Urban coyotes & squirrels, Clean Water Rule: Notes, Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Mark Ross photographed this coyote by the Metra tracks near Ravenswood and Bryn Mawr on the North Side.

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

Email: ‘‘[On June 22] at Mann Park, I saw a gray squirrel with a yellow tail.’’ — Bob Milkowski

A: He did not get a photo, but I find it amazing the variations in squirrels. It’s also time for a reminder about the citizen-scientist effort Project Squirrel (projectsquirrel.org). There is an app now, too.

BIG NUMBER

87

Percent of hunters and anglers who want no cuts to conservation in the federal budget, according to a poll released by the Theordore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Public Opinion Strategies.

LAST WORD

‘‘The Clean Water Rule is critical to improving and protecting water quality nationwide. The rule is based on extensive science and common sense. Common sense tells us it is impossible to improve water quality in our rivers and lakes unless the small streams flowing to them are also protected from pollution.’’

— Izaak Walton League of America, on the Trump administration’s plan to repeal the Clean Water Rule

WILD TIMES

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

KIDS

Saturday: Fishin’ Buddies Kids Fest, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wampum Lake, Lansing, free, fpdcc.com/event/kids-fest.

ILLINOIS PERMITS

Monday: Deadline, first lottery, online fall turkey permit applications, Illinois hunters, dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/TurkeyHunting.aspx.

Friday: Applications begin, second lottery, free online dove permits, dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/dove/Pages/OnlinePermitApplication.aspx.

BATS

Saturday: Illinois Bat Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Lincoln Memorial Garden, Springfield, free, batconservation.org/event/illinois-bat-festival.

HUNTER SAFETY

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

July 11, 13, 18, 20: Downers Grove, (630) 963-1300 class 171009-01

July 13-15: Newark, (815) 210-4995

July 15-16: Bolingbrook, willcohunt@aol.com.

Aug. 12-13: Essex, (815) 458-3568

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)

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)