The questions of monarchs, a buffalo roundup and other notes: Chicago outdoors

James “Gomie” Gomex had a surprise, the right kind of surprise, in September at his new house. | Provided

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Ron Wozny emailed that his buddy, James ``Gomie’’ Gomez, just bought a house and what these a few days later. That is a surprise. To me, that is the right kind of surprise and should be a selling point in real estate.

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. 22-23: Chicago, (773) 355-1691

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Monday, Oct. 7: Des Plaines, Chas. Hague, sailnrails@gmail.com

PADDLING
Saturday, Oct. 12: Skokie Lagoons Fall Paddle Fest, free, Tower Road Boat Launch, 1-4 p.m., fpdcc.com/event/fall-paddle-festival/

WINGSHOOTING CLINICS
October 12-13: Hunter Level (advanced) Wingshooting Clinic, St. Charles Sportsmen’s Club, Elburn, IL, to sign up, email scscwingshooting@gmail.com.

FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday. Oct. 6: Rick Albers of Chaos Tackle, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., North Branch Pizza & Burger Co., Glenview, 7:30 p.m., chicagolandmuskiehunters.org/meetingschedule.asp
Tuesday, Oct 8: Capt. Caleb Weiner of Migrator Charters, Salmon Unlimited, Elk Grove Village VFW,, 7 p.m., salmonunlimitedinc.com
Wednesday, Oct. 9: Don Baker, of Battery Service Corporations, and Dave Anderson, Reel Repair, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m., frvmuskie.com
Wednesday, Oct. 9: Guide William Heim, Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m., lakegenevafishingclub.com
Thursday, Oct. 10: Johnny Wilkins on killer trout-fishing rigs, Riverside Fishing Club, LaGrange American Legion, 6:30 p.m., RiversideFishingClub.com

CAREERS
Thursday, Oct. 10: lCamber Outdoors’ networking event in active outdoors, including a panel discussion, REI in Lincoln Park, 5:30 p.m., register at camberoutdoors.org/events

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Tuesday, Oct. 8: Spring turkey permits, applications begin online for residents
Oct. 12-13: Youth waterfowl hunt, north zone
Oct. 12-14: Youth deer hunt

DALE’S MAILBAG

``This may sound like a off the wall question but have you noticed more monarch butterflies this year? It seems since late July up to the present I’ve seen lots more this year than in the recent past.’’ Linda Kinnaman

A: I don’t think that is an off-the-wall question at all, but rather a good one. I am not sure if it is that there are more monarchs or that we as a society, especially conservationists, are more observant of them.

BIG NUMBER

25,000: Record number of spectators at 54th annual Buffalo Roundup, Custer State Park, South Dakota

Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup 2019.