Red fox, cormorants, fisheries history, bluegills, doves: Chicago outdoors notes

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Nancy Shevel sent a plethora of wonderful photos, including this red fox in June, from their “own piece of heaven on earth” in McHenry County.

WOTW, the celebration of wild scenes and photos 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

“People are asking me why the cormorant is much-despised, as quoted in your column.” John Cuculich

A:First of all, this gives me a chance to repost the wonderful photo of cormorants Cuculich took, which ran in WOTW last week. Cormorants are very effective eaters of fish, one reason some fishermen despise them. This is especially true near Inland Steel in Indiana, where thousands nest and are blamed partially for the decline of perch fishing in that area.

BIG NUMBER

66: Years in Illinois fisheries history spanned in this August photo of Becky Redman (most recent DNR fisheries hire) and Bruce Muench, 93, (first fishery biologist hired by the Department of Conservation in 1952).

LAST WORD

“Holiday weekends. What to do? Bluegill or doves? So did it all. Ended with 12 doves and 17 gills.”

Gary Bloom, showing why he is the quintessential Chicago outdoorsman

WILD TIMES

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Through Friday: Second lottery, public waterfowl draws. Click here for info

Saturday: Early Canada goose season ends

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday: Wisconsin DNR biologist Luke Roffler on Geneva Lake muskie, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., North Branch Pizza & Burger Co., Glenview, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Capt. Josh Keeran out of Racine, Wis., Salmon Unlimited, Elk Grove Village VFW,, 7 p.m.

Tuesday: (Note changes in time date, site) Capt. Steve Everetts on fishing Geneva Lake at night, Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Big Foot Archers, Inc., Lake Geneva, Wis., 5 p.m.

Wednesday: Steve Sarley, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m.

Thursday: FPCC fisheries biologist Jim Phillips, Riverside Fishing Club, LaGrange American Legion, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday: Park Bait Customer Appreciation Day, Montrose Harbor, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

GREAT LAKES VOLUNTEERING

Saturday: Adopt-a-Beach Cleanup, greatlakes.org/adoptabeach

KIDS FISHING

Sunday: 2nd Annual Get Kids Hooked on Fishing Event, Turtlehead Lake, Orland Park, 9 a.m

HUNTER SAFETY

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

Saturday-Sunday: Joliet, (815) 727-4811

Sept. 22-23: Momence, bobhuntnfish@yahoo.com or 815/472-2670

Oct. 6-7: Mokena, (708) 390-2409 . . . Dyer, Ind., (219) 515-2197

WINGSHOOTING CLINIC

(Click here for the statewide list)

Sept. 22-23: Des Plaines CA, call (815) 423-5326 or click here for detailed 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)

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

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