Eagle fishing, ‘What is wrong with our species?’, black-necked stilts, pheasant chicks

Here are the notes from around Chicago outdoors.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Dave Derk photographed a stunning series of photos last month on a fishing trip to northern Wisconsin. ``We were the only boat on the lake and the resident eagles literally followed us around hoping for a fish handout,’’ Derk emailed. WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. Send nominations to @BowmanOutside on Twitter or Instagram, to Dale Bowman on Facebook or email BowmanOutside@gmail.com.
WILD TIMES
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Wednesday, Nov. 6: Northeast Illinois dinner, Midlane Country Club, Wadsworth. Contact Don Kellum, (847) 308 -6651, or Ryan Miles, (847) 682-4944
ICF FUNDRAISER
Nov. 25-26: Director’s Hunt, Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area, ilcf.org/portal/upcoming-events-online-registration
SHOWTIME
Next Sunday, Nov. 11: The Early Show, Chicago area’s only fly-fishing show, presented by ISA and DRiFT, Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oakbrook, dupageforest.org/news/news-releases/early-show-2019
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Today, Nov. 3: Final day, first Canada goose season, central zone
Saturday, Nov. 9: South-central zone duck and Canada goose seasons begin
DALE’S MAILBAG
``What is wrong with our species? We drop our garbage without any regard to where or what. I walk in the [Bartel Grassland] most every morning and see stuff dropped just anywhere. This last week someone must have cleaned out their freezer: a bag of frozen meat, big flats and still in the plastic as were the frozen pizzas. Maybe a hundred dollars worth. . . . I dragged it into the weeds and cut the plastic off. At least the coyotes got a good meal out of it.’’ Georgiana
A: I don’t have an answer for that key question: `What is wrong with our species?’’
BIG NUMBER

Sumner Matteson

31: Historic number of black-necked stilts, traditionally a more southern nester, nesting in Wisconsin.
LAST WORD
“Biggest mortality for pheasant chicks is getting separated from mother, it is not predators. Once they make it to flying, they make it to hunting season.’’
Wade Louis, Habitat Team Program manager for Illinois DNR.