Buck of the Week, Sunday notes: Chicago outdoors

Led by Buck of the Week: Unplugged, here are Sunday notes from the Sun-Times outdoors page.

BUCK OF THE WEEK: Unplugged

Carl Vizzone photographed this fine buck at North Park Village Nature Center on Chicago’s North Side.

Send nominations for BOTW: Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or by email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

Oct. 30-31: Arlington Heights, huntsafely.webs.com

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Tuesday: Fox River Valley dinner, Gaslite Manor Banquets, Aurora. Contact Tim Tarran, (630) 768 – 4369; Ron Bennett, (630) 554-3180

Saturday: Lily-Cache Flyway dinner, White Fence Farm, Romeoville. Contact Barb Reszke, (630) 605-3833; Jim Reszke (630) 452-5991; R.J.Stachnik, (708) 207-4418

PHEASANTS FOREVER

Thursday: DuPage County banquet, Abbington Banquets, Glen Ellyn. Contact Gary DeCarta, (630) 544-9015 or dupagepf@gmail.com

FISH GATHERING

Wednesday: Steve Rusteberg, “Smallmouth Strategies for Washington Island,’’ Walleyes Unlimited, Gurnee American Legion, 7 p.m., walleyesunlimitedusa.org

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Thursday: Bowhunting for turkey & deer opens

Thursday: Snagging for Chinook and coho opens, only at Lincoln Park lagoon south of Fullerton, Waukegan Harbor north basin, Winnetka Power Plant discharge, Jackson Park inner and outer harbors.

DALE’S MAILBAG

E: “The best way to fight for Northerly Island is to fight against the George Lucas Museum of Perpetual Adolescence, which will not attract anglers, birders, or budding naturalists, but rather tourists who will dump their cups, wrappers, and plastic crap all over the place. Think of all the plastic and cardboard packaging from those stupid Star Wars figurines that the gift shop will undoubtedly sell.’’ John Vukmirovich

A: As usual, Vukmirovich slices to the heart of it.

BIG NUMBER

4-14: Pounds of Illinois-record white bass, caught by Bruce Wilson on Oct. 7, 1981 from the Kaskaskia River in Clinton County.

LAST WORD

“And, the number one observation I make from the air is a boat stashed 50 yards from a group of hunters. The hunters can’t see the boat nearby, but from a duck’s view, the boat stands out and likely flares birds from the decoys.’’

Aaron Yetter, who flies the waterfowl surveys for the Illinois Natural History Survey