Buck in the shade, snake playing minnow: Chicago outdoors, notes

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED

Jim Karp photographed this buck in velvet in mid-June at his father’s backyard in Morton Grove. “The bigger one was hiding,’’ he emailed. “They come a lot to get in the shade.’’

BOTW: Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs Sundays on the outdoors page as warranted. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

July 12, 14, 19, 21: Downers Grove, (630) 963-1300

July 14 and 16: Newark, (815) 210-4995 . . . Hebron, mchenryilhs@gmail.com

July 16-17:Bolingbrook, willcohunt@aol.com

FISH GATHERINGS

Wednesday: John Trossen on multi-species on Geneva Lake, Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m., walleyesunlimitedusa.org

ILLINOIS PERMITS

June 30: Deadline, second lottery, firearm deer permits. Click here

Through July 1: Online applications, free dove hunting permits for select sites. Click here

Through July 4: Fall shotgun turkey permit applications, resident hunters Click here

DALE’S MAILBAG

Email: “I saw a miniature version of the snake with fish picture [WOTW last Sunday] a few years back. While taking a little nature walk, I looked down and saw a skinny little 18-inch water snake in the path and almost stepped on it. I think it didn’t notice me because it was too busy playing with a little minnow it must have just caught from the pond that was next to the path. It was picking it up and tossing it around like a cat with a mouse. The minnow appeared to still be alive. Pretty cool.’’ Chuck Wolthusen

A: “Pretty cool’’ is right. Something about snakes and fish captures people’s imaginations and eyes.

BIG NUMBER

40: Percentage of fisheries staff at the Illinois DNR, 58 or older

LAST WORD

“We are committed to maintaining a diverse salmon and trout population in La

ke Michigan.’’

Vic Santucci, Illinois’ Lake Michigan Program manager, Thursday at the informational meeting on Chinook stocking reductions, expressing the opinion of managers from the multiple jurisdictions around Lake Michigan