Chicago outdoors: B.S. in fly fishing, Snake Road, sandhill crane tale and fall mushrooms

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.

MUSHROOM OF THE WEEK

Ron Wozny emailed, “Time to go picking” along with photos of his friends Pat and Cathy O’Byrne taking photos of each other with recent good fall mushrooms.

MOTW, the celebration of mushrooms around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt 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).

Credit: Cathy O’Byrne

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

Sept. 24-25: Chicago, carryinillinois.com/hunter-safety-course.html

Oct. 1 and 3: Marengo, akjellgren@cityofmarengo.com

Oct. 17-18: Tinley Park, (708) 342-4200

Oct. 24-25: Joliet, (815) 935-2700

BIKING

Tuesday, Sept. 15: Illinois Bike Summit online, keynote speaker is Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists, $60 ($20 for Ride Illinois members), illinoisbikesummit.org

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Tuesday, Sept. 15: Final day, early Canada goose season

Tuesday, Sept. 15: Final day, second lottery, public duck/goose, https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/waterfowl/Pages/OnlinePermitApplication.aspx

Next Sunday, Sept. 20: Final day, teal season

DALE’S MAILBAG

“My favorite [sandhill crane] is the one I never saw but heard calling for over an hour. I was in Winnetka at an estate sale and I kept hearing a sandhill crane calling. We were south of Tower Road between Sheridan Road and Green Bay, and I could not spot the crane but he was really excited. I finally figured he had settled down in some mansion’s back yard and was eating up the Koi pond and trying to attract a mate by singing, `I have found this great pond with all these large fish, we can raise a big family!’ Jim Edgren

A: I can’t top that.

BIG NUMBER

66/59: Percentage of known Illinois amphibians/known Illinois reptiles found on Snake Road (LaRue Road in southern Illinois), which closed to vehicle traffic on Tuesday and will remain closed through Oct. 30, according to The Southern.

LAST WORD

“There’s more B.S. in fly fishing than there is in a Kansas feedlot.”

The late Lefty Kreh, legendary fly fisher, in the favorite quotes of Cross Current Guide Service & Outfitters