Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED
Ray Parmer photographed this buck in Perkins Woods in Evanston. He counted 10 points. I found the drop tine (the one growing down) most interesting. The 7.5-acre Perkins Woods is the only forest preserve in Evanston and, as Parmer noted, the forest preserve is named for architect Dwight Perkins, one of the founders of Forest Preserves of Cook County.
BOTW Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt 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), Instagram (@BowmanOutside), or Bluesky (@Bowmanoutside).
BIG NUMBER
22: Degrees sundogs are located, according to the National Weather Service, “either left, right, or both, from the sun, depending on where the ice crystals are present. The colors usually go from red closest to the sun, out to blue on the outside of the sundog. Sundogs are also known as mock suns or parhelia, which means `with the sun.’ “ Many readers reported sundogs on Sunday. Many readers reported sundogs over the last week.
LAST WORD
“It you have to ask if the ice is safe, you probably shouldn’t be out ice fishing. Learn how to measure ice and to know how safe it is.”
A veteran bait shop owner on Tuesday
WILD TIMES
SHOWTIME
Through Sunday, Jan. 21: Muskie Expo Chicago, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles
Today, Jan. 20: Musky Swap Meet, Quad County Hawg Hunters chapter of Muskies, Inc., St. Charles Moose Lodge, Duane Landmeier, dlandmeier@frontier.com
This weekend, Jan. 20-21: Capt. Dan Keating Schools, Lake Michigan Angler, Winthrop Harbor, Salmon Foundations, Jan. 20; Advanced Tactics & Seasonal Strategies, Jan. 21
Thursday, Jan. 25, to Jan. 28:Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo, Schaumburg Convention Center
Next Saturday, Jan 27:Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc.’s annual banquet, more than $50,000 in prizes, Schaumburg Golf Club
Click herefor the complete list of show, outdoors classes, swap meets and major ice-fishing events.
DERBIES
Today, Jan. 20:Hermann’s Rest-A-While’s Ice Fishing Derby, Port Barrington on Nielsen’s Channel, hermannsrestawhile.com
Friday, Jan. 26, to Jan. 28:LVVA Ice Fishing Derby, Bangs Lake, Wauconda
HUNTER SAFETY
Feb. 24-25: Essex, (815) 922-4027
March 9-10: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818
March 9-10: Diamond, (815) 907-7345
Full state listing of safety classes at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty
ILLINOIS PERMITS
Monday, Jan. 22, to Feb. 9: Third lottery, spring turkey
