Alligator gar, eagles, invasives, grouse: Notes on Chicago outdoors

By Dale Bowman

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

John Cuculich has been tracking a successful eagle’s nest in Cook County. ‘‘It is very cool for a city boy like me to see these huge birds in flight,’’ he said.

Wild of the Week, a celebration of wild scenes around Chicago outdoors, runs as warranted on Sundays on the Sun-Times outdoors page. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).

DALE’S MAILBAG

After reading 1491 and 1493 by Charles C. Mann, I’m starting to view the invasive-species issue as simply the continuation of the Columbian Exchange. Practically everything we know is invasive: pigs, horses, cattle, cats, dogs, apples, oranges, coffee, corn, etc. (Not to mention probably 85 percent of the biomass of Lake Michigan.)

— Saul Lipsistic

A: Saul Lipsistic, the moniker of an irascible lakefront iconoclast, makes points I only feebly debate.

BIG NUMBER

Percentage of increase in drumming during the spring 2017 roadside ruffed-grouse surveys in Wisconsin.

LAST WORD

‘‘Should we find a viable population of alligator gar or as we see more of this species stocked in neighboring states moving into Indiana, we may look to institute management action to regulate take. Such regulations would ensure the protection of alligator gar while allowing other common species to be harvested.’’

— Brian Schoenung, Indiana’s fisheries chief, on the first alligator gar harvested in recent Hoosier history (June 1, White River, by a bow fisherman)

WILD TIMES

FISH GATHERING

Tuesday: Eric Trempe, U-Charters Slide Diver, Salmon Unlimited, 7 p.m., Elk Grove Village VFW, salmonunlimitedinc.com.

Wednesday: Capt. Walt Koch, ‘‘Where and How to Fish Delavan Lake,’’ Lake Geneva Fishing Club, 5:30 p.m., Cabela’s, Hoffman Estates, lakegenevafishingclub.com.

COFFEE & CONSERVATION

Thursday: A Wetlands Initiative open house on ‘‘Ecological Restoration in Chicago’s Calumet Region,’’ 4 p.m.-8 p.m., hosted by Bridgeport Coffee.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Through June 30:Applications may be made for second lottery, firearm and muzzleloader-only deer permits. Click here for details

WINGSHOOTING

June 24-25: Elburn, (847) 309-1093 joemigalla5@gmail.com

HUNTER SAFETY

(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)

June 27-28: Chicago, carryinillinois.com/hunter-safety-course.html.July 11, 13, 18, 20: Downers Grove, (630) 963-1300 class 171009-01

July 13-15: Newark, (815) 210-4995

July 15-16: Bolingbrook, willcohunt@aol.com.

DUCKS UNLIMITED