Opening day: A trek from duck opener at Heidecke Lake to trout and waterfowl opener at Wolf Lake

Snapshots from opening day of duck hunting at Heidecke Lake and trout fishing and waterfowl hunting at Wolf Lake:

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‘‘There were two guys ahead of us,’’ Scott Malone said. ‘‘They got here at 6:30 [p.m. Friday].’’

Three generations of Malones — grandfather Ken, son Scott and grandson Mitchell — came off Heidecke Lake at midmorning Saturday, ahead of building winds, on opening day of duck hunting in Illinois’ north zone.

With the pandemic protocols, Heidecke, the former cooling lake near Morris, operated on a first-come, first-served basis. The Malones arrived around midnight and were third in line.

They saw a few mallards and about 30 divers and had one shot. But they were hunting as a family.

‘‘My dad took me hunting when I was little,’’ Ken Malone said with pride as he arranged stuff in his 18-foot camouflaged Lund, which was brushed and loaded with decoys. All they had to do was pull the cover over it, and it would be ready to go next time.

Dale Bowman

When Mike Pina came in, he said they had lots of shooting and bagged a wigeon and a hen shoveler.

They arrived around 3:30 a.m. and were sixth in line.

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Then east to Wolf Lake at William Powers State Recreation Area on the Southeast Side.

Anglers spread around the inlet by the nature center, where trout are stocked. Dave Dempsey had four when I checked in around 11.

Krys Kimber had plans for his trout. He bakes them with lemon, salt and pepper.

As I walked around, Oscar Muniz caught a trout.

‘‘First time I am trout fishing,’’ he said. ‘‘Normally, I am going for bass.’’

Dorian Lofton had daughter Faith, 8, out. He mainly had a jig and Gulp! for Faith, who was catching them well. She made me laugh when she picked one up and said, ‘‘Get in there with your fish friends.’’

Trout jumped around the inlet.

Dale Bowman

At the harvest-card drop, I talked with two cousins who said they had done lots of shooting for ducks and Canada geese. Then they laughed and said they hadn’t done much bagging.

They said the pandemic protocols flowed well.

On Monday, hunting heritage biologist Nicky Strahl said 37 hunters bagged five Canada geese, 11 mallards and 14 other ducks over the weekend at Wolf Lake.

Wild things

Dale Bowman

Fallen hedge apples, the fruit of the Osage orange, cluster along fencerows and back roads.

Stray cast

The Bears’ season reminds me of paddling the Kankakee River when it’s low: There’s lots of jumping out to drag the canoe through the riffles.