Notes from around Chicago outdoors.
FIELD NOTES
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Wyatt Pazdro, a sophomore at Minooka, landed this largemouth bass while waiting to have homecoming photos taken in late September.
Photo of the Week, runs in place of Wild of the Week, a celebration of wild scenes around Chicago outdoors, when 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
Q: My boss had new landscaping installed in the spring and has been watering it religiously all year. She now has mushrooms coming up all over the place. She was hoping your loyal army of knowledgeable outdoors people might be able to tell her whether these are edible.
— Ken Gortowski
A: Greg Mueller, chief scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, answered: ‘‘Macrolepiota americana. This is a relatively common urban mushroom growing on wood chips, etc. It is edible but looks too similar to some toxic species that I do not recommend it.’’
BIG NUMBER
204 4/8
Inches of scoring in the world-record typical whitetail arrowed by Mel Johnson on Oct. 29, 1965, in Peoria County.
LAST WORD
‘‘This will provide seamless continuity for B.A.S.S. and those connected with it. For the fishing professionals, the loyal sponsors and advertisers and, most important, the millions of people nationwide who love this sport, things will both remain as they are and continue to improve.’’
— Chase Anderson, director of Anderson Media, on Anderson Media becoming majority owner of B.A.S.S.
WILD TIMES
HUNTER SAFETY
(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)
Oct. 18, 21, 22: Elburn, phil-joanne@juno.com
Oct. 20-21: Arlington Heights, www.huntsafely.webs.com
Oct. 28-29: Tinley Park, (708) 532-8698.
FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday: Don Dubin on history of Illinois muskies, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., 7:30 p.m., Giuseppe’s La Cantina, Des Plaines, chicagolandmuskiehunters.org/meetingschedule.asp.
Tuesday: Capt. Dan Wheeler, Salmon Unlimited, 7 p.m., Elk Grove Village VFW, salmonunlimitedinc.com.
Wednesday: Ben Modica, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc., 7 p.m., Schaumburg Golf Club, frvmuskie.com.
Wednesday: Capt. Doug Kloet, Lake Geneva Fishing Club, 5:30 p.m., Cabela’s, Hoffman Estates, lakegenevafishingclub.com.
Thursday: Jim ‘‘The Crappie Professor’’ Kopjo, Riverside Fishing Club, 6:30 p.m., La Grange American Legion, RiversideFishingClub.com.
WINGSHOOTING
Saturday-Sunday: Elburn, (847) 309-1093, joemigalla5@gmail.com
ILLINOIS SEASONS
Today: Final day, youth deer hunt
Saturday-Sunday: Youth waterfowl hunt, Saturday-Sunday
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday: Root River Steelhead Facility Open House, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., click here for info
AQUATIC PET TAKE BACK
Saturday: Only fish and aquatic invertebrates accepted (no penalties for turning in regulated species), 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Evanston Ecology Center, ReleaseZero.org.
DUCKS UNLIMITED
(Click here for the general list of Illinois DU events)
PHEASANTS FOREVER
(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION
(Click here for general list of banquets and events)