Sandhill cranes and Canada geese at Buffalo Creek, a fisher in northern Wisconsin, observations on the Root River, and an IGFA mark for lake sturgeon are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors.

By Dale Bowman

Sandhill cranes and Canada geese at Buffalo Creek. Credit: Larry Spence — Sandhill cranes and Canada geese at Buffalo Creek.

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.

WILD OF THE WEEK

In the middle of October, Larry Spence came through with another interesting photo of “sandhill cranes at Buffalo Creek.” I see some resting Canada geese in the background, too.

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. Submit nominations by message on Facebook (Dale Bowman), on Twitter (@BowmanOutside) and Instagram (@BowmanOutside) or email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com).

WILD TIMES

SHOWTIME

Note: Tinley Park Fishing Show will not hold its show this winter, but will focus on 2022.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Today, Nov. 1: Fall shotgun turkey ends

Thursday, Nov. 5: White-fronted goose season opens, central zone

Saturday, Nov. 7: Statewide pheasant, rabbit, quail and partridge seasons open

Nov. 7-8: Youth waterfowl hunt, south-central zone

DALE’S MAILBAG

Trail cam photo of a fisher in northern Wisconsin. Photo provided by Dave Derk — Trail cam photo of a fisher in northern Wisconsin.

“We put out a trail cam on both trips and got pictures of a bear and a fisher!” Dave Derk and Sondra Katzen, on an annual fishing trip to northern Wisconsin.

A: The fisher photo most interested me because I have never seen one in the wild. Fishers may have been historically present in Illinois centuries ago, according to Donald F. Hoffmeister’s “Mammals of Illinois.” Hoffmeister notes prehistoric records of porcupines, a principle food of fishers.

BIG NUMBER

76.20 kg (168 pounds): All-tackle world record for lake sturgeon, caught by Edward Paszkowski on May 29, 1982 from Georgian Bay in Ontario, according to the International Game Fish Association.

LAST WORD

“After some rain last week, the river level is up, at 292 cfs. The Chinook run seems to be winding down, and we had less Chinooks in the facility today, but we continue to see more coho move upstream.”

Root River Report, from Wisconsin DNR, after the ninth processing day for the fall at the weir on Monday, October 26

Next Up In Outdoors

High hopes for Heidecke Lake fishing: Prospects look good for the season, despite a brutal opener

Chicago fishing, Midwest Fishing Report: Hoping on a warm-up, coho, smallmouth, browns, steelhead

A little help from friends on bagging first spring gobbler leads to Turkey of the Week

An old favorite of the Chicago River, the common carp, still have ‘Big Shoulders’ downtown

Chicago outdoors: Frog sounds question, inquisitive mink, early hummingbird, big Shabbona walleye

Rare wild turkey sightings along lakefront come to a tragic end

Chicago outdoors: Sandhill cranes, northern Wisconsin fisher, Root River, Chinook, coho, lake sturgeon

Sandhill cranes and Canada geese at Buffalo Creek, a fisher in northern Wisconsin, observations on the Root River, and an IGFA mark for lake sturgeon are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors.