WWW Chicago outdoors: Openers & enders

Kings arriving on shore and two hunting seasons opening headline this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.I think there might be a chance of a 30-pound Chinook for shore fishermen this fall. I find encouragement in the 27-pound, 14-ounce king “Bluegill Bill” Young caught earlier this week in 45-50 feet out of the Ditch in Indiana (above).

Four Chinook were caught at the mouth of Montrose harbor yesterday, said Mike Repa at Park Bait. The biggest went 18 3/4 pounds.

It begins.

DOVE OPENER: Dove hunting opens Sunday. I pulled together some links and info for public sites in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. The opener will be hot. It will be curious to see what the weather change does for action on Labor Day.

I have a permit for Silver Spring SFWA, but I might have to adjust because of some family responsibilities.

WADING:Rivers are low and very wadeable. Should be a wonderful holiday weekend to wade in. That is on my agenda. The only thing is to watch the paddlers coming through for the final big weekend of the summer.

PERCH FISHING: Perching was good with the influx of cold water (it dropped to 51 degrees off Waukegan overnight Tuesday) before the northeast winds came again Wednesday. I think with the south and southwest winds the next few days the cold water and the perch should be back before the weather changes again Monday.

EARLY GOOSE SEASON:Early Canada geese also opens Sunday, but I don’t expect a lot of effort or success with geese away from nesting areas and zero corn harvested.

SQUIRREL HUNTING:Iroquois County SWA is one northeast Illinois site open during August for squirrel hunting and still goes by the old sign out and in system. Most other sites that allow squirrel hunting open on Tuesday and run through September.

In Indiana, squirrel hunting is also open. One nearby spot, which sometimes draws dozens of hunters (though many are assumed to be scouting for deer), is Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area.

DEER SCOUTING:Guys are getting out and checking on deer. i think that is one of the things some of the early squirrel hunters are doing, too, as much as anything. I am seeing guys already working on stands.

PERMITS:The application period runs through Saturday for the free upland game permits, coolest hunting program in Illinois. Go to http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/uplandgame/Pages/OnlinePermitApplication.aspx

Random daily draws for deer hunting run through Sept. 9. Go to http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/calendar/Pages/DuckGooseFirstLottery.aspx

The second lottery for duck and goose reservations runs through Sept. 10. Go http://dnr.illinois.gov/OnLineHuntingApplication/duck/duckapp2.aspx.