A photo of a nursing fawn, a sign of the clearing Chicago River, description of rip currents and a crowd of fans at the Bassmaster Classic are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors.

By Dale Bowman

A nursing fawn in Tinley Park. Credit: Roy Wick — A nursing fawn in Tinley Park.

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

I would love to call this Buck of the Week, but I have no idea if the fawn is a doe or buck. Roy Wick photographed the nursing fawn last week in his yard in Tinley Park.

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

WINGSHOOTING CLINICS

June 26, and June 27: Elburn, (10-17 on 26th, girls and women on 27th), click here for more or contact scscwingshooting@gmail.com or (847)309-1093

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

June 26: Boat America, Chicago, Dan O’Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com . . . Boat America, Waukegan, Curt Schumacher, curts402@aol.com

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Through Monday, June 21: Illinois Free Fishing Days, no licenses or stamps needed, other regulations apply

SEMINAR

June 26: Learn what, where and when of using artificial lures, St. James Church Hall, Lee, adults $10, high schoolers $5, 13 and younger free, (815) 824-2523, 6-8:30 p.m.

DALE’S MAILBAG

“People want proof the river is really improving? For the first time in the 10 years I’ve been fishing downtown, I was able to see the bottom of the river. This was under a bridge. I never seen the bottom over here, ever.” Jeffrey Williams

A: Put another piece on the pile of evidence of the improvement of the Chicago River system.

Clearing Chicago River. Credit: Jeffrey Williams — Clearing Chicago River.

BIG NUMBER

147,197: Fans at Classic Week in Fort Worth for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic; that is second only to the 153,809 fans at the 2019 Classic in Knoxville, Tenn.

LAST WORD

“Rip Currents are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore. They typically extend from the shoreline, through the surf zone, and past the line of breaking waves. Rip currents can be generated by various mechanisms on any beaches with breaking waves, including beaches on open oceans and in the Great Lakes and in a Bay.”

National Weather Service, explanation of rip currents, click here for more.

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