Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Dr. Elizabeth Pector photographed this cedar waxwing, the American Birding Association’s Bird of the Year, in a suburban hawthorn. I think waxwings are hard to photograph, so I particularly enjoyed her series.
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.
March 21-22: Elgin, hsmagno48@gmail.com
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Friday, Feb. 28: Chain O’Lakes dinner, Maravela’s, Fox Lake. Contact Vicki Mandurano, (847) 553-7565.
SHOWTIME
Saturday, Feb. 29: Salmon Unlimited Swap Meet, River Park Moose Lodge, River Grove
Saturday, Feb. 29, to Next Sunday, March 1: Chicago Dive & Travel Expo, Chicago Marriott O’Hare
FISH GATHERING
Wednesday, February 26: Andrew Ragas, “Bass Fishing in Northern Wisconsin,” Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m.
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Monday, Feb 24: About Boating Safely, La Grange, Terrie Welge, twelge@lths.net
Saturday, Feb. 29: About Boating Safely, Chicago, Dan O’Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com
OUTDOOR FILMS
Wednesday, Feb. 26: YETI film tour, Thalia Hall, Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
MIDEWIN LECTURE SERIES
Wednesday, Feb. 26: Greg DuBois, “Bird Life of 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
Monday, Feb. 24, to Friday, Feb. 28: Illinois residents only, click here for more information
DALE’S MAILBAG
A trail cam photo of a buck in the suburbs.
Provided by George Lobb
“I keep having run ins with a buck(s) at my house in Barrington. Bought a trail cam and got some pics. Also, coyotes, does, foxes, and some unidentifiable creatures this month.” George Lobb in January
A: It’s never too late for submissions, plus I have a weakness for trail cam photos. It’s special to see the growth of trail cams from a hunting tool to general use to see what is wild around us.
BIG NUMBER
9-10.88: Pounds-ounces of Illinois-record saugeye, caught by Dan Murphy on Dec. 7, 2001, from Evergreen Lake. (In 2018, a survey of Evergreen produced one nearly a pound heavier.)
LAST WORD
“A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.”
Hamlet, in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Act 4, Scene 3
