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.
Provided by Dave Derk
“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
