Thoughts on coyotes in late winter off a snowy photo, more on FOID card foibles, some early numbers on the Great Backyard Bird Count, and the sale of Outside are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors.

By Dale Bowman

Coyotes doing late-winter things in the snow. Photo provided by Ken “Husker” O’Malley — Coyotes doing late-winter things in the snow.

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors

WILD OF THE WEEK

While fishing, Ken “Husker” O’Malley photographed two coyotes and emailed, “These guys are searching for a mid-day snack.” I think they might have had something other than a snack on their minds, late February is peak breeding time for coyotes.

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

March 13-14: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818

WILD THINGS

Through Sunday, Feb. 28: Wild Things 2021 Conference will held virtually, $15 per weekend or $30 for entire conference, wildthingscommunity.org.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Sunday, Feb. 28: Crow season ends

Monday, March 1: Fishing Braidwood Lake begins

Tuesday, March 2: Over-the-counter sales of spring county specific youth turkey permits begin

DALE’S MAILBAG

“I applied for a new FOID card on June 9th, 2020. I am still waiting. The State Police web page says the application is still under review. Covid related problems aside , don’t you think nine months is too long to wait” Curt Annis

A: It is absurdly too long. It’s time to either get the program properly staffed or the whole FOID program needs to be scrapped. BTW, another reader tweeted that he has been waiting 11 months, since last March.

BIG NUMBER

260,000: Early count of reports (from nearly every country in the world) during the Great Backyard Bird Count. Go to birdcount.org for more information.

LAST WORD

“We have been fortunate to stay independent and profitable for all of these years and that speaks volumes for the talented team that built Outside into an iconic brand. Our industry has weathered all kinds of challenges over four decades, including recessions, the digital explosion and now the pandemic.”

Lawrence Burke, 78, owner of Outside and associated brands since 1978, on the sale to Colorado-based Pocket Outdoor Media, in an email for an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican. Outside, created in 1977 by Jann Wenner (also founder of Rolling Stone), operated out of Chicago until 1995 and is now based in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

Next Up In Outdoors

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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: Coyote thoughts, more FOID card foibles, Great Backyard Bird Count, Outside sale

Thoughts on coyotes in late winter off a snowy photo, more on FOID card foibles, some early numbers on the Great Backyard Bird Count, and the sale of Outside are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors.