Outdoors
Bird experts say temperature fluctuations could impact available food supply and the timing of arrivals.
My dad, Leroy Bowman, whom I credit with much of my love of the outdoors, led a full life filled with anomalies: deer hunting, ordained Mennonite deacon, quarryman, trout fishing, raising six kids. He died at 95 over the solar-eclipse weekend and the memories bubble up.
Truly spring-like weather over the weekend showed the variety of fishing options available around Chicago and leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Kirby McDaniel’s walleye, 29-inches-plus long, was caught with a jig and minnow.
Sandhill cranes on a visit to the Platte River area of Nebraska, the first Morel of the Week this year and an early sighting of a monarch butterfly are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
Leaders at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said this week there are “no immediate plans” to rebrand Starved Rock State Park in La Salle County, but officials are open to discussing a potential name change if Native American groups push for it.
I traveled around southern Illinois at some new sites as an offshoot of covering the total solar eclipse. It brought a sharp reminder of just how much that region brings to our outdoors world.
The show includes fishing seminars and product demos.
Here are some more nuggets related to the nature world from the total solar eclipse on Monday.
Jose Sanchez caught a big smallmouth bass while powerlining at 63rd Street on the Chicago lakefront (Jackson Park), which is a rare feat when powerlining.
It feels like we are finally, truly slouching toward spring around Chicago fishing, and that leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Brixton Harvey, 6, earned Fish of the Week for one of his three peacock bass caught in Florida.
As darkness descended Monday in the path of totality, the air cooled, a bullfrog hummed a bass line and birds of all kinds called out to mark the occasion.
A question on the size of turkey flocks heads the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
Sorting through pieces of change in history related to the natural world from smelt netting in Chicago to Michigan Maritime Museum to American white pelicans in Indiana to trumpeter swans in Palos.
Fishing covers a big tent covering many activities.
Heidecke Lake, the former cooling lake near Morris, has been a underutilized gem of muskie fishing in Illinois; but that changes as more anglers target muskie, as well as walleye, crappie, hybrid striped bass and bass.
The spring trout opener in Illinois and other spring signs (spring signs?) lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Michelle Landowski caught a mudpuppy to earn the inaugural Amphibian of the Week.
“Little Joe” McRae, 13, bagged his first wild turkey while hunting with his grandpa Ray McRae during Illinois’ first youth spring turkey weekend on Village Sportsmen’s Club property in Hancock County.
A striking photo of a coot, an unphotogenic bird, and ruminations on a reader and his granddaughter enjoying suburban deer are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
The acquisition of Tamarack Farms makes Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge a more impactful destination and creates within Hackmatack a major macrosite for conservation.
The city of Chicago has worked for years on building design standards that prevent fatal crashes of migratory birds. Making those standards optional for builders is a problem, bird lovers say.
There’s not much to hope on in the tradition of smelt netting in Chicago going into the opener Monday night.
Coho on southern Lake Michigan and the openers on Monday for smelt netting in Chicago and Heidecke Lake lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
The meeting on Thursday leads Go & Show this week.
Darryl Turner caught a 30-pound blue catfish Sunday at LaSalle Lake to earn Fish of the Week honors.
A buck still holding antlers in Crete and a question on pickerel and the Illinois record are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
The convention provided a chance to learn and see some amazing work up close.