Cormorants, possums, cicada killer, wild rice, nighthawks: Chicago outdoor notes

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

John Cuculich turned a pair of much-despised cormorants at a Cook County Forest Preserve into something beautiful.

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

“My front yard in Beverly had many tunnels made by these [cicada killer wasps], the wasps are always dragging cicadas into the tunnels.” Paula Everett

A: I knew the Wild Things note on Wednesday about not seeing any cicada killers yet would draw responses and it did. I am hoping to see some soon this summer.

BIG NUMBER

500: Pounds of wild rice yield from a good rice bed, but the Wisconsin DNR’s “Harvesting wild rice in Wisconsin” page notes that hand harvesting will only capture about 10 to 15 percent of that.

LAST WORD

“Also the migration of the nighthawks filling the skies was something to behold. More fall colors are emerging and the water temps are down to 69-70 degrees and cooling. The Big possums will be walking late in the coming weeks.”

Rob Abouchar, Big Fish Rock And Roll Guide Service, on his report last week the Wisconsin River in Merrill and on the Alexander Flowage

WILD TIMES

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Saturday: Teal season opens

Through Sept. 14: Second lottery, public waterfowl draws. Click here for info

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

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

Saturday: About Boating Safely, Willowbrook, Ronald Carlson, carlson.cgaux@comcast.net

HUNTER SAFETY

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

Thursday and Saturday:Newark, (815) 210-4995

Saturday-Sunday: Kankakee, (815) 935-2700

Sept. 15-16: 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)

Friday: Fox River Valley Dinner, Gaslite Manor Banquets, Aurora. Contact Mike Andersen (630) 864-8676 or Ron Bennett (630) 853-1907

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)

Saturday:Kane County banquet, Strom Farm. Maple Park. Contact Steve Spurling, (630) 542-7136 or kanepheasants@gmail.com

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)