Eagles, DU banquets & Classic: Chicago outdoors

Led by WILD OF THE WEEK, Sunday notes from the Sun-Times outdoors page.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

J. Gomez photographed a fine bald eagle series, including the shot at the top and the one on the side, on Feb. 13 at Le Claire, Iowa. For those of us who remember when bald eagles were nearly gone, it remains a stimulating sight.

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

HUNTER SAFETY

March 5-6: Joliet, (815) 727-4811

March 12-13:Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818 . . . Momence, (815) 388-3853

March 19-20:Manteno, (708) 259-9483

March 31 & April 2:Woodstock, mchenryilhs@gmail.com

POLISH HUNTER SAFETY

April 9-10:Chicago, (630) 479-0708, Polish language only

WILD TIMES

COOLING LAKES

Tuesday: Braidwood reopens to fishing, 6 a.m.

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Thursday: North Shore Chicago dinner, Kenilworth Club. Contact Scott Martin, (312) 961-2908; Bill Graham, (847) 274-7946; Jon Rick, (773) 771-4974

Friday: Lockport dinner, Crystal Grand Banquets, Lemont. Contact John Suva, (708) 601-0189; Dan Tully Sr., (815) 416-1326; Dan Martin, (815) 955-2227

Friday: Central Kane County dinner, Eagle Brook Country Club, Geneva. Contact Bob Walker, (630) 234-8497; Phil Eggen, (815) 482-3999

PHEASANTS FOREVER

Friday: Tallgrass banquet, Orland Chateau. Orland Park. Contact Scott Krneta, (708) 987-6685

DALE’S MAILBAG

E: “Last year we had a small little group of us that competed with B.A.S.S. Fantasy Fishing. So now, we’re putting another group together to see who’s got the talent to score the most points for this 2016 season and WIN the Chicago Fantasy Challenge Cup.’’ Ed Bohn

A: Yes, fantasy sports builds, even in professional bass fishing. Don’t believe me, click here. The Bassmaster Classic is Friday through Sunday, March 4-6, in Tulsa, Okla.

BIG NUMBER

1 in 8: Rate in years at which an “average’’ spearer should harvest a sturgeon during Wisconsin’s Winnebago sturgeon spearing season, according to senior fisheries biologist Ryan Koenigs.

LAST WORD

“We’ve seen this movement flare up and get stamped out this month at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation. In the last year, we’ve seen 37 bills at the state level, 31 of which were defeated. Now, this is the most overt discussion of seizing or selling off public lands to take place on Capitol Hill. At what point will lawmakers see that this is a non-starter with hunters, anglers, and American families who enjoy public access to outdoor recreation.’’

Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, on Congressional hearings last week