Sandhill, bison, golden rainbow trout: Notes, Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Emil Baumbach photographed this “elegant’’ sandhill crane in a northern Illinois hayfield. Sandhills are moving. The count Tuesday at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, southeast of Valparaiso, Ind., was 5,495. Stay updated on the count there at in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3109.htm

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

WILD TIMES

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Now: Remaining firearm and muzzleloader-only deer permits become available over the counter

Through Sunday, Oct. 30: Fall shotgun turkey hunting

FISH GATHERING

Wednesday: Andy Bushman on late fall fishing in Door County, Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m., walleyesunlimitedusa.org

OPEN HOUSE

Tuesday: Kankakee National Wildlife Refuge, open house 6 p.m., formal presentation, 7:30 p.m., Momence High School

HUNTER SAFETY

(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)

DUCKS UNLIMITED

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

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)

DALE’S MAILBAG

Q: “One of my buddies is a long time Axehead [Lake] trout fisherman. He told me yesterday he counted 10 albino trout swimming by.’’ Jason Fox

A: Forest Preserves of Cook County fisheries biologist Steve Silic emailed that a large number of the fish received from Crystal Lake Hatcheries were gold in color. He explained they were golden rainbow trout, not albinos, and simply a color variation of the common rainbow trout.

BIG NUMBER

6,400+: Applications for the 500 permits for Illinois’ first modern season for bobcats. Click here to heck application status at

LAST WORD

“I went down to Kankakee Sands, just north of Willow Slough, to view their newly arrived herd of bison. They have seven bulls and 16 cows. They have a viewing area west of Route 41 at County Road 400W.’’

Bill Peak, sending photos from The Nature Conservancy’s property an hour south in Indiana