Cicada, Ill. outdoor $s, Izaak Walton, ’shrooms: Chicago outdoor notes

By Dale Bowman

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

On my morning ramble Wednesday with Lady, the family mutt, I found a dead cicada killer wasp by a corner tavern. A few hours later, our youngest found this dead — but beautiful — cicada.

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

DALE’S MAILBAG

Q: I have these growing in the mulch next to my pool here in Schiller Park. Are these edible? — Dave Stachura

A: With the rainy weather the last few weeks, lots of similar things are growing. ‘‘These are the American parasol mushroom,’’ Chicago Botanic Garden chief scientist Greg Mueller said. ‘‘It is a not-uncommon mushroom found in yards and mulch in the heat of summer after rains. This is one of nature’s recyclers, breaking down dead organic material [the mulch]. It looks too similar to some toxic species for me to recommend it for the table.’’

BIG NUMBER

$25.8

Money in billions generated annually in Illinois by the outdoor recreation economy, according to the Outdoor Recreation Economy Report.

LAST WORD

‘‘If all the theories were correct, there wouldn’t be a fish left in all of our lakes and rivers and streams.’’

Izaak Walton, via azquotes.com

WILD TIMES

SHOWTIME

Through Sunday, July 30: Illinois Deer & Turkey Expo, Peoria Civic Center, deerinfo.com/illinoishome.asp.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Tuesday, Aug. 1: Squirrel hunting opens . . . Applications for free upland-game permits begin, tinyurl.com/ILsquirrel.

HUNTER SAFETY