silver Springs SFWA); (Lake) Banana, Sand (Illinois Beach SP); (McHenry) Spring Grove Hatchery Pond; (Will) Lake Strini, Van Horn Woods.
Today, Oct. 19: Duck and Canada goose seasons open, north zone
Through Sunday, Oct 20: Central zone youth waterfowl hunt