Notes come from around Chicago outdoors with the help of readers.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Bill Peak photographed short-eared owls at one of the prime viewing spots near Route 41 and County Road 400 at Indiana’s Kankakee Sands.
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
SHOWTIME
Thursday, Jan. 16 to Jan. 19: Northern Illinois Sports Show, Lake County Fairground & Event Center, Grayslake, ilsportsshow.com
Friday, Jan. 17 to Jan. 19: Muskie Expo Chicago, Pheasant Run, St. Charles, muskieexpo.com/chicago/
Friday, Jan. 17 to Jan. 19: Greater Chicago RV Show, Schaumburg Convention Center, greaterchicagorvshow.com
Today, Jan. 12: Final day, Chicago Boat, RV and Sail Show, McCormick Place South, ChicagoBoatShow.com
Today, Jan. 12: Final day, All-Canada Show, Pheasant Run, St. Charles, allcanada.com
Today, Jan.12: Final day, Lake Home & Cabin Show, Schaumburg Convention Center, lakehomeandcabinshow.com
FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Lake Vermilion guide Luke Ronnestrand, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., North Branch Pizza & Burger Co., Glenview, 7:30 p.m., chicagolandmuskiehunters.org/meetingschedule.asp
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Rob Wendel of Lake Michigan Angler, Salmon Unlimited, Thornwood Restaurant & Lounge, Wood Dale, 7 p.m., salmonunlimitedinc.com
Thursday, Jan. 16: ``Chef Todd’’ on ice fishing LaCrosse, Wis. and recipes, Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m., fishtalesfishingclub.com
MIDEWIN LECTURE SERIES
Wednesday, January 15: Frank Pascoe, Professor of Biology at St. Francis, ``Spider Watching at Midewin,’’ Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Welcome Center, Wilmington, begins 7 p.m., registration required at (815) 423-6370 or SM.FS.Midewin_RSVP@usda.gov.
SHEDD FREE DAYS
Thursday, Jan. 16 to Jan. 20: First free days of 2020, Illinois residents. Click here for details.
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Through Monday, Jan. 13: Applications, spring turkey hunting, second lottery
Wednesday, Jan. 15: Pheasant, quail and partridge hunting, south zone, ends
Thursday, Jan. 16: Canada goose season, north zone, ends
Friday, Jan. 17 to Jan. 19: Second late-winter antlerless and CWD seasons
DALE’S MAILBAG
Cooper’s hawk in Wicker Park.
Provided
``Enjoyed your article in [Saturday’s] paper! This hawk has been hanging out in our Wicker Park backyard.’’ Kati Rooney
A: Rooney was one of many to send photos and stories of Cooper’s hawks around Chicago.
BIG NUMBER
27: Percent increase in bald eagle nests in southeastern Wisconsin during the Wisconsin DNR’s annaul aerial survey of known nest locations, flown since the 1970s. Click here for more on the survey.
LAST WORD
``Waiting for winter to show up. I’m 64-65 and I’ve never seen us miss a [blankety-blankety winter] yet.’’
Greg Dickson, proprietor of Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch on Tuesday, on the wait for real winter and sustained ice fishing to begin
