Big buck to osprey talons: Notes around Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

DALE’S MAILBAG/BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED

I have this posted as a “Dale’s Mailbag,” but it could as easily be a “Buck of the Week: Unplugged.”

Q: “For us non-hunters, can you tell us how to count points on bucks. You probably get asked that question a lot, but when you have a deer in front of you, it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Do the small [points] inside of the rack count, too? I enclosed a photo of a buck that likes to while away his long daytime hours on the other side of my property. He seems to have a lot of points.’’ Jill Anderson, River Forest

A:He does have a lot of points, 14 by my count. Officially, the Boone and Crockett Club has this: “To be counted a point, the projection must be at least one inch long, with the length exceeding width at one inch or more of length.’’ Growing up, we unofficially counted a point if you could hang a ring on it. Click here for a fuller explanation on scoring of whitetail racks by Boone and Crockett, a conservation club noted as also being keeper of big game records.

As to Buck of the Week: Unplugged, a celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, that segment runs Sundays on the outdoors page of the Sun-Times as warranted. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).

WILD OF THE WEEK

John Cuculich of Orland Park photographed an osprey–“Look at those talons!’’–in one of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Wild of the Week, a celebration of wild scenes around Chicago outdoors, runs Sundays on the Sun-Times outdoors page as warranted. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

Oct. 8-9: Mokena, (708) 479-1020 or mokenapark.com/registration/

DUCKS UNLIMITED

(Click here for the general list of Illinois DU events)

Saturday: Lily-Cache Flyway dinner, White Fence Farm, Romeoville. Click here for info.

FISH GATHERING

Wednesday: Kevin Yeska on “Jigging Heavy Grass for Bass–Southern Wisconsin,’’ Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m., walleyesunlimitedusa.org

CWD MEETING

Wednesday: Illinois DNR informational meeting on chronic wasting disease, Hoover Scout Camp, Yorkville, 7 p.m.

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Saturday: Bowhunting for deer and turkey begins

WINGSHOOTING

Oct. 15-16: St. Charles Sportsmen’s Club, Elburn, (847) 309-1093 or joemigalla5@gmail.com

BIG NUMBER

20: Percent of color at St. Germain Thursday in the Wisconsin Fall Color Report. click here for Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report.

LAST WORD

“Another measurable year class [of yellow perch], that is a positive thing in my book.’’

Vic Santucci, Lake Michigan program manager, Thursday at Mayor’s Fishing Advisory Committee meeting on second straight year with significant young of the year seined, first time back-to-back in decades