Fawns, hummingbirds, hunters, anti-depressants: Chicago outdoors notes

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Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

John Williamson photographed two fawns “hanging around in the woods’’ behind their Crete home this summer.

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

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Email: “Taking pictures of hummingbirds is hard. I feel like a hunter stalking its prey.  By the time you see one, focus, click the shutter, wait a milli-second for the camera to react,  and shout `Crap!,’ it’s too late. Thank goodness for digital cameras.’’ John Cuculich

A: He sent photographic proof of success.

BIG NUMBER

29: Percent of decline in spending ($36.3 to 25.6 billion) by hunters, who declined to 11.5 million, from the 2011 to 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

LAST WORD

“The levels of antidepressants found do not pose a danger to humans who eat the fish, especially in the U.S., where most people do not eat organs like the brain. However, the risk that the drugs pose to biodiversity is real, and scientists are just beginning to understand what the consequences might be.’’

Randolph Singh, co-author of a recent study on research on antidepressants in fish brains in the Niagara River, via Phys.org

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday: Pete Kosanovich on Crow Lake, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., Giuseppe’s La Cantina, Des Plaines, 7:30 p.m., chicagolandmuskiehunters.org

Tuesday: (Date and location change) Jason Drewa on lunker bass, Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Cabela’s, Big Foot Archers, Inc., Lake Geneva, Wis., 5:30 p.m., lakegenevafishingclub.com

Tuesday: Lake Michigan Angler’s Rob Wendel on shore fishing, Salmon Unlimited, Elk Grove Village VFW,, 7 p.m., salmonunlimitedinc.com

Wednesday: Capt. Kevin Stahl on Green Bay muskies, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m., frvmuskie.com

Thursday: Dale Bowman on accessing Chicago fishing, Riverside Fishing Club, LaGrange American Legion, 6:30 p.m., RiversideFishingClub.com

HUNTER SAFETY

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

Sept. 16-17: Bolingbrook, BPHE92017@gmail.com . . . Kankakee, (815) 935-2704 . . . Momence, (815) 388-3853

Sept. 21 and 23: Woodstock, Mchenryilhs@gmail.com

Sept. 29-30: Arlington Heights, huntsafely.webs.com

Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Beecher, TJHUNTERSAFETY@GMAIL.COM . . . Morris, rainbowcouncil.org

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Friday: Final day, early Canada goose season

Thursday: Second deadline, applications for public duck and goose hunting area permits, dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/WaterfowlHunting.aspx

Through Sept. 24: Teal, snipe and rail hunting begins

Through Sept. 30: Applications for bobcat hunting and trapping permits, $5 non-refundable fee, il.wildlifelicense.com/start.php

DUCKS UNLIMITED

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

Thursday: Salt Creek dinner, Hinsdale Golf Club, Clarendon Hills. Contact David Chase (630) 360-5991, Chris Hildreth (312) 609-4937. Click here for details.

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)


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