Sandhill cranes hanging out in Lake Forest, ice conditions in the Northwoods and “hinder,” latest snow in Chicago, and a note on controlled pheasant hunting are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

Sandhill cranes hanging out in Lake Forest, ice conditions in the Northwoods and “hinder,” the latest snow in Chicago and a note on controlled pheasant hunting are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

By Dale Bowman

Sandhill cranes hanging out in late December in Lake Forest. Credit: Tony Cumbo — Sandhill cranes hanging out in late December in Lake Forest.

Notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Tony Cumbo photographed these sandhill cranes visiting Lake Forest last week and noted, “So cool. made a dinosaur-type call never heard that before, so cool.” Cornell Lab of Ornithology lists “loud, rattling bugle calls” as the main of many sounds made by sandhills; but I like Cumbo’s description, “dinosaur-type call.”

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. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

Jan. 29-30: Diamond, (815) 907-7345

YOUTH HUNTING

Friday, Dec. 31: Deadline to register for 2022 Central Illinois Youth Goose Hunt on Jan. 17, (217) 785-8060

SHOWTIME

There are updates. Click here for updated list of shows, classes and swap meets for the coming months.

FISH GATHERING

Wednesday, Dec. 29: Johnny Wilkins, “Catching Fish For Real! Better Tactics for Hooking and Landing More Fish Everywhere,” Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Sunday, Dec. 26: Second dove season opens. . . . Snipe season ends

Monday, Dec 27: First scaup season, south central zone, ends

Tuesday, Dec. 28: Duck season, central zone, ends. . . . Second scaup season, south central zone, opens

Thursday, Dec. 30-Jan. 2: CWD/late winter antlerless deer seasons open

Friday, Dec. 31: Snagging for Chinook and coho ends on Illinois lakefront.

DALE’S MAILBAG

“How do other sites do standby pheasant hunting?” Pheasant hunter

A: The best way to go about controlled pheasant hunting in Illinois is to register online before 9 a.m. the day before you want to hunt. If you want to try standby, arrive either before 8 or 8:30 a.m. day-of.

BIG NUMBER

Dec. 20, 2012: Previous latest measurable snow in Chicago.

LAST WORD

“Expect good travel, but chains on your quad tires, chains on your feet or a pillow on your hinder are advised.”

Kurt Justice, Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua, Wis., on getting around ice fishing over the holiday weekend (had to look up hinder).

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: Sandhills hanging out, ice and ‘hinder,’ late Chicago snow, controlled pheasant hunting

Sandhill cranes hanging out in Lake Forest, ice conditions in the Northwoods and “hinder,” the latest snow in Chicago and a note on controlled pheasant hunting are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.