“Pinky,” more trespassing, fish advisory: Notes, Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Karl Scherer photographed “Pinky,’’ a quirrel named for her vivid tail, foraging at Catherine Chevalier Woods near O’Hare.

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).

DALE’S MAILBAG

The mailbag last week from Pete Brownson sought suggestions on watching a Downstate hunting area. My suggestion was enlisting a local. Leaving aside a friend who suggested a bear trap, other good suggestions came. Don Anderson tweeted to use the new cellular data wildlife cameras. Biologist Bob Massey suggested also alerting local Conservation Police Officers on who has permission to be on the land.

BIG NUMBER

12,962: Licenses sold for sturgeon spearing on the Lake Winnebago and upriver lakes in Wisconsin; the season began Saturday, Feb. 11.

LAST WORD

“The advisories are not meant to discourage people from eating fish, but should be used as a guideline to help anglers and their families decide the types of fish to eat, how frequently, and how to prepare fish for cooking to reduce possible contaminants.’’

Dr. Nirav D. Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, on the updated Illinois Sport Fish Consumption Advisory released Wednesday

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

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

Feb. 24-25: Zion, takeakidhunting@aol.com

Feb. 25-26: Chicago, http://carryinillinois.com/hunter-safety-course.html . . . Essex, (815) 458-3568

March 3-4: Morris, philliparnold3@gmail.com or 815-343-7330

March 4-5: Momence, (815) 388-3853

March 11-12: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818 . . . Bolingbrook, hebpMarch2017@gmail.com (include name, address & DOB)

March 18-19: New Lenox, huntedbob@aol.com

ILLINOIS PERMITS

Wednesday, Feb. 15: Rabbit hunting ends . . . Return deadline for harvest surveys for hunters who received a Free Upland Hunting Permit; same applies for those who use Windshield Card system

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday: Sean Bermingham on early season patterns, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., Giuseppe’s La Cantina, Des Plaines, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Titus Seilheimer on “Citizen Science in a Changing Lake,’’ Salmon Unlimited, Elk Grove Village VFW,, 7 p.m.

SHOWTIME

(Click here or the exhaustive list of shows, seminars, swap meets and auctions)

Today, Feb. 12:Final day, Tinley Park Fishing and Outdoor Show, Tinley Park High School

Today, Feb. 12: Henry Decoy Show, Henry-Senachwine High School

Today, Feb. 12:Final day, Muskie Expo Milwaukee, Washington County Fair Park & Conference Center, West Bend, Wis.

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

Friday, Feb. 17, to Feb. 20:Click here for info

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)