Chicago outdoors: Mystery gnawing on bird box and Illinois' record bobcat harvest

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

John Dignin of Tinley Park emailed, “I’ve had this bird house for six years now, no issues. In the last week, the hole is chewed out. Can’t figure out what did it.” My guess goes to those bastard backyard rodents, squirrels.

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks 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

370: Record number of bobcats harvested by Illinois hunters and trappers during the 2023-2024 season, which ended Feb. 15. That surpasses the 367 record last year.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

WILD TIMES

FISH GATHERINGS

Wednesday, March 20: Writer/guide Steve Heiting, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies, Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 20: IDNR fisheries biologist Seth Love, “Muskies in our local fisheries,” South Side Muskie Hawks, The Sock Bar and Grill, Hickory Hills, Chicago, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 21: John Bette of Stealth Tackle. “Topic Leaders and their proper usage,” Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m.

FLOW Film Fest

Friday, March 22: Eight short films, including first public screening of “Mussel Matters: Saving Critical Species in DuPage County,” free, all ages, no registration, 7-9 p.m. North Central College (Pfeiffer Hall), Naperville

ILLINOIS CATCH-AND-RELEASE TROUT

Saturday, March 23: Catch-and-release trout season opens. Sites in northern Illinois include Rock Creek, Kankakee River SP; Pine Creek, White Pines Forest SP; Apple River, Apple River Canyon SP. Regular trout season opens April 6. Those 16 and older need a fishing license and inland trout stamp.

HUNTER SAFETY

April 6-7:Morris, ronsen@sheriff1.com or (815) 942-6645

April 13-14:Ingleside, s.frey2008@yahoo.com

April 27-28:Diamond, (815) 907-7345

Full state listing at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Tuesday, March 19: Suddenly In Command, Villa Park, Don Goff, dgoff6547@gmail.com

Saturday, March 23: Boat America, Chicago, Dan O’Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com

SHOWTIME

Through today, March 17:Illinois Taxidermist Association convention, Northfield Inn & Suites, Springfield

Friday, March 22, to March 24:Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo, Cox Business Convention Center, Tulsa, Okla.

Click here for the complete list of show, outdoors classes, swap meets and major ice-fishing events.