Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Andrea Raila asked, ``Would a opossum be considered for the Chicago Wildlife?’’ Yes. This one was in her barbecue stove in Edgewater Glen. Raila thinks it has been around since 2013.
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
HUNTER SAFETY
March 7-8: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818.
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Thursday, Feb. 6: McHenry Fox Flyway banquet, D’Andrea, Crystal Lake. Contact Brian Diedrich, (815) 355-0803, or Scott Hettermann, (815) 482-3439.
SHOWTIME
Click here for the master list of shows, classes and seminars.
Friday, Feb. 7, to Feb. 9: Rockford Boat, Vacation & Fishing Show, Indoor Sports Center, Loves Park
Saturday, Feb. 8, to Feb. 9: Tinley Park Fishing Show, Tinley Park High School
Saturday, Feb. 8, to Feb. 9: Chicago Travel & Adventure Show, Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont
Next Sunday, Feb. 9: Henry Decoy Show, Henry-Senachwine High School
LEARN TO HUNT
Feb. 15: Turkey, Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, Wilmington, just be 18 or older, click here to register
WILD MOVIES & MUSIC
Thursday, Feb. 6: “Monty and Rose,” Bob Dolgan’s documentary on the nesting piping plovers at Montrose Beach, followed by the indie band Congress of Starlings and banjo virtuoso Michael Miles, Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln, tickets $18 at martyrslive.com
SHEDD FREE DAYS
Monday, Feb. 3, to Friday, Feb. 7: For Illinois residents, click here for details
FISH GATHERING
Thursday, Feb. 6: Capt. Doug Kloet, Midwest Musky Club, Village Sportsmen’s Club, Alsip, 7:30 p.m., midwestmuskyclub.com
DALE’S MAILBAG
``I lived thru the days of the John Bromfield Chicago Sportsman Shows/Amphitheater & Rosemont Chicagoland Fishing shows. Everything seems so watered down now. The fly fishing show doesn’t even come to Chicago anymore. What happened?’’ @orgullodemexico
A: I think it is primarily two things. First is the rise of Internet sales and information gathering. Second, our free time and use of it changed (for something related see the dramatic decline in league bowlers). For those who don’t know the name, Bromfield was “a `B’-level leading man during the late 1950s,” as idmb.com describes him, who emceed at the Amphitheater. I should also note that the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance and DRiFT do The Early Show in November annually in recent years.
BIG NUMBER
26-15: Pounds-ounces of Illinois-record northern pike, caught by the late Walter Klenzak from Monster Lake (before it was in Mazonia South) on Nov. 9, 1989.
LAST WORD
``With some lakes experiencing 4 to 8 inches-plus of water to the ice surface, slush is causing issues for snowmobiles, ATVs and UTVs. Looks like any hope of enough good ice for truck travel will be out of the question this year.’’
Kurt Justice, Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua, Wis., on Monday
