Piping plover, perch eating, CRP acres, quail: Notes around Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Bill Peak, who photographed this rare piping plover last Sunday at Indiana Dunes State Park, thinks it is the same one observed at Montrose Beach last month. WOTW, the 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

“I think the Grande Mere Inn in Stevensville, Mich. is as good as Phil Smidt’s was [for perch]. Teibel’s in Schererville used to be good but I haven’t eaten there in years because I’m stuck on Grand Mere Inn.” Tom Howard

A: I’ve been by Grande Mere Inn many times, now I need to stop in. Multiple readers mentioned Teibel’s as good as Smidt’s for perch (and frog legs).

BIG NUMBER

27 million: Acres in the Conservation Reserve Program, up 3 million acres, in the 2018 Farm Bill that just passed. Click here for more information.

LAST WORD

“Even killing some quail. I scared myself half to death the other morning going to the deer stand when I stepped on a covey of quail.”

Jason Johns, of Boneyard Fishing and Boneyard Outfitters, mentioning more quail in the middle of reporting on fishing crappie in southern Illinois

WILD TIMES

FISH GATHERING

Wednesday: Swap meet/social night, Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Today: Final day, snipe season

Tuesday: Final day, duck season, central zone

Wednesday-Jan. 9: Second dove season

Thursday-next Sunday: First late winter and CWD deer season

HUNTER SAFETY

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

Jan. 4-5: Wheeling, huntersafety@sbcglobal.net

Jan. 12-13: New Lenox, tjhuntersafety@gmail.com

Jan. 19-20: Palatine, palatineparks.org

SHOWTIME

(Click here for the list of shows, classes and seminars)

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)

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

(Click here for full listings of classes in the area)