Leather carp, “well-built” buck, Teddy Roosevelt’s Smith & Wesson, black carp

A confirmation of a leather carp in the Kankakee River, a “well-built” buck in a Cook County forest preserve, sale of Theodore Roosevelt’s Smith & Wesson and wild black carp confirmed in the Mississippi River basin are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

By Dale Bowman

A “well-built” buck in a Cook County forest preserve. Credit: Mark Kosevich — A “well-built” buck in a Cook County forest preserve.

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED

Mark Kosevich photographed this “well-built 10-pointer” in a Cook County forest preserve. “I watched him beat up a husky 8-pointer who is now limping a little bit and gives him a wide berth when they get near each other,” he emailed.

Dueling bucks are a sight to behold.

BOTW Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt 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).

DALE’S MAILBAG

“I think this is a leather carp. It was about 32 inches and at least 15 pounds or more.” George Peters on his catch-and-release from the Kankakee River

A: Kevin Irons, assistant fisheries chief, confirmed it is leather carp, a type of common carp without scales. They are very rare, even rarer than mirror carp, the common carp with large scales.

George Peters with his rare leather carp from the Kankakee River. Provided photo — George Peters with his rare leather carp from the Kankakee River.

BIG NUMBER

$775,000: Price that Theodore Roosevelt’s Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 revolver drew at an Auction on Dec.9, according to the Boone & Crockett Club.

LAST WORD

“When an invasive species becomes established, eradication can be difficult, but it can also be challenging to collect robust information during the onset and early stages when abundance is typically low.”

Gregory Whitledge, a professor with the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences at Southern Illinois University, lead author of the study that showed invasive black carp have established a wild population in the Mississippi River basin, particularly along the Illinois portion. Click here to read more.

WILD TIMES

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Tuesday, Dec. 20: Duck season, north zone, ends

YOUTH HUNTING

Through Dec 31: Registration for youth (10-17) goose hunt, register for the drawing at : https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/education/Pages/YouthGooseHunt2023.aspx. The hunt is Jan. 16 in the Canton area. For questions, call (217) 785-8060.

CHINOOK MEETING

Jan. 7: Indiana DNR meeting on the current Lake Michigan Chinook stocking plan, Indiana Harbor Yacht Club, East Chicago, Ind., 10 a.m.

Next Up In Outdoors

Go & Show: RFC's swap meet and NADCA's decoy & sporting collectibles show

First woman chairs Chicago fishing advisory committee

Cicadas' mass arrival is just a few weeks away in northern Illinois, experts say

Chicago fishing: Lakefront spurts of salmon and trout while inland fishing heats up

Finding early morel mushrooms is underway

Sometimes you have to swim to get a turkey