Chicago outdoors: Making a coot look good and enjoying/teaching suburban wildlife

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.

By Dale Bowman

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Paul Vriend observed, “While not known as a beautiful bird, this American coot does the most with what it has as it floats proudly on the pond at Rosehill Cemetery.” It’s the most glamorous photograph I remember of the homely bird, to be polite.

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).

DALE’S MAILBAG

“This nice looker eating first blades of spring grass! Saw 10 deer doing the same at Brezina Woods about 7 am. Nature is great!” Joseph Opoka and granddaughter Gabriella Opoka

A: The deer is nice enough, but what makes it special is Opoka teaching his granddaughter to appreciate nature where it is found.

A grandfather and granddaughter enjoyed seeing this deer at Brezina Woods.

WILD TIMES

BIRDING

Thursday: April 4: Chicago Wilderness Cafe Zoom, Bird Conservation Network on “The CW Region: A Critical Migratory Bird Corridor--Threats and Opportunities,” noon-1 p.m., bcnbirds.org/april-4-cafe-migrants/

FISHERIES ZOOM MEETING

Wednesday, April 3: Lake Michigan Fisheries Meeting, hosted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, (INHS’s Charlie Roswell on Lake Michigan perch, Purdue’s Luke McGill on Chicago River largemouth, IISG’s Paris Collingsworth on trends in lower trophic levels in Lake Michigan), Wilmette Harbor Club, 6-8 p.m. Register at https://purdue.ag/spring-2024-fisheries.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Sunday, March 31: First weekend youth spring turkey hunt ends

Monday, April 1: New hunting and fishing licenses required

Monday, April 1: Smelt netting opens on the lakefront

Monday, April 1: Heidecke Lake reopens to fishing

Next Saturday, April 6: Spring trout season opens

Next Saturday, April 6, to April 7: Second weekend youth spring turkey season

HUNTER SAFETY

Next weekend, 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