WWW Chicago outdoors: Showtime 2, squirrels and warmer ice

A side serving of squirrel always catches my eye, but more obviously Week 2 of show season tops this Wild Weekend Wanderings around Chicago outdoors.

SHOWTIME: Of special note at the All-Canada Show, which opened yesterday and runs through Sunday at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, is Babe Winkelman. He appears at Ontario’s booth on Saturday. He will also do a seminar at that afternoon on the main stage. Go to http://www.allcanadashow.com/html/chicago/.

There’s a ton of boats, general family stuff to make a good half day at the Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show, running through Sunday at McCormick Place North. Go to www.ChicagoBoatShow.com

The newer one these weekend is two muskie seminars–Musky Road Rules Cabin Fever Clinics. One is Saturday at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village; the other is Sunday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rockford. Go to muskyroadrules.com

SQUIRRELLY: My weekend is too full already, but I would really love to go see UIC prof Joel Brown do his “Squirrels at the Arboretum” at Morton Arboretum in Lisle from 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Brown is the guru of urban squirrel study, and the guy I go to with my own or readers’ squirrel questions. At $22, it’s not cheap, but I suspect well worth it. Truly wish i could do it. If we end up juggling our weekend show plans, I may try to make it. Go to www.mortonarb.org

HUNTING: This is basically it for hunting in Illinois. it is really nice weather for mid-January, and I would expect the second split of the late-winter/CWD deer seasons, which are today through Sunday, to put up some major harest numbers. . . . Bowhunting for deer and turkey also ends Sunday. . . . The big question in all this is whether the numbers from all the seasons will be high enough to compensate for the lowest harvest in 10 years during the regular two firearm deer seasons.

ARCHERY: There’s an indoor clinic at Pulaski Park in Chicago from 1 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. Go to lincolnparkarcheryclub.org/clinics.html or contact Warren Levin at (847) 347-7408 or lpa1952@hotmail.com . . . The Chicago Archery Club will hold a tournament at Hamilton Park with open practice beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday. Go to lincolnparkarcheryclub.org/events.html

FISH TALK: I am doing a talk at the Arlington Anglers Fishing Club at Dick’s Sporting Goods at Woofield in Schaumburg at 7 p.m. Tuesday. My plan is to try to figure out a way to double up on carp fishing and a dissection of the Asan carp response. Go to arlingtonanglers.com

ICE FISHING/FISHING: My two ice fishing plans for the week had to be scuttled for scheduling, once for a television crew from CNN I think and once for family issues. So i am out of the loop on ice fishing, other than this should be the weekend with plenty of ice and balmy weather by mid-January standards. They have been catching some perch limits at Montrose and some are still busting ice at Navy Pier with innovative means. But the Chain O’Lakes area overall, by far, remains the top destination.

PERSONAL PICKS: I’m divving up the shows, probably All-Canada today and the Boat Show tomorrow. Had hoped to make opening day for the Boat Show, but that was scuttled. . . . Slight chance of ice fishing, but not likely, on Sunday. . . .Otherwise, I will be prepping for the talk at the Arlington Anglers on Tuesday.