Notes from around Chicago outdoors.
FIELD NOTES
WILD OF THE WEEK
John Cuculich sent a ‘‘Man vs. Nature’’ photo of a coyote in Orland Park.
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
Q: My wife and I were walking on Roscoe just west of Ravenswood and found this little guy [woodcock]. Most likely stunned after flying into a large, lighted picture window of the residential building. We walked back about an hour later, and it was gone. — Mike Zeddies in late April
A: I guess it makes sense a bird favoring moist soil would be in that neighborhood, but I usually think more of warblers as the major urban-collision species.
BIG NUMBER
$201,250
Top lot — pair of pintails by Ivar Fernlund — in the Guyette & Deeter Inc. auction on April 27-28 at Pheasant Run in St. Charles.
LAST WORD
‘‘Spring azures were the first butterflies to appear, on April 2.’’
— Carl Strang, retired naturalist, in a May 1 entry on his blog, Nature Inquiries, about St. James Farm.
WILD TIMES
HUNTER SAFETY
(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)
May 12-13: Zion, hunterssafety@5starfirearms.com
May 18 and 20: Newark, (815) 210-4995
May 30-31: Chicago, carryinillinois.com/hunter-safety-course.html
FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday: Dan Lazzeroni on ‘‘Topwater Trolling & Live-Bait Tactics,’’ Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., 7:30 p.m., Giuseppe’s La Cantina, Des Plaines
Tuesday: Rick and Darlene Battalini of Yellow Bird Fishing Products, Salmon Unlimited, 7 p.m., Elk Grove Village VFW
Wednesday: Capt. John ‘‘Rocky’’ Mannerino on sauger and walleye, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc., 7 p.m., Schaumburg Golf Club
Wednesday: Mike Norris on Big Green Lake, Lake Geneva Fishing Club, 5:30 p.m., Cabela’s, Hoffman Estates
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Through June 30:Applications may be made for second lottery, firearm and muzzleloader-only deer permits. Click here for details
Thursday:Final day, turkey hunting, fifth season, north zone
RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY
Thursday: T. Stanton Armour chapter banquet, Hilton Chicago/Northbrook. Contact Beth Burnson, (312) 330-7506 or rgsbanquet@gmail.com
WINGSHOOTING
May 20-21: Des Plaines Conservation Area; Saturday is youth (10-18); Sunday, girls or women, 10 and older; (217) 785-8129;
DUCKS UNLIMITED
(Click here for the general list of Illinois DU events)
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION
(Click here for general list of banquets and events)
Thursday: Windy City Longbeards banquet, Erie Street Cafe, Chicago. Click here for details
PHEASANTS FOREVER
(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)
