Bucktown woodcock, late ice, turkey, swimming sandhills: Notes, Chicago outdoors

By Dale Bowman

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Tim Jacobsent this photo from Amanda Beto of a woodcock in Bucktown.

Wild of the Week, the celebration of the wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs 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: ‘‘While fishing Lake Pierce in Florida, I saw a family of sandhill cranes on an island. The next thing I see is they are swimming across to the mainland. I saw this several times. I did not know they swam. With their thin legs, where do they get the power to swim?’’ —John Green

A: ‘‘We know cranes can swim a bit and have seen young swim, but it is rare,’’ answered Mike Ward, an avian ecologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. ‘‘I have only seen it a couple of times, and it appears to be something they do not readily do.’’

LAST WORD

‘‘No one knows for sure, but . . . don’t bury your tip-ups for the opener. you might need them.’’

KURT JUSTICE, Kurt’s Island Sport Shop, on the possibility of ice for Wisconsin’s gamefish opener May 5.

BIG NUMBER

149.375

Illinois’ highest-scoring turkey (National Wild Turkey Federation formula), an eight-bearded tom taken April 28, 2007, by Stephen

Knebel in Hardin County.

WILD TIMES

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday: Nate Bergman, ‘‘Finding Springtime Smallmouth Bass,’’ 6:30 p.m., Cabela’s, Hoffman Estates, arlingtonanglers.com.

Wednesday: Southside Muskie Hawks fundraiser, 7 p.m., Vince’s Pizza, Chicago, (773) 704-3401.

Thursday:Mike Norris on smallmouth bass, Fish Tales Fishing Club, 7 p.m., Oak Forest Community Center, fishtalesfishingclub.com.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Turkey hunting: Second season (south zone) through Thursday; first season (north) Monday-Friday; third season (south) Friday-April 25; second season (north) Saturday–April 26.

Through April 30: Deadline, first lottery, firearm and muzzleloader-only deer permits.

HUNTER SAFETY

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

April 26 and 28: Chicago Heights, ducks56@comcast.net. . . . Newark, (815) 210-4995.

May 4-5: Zion, hunterssafety@5starfirearms.com.

May 19-20: Custer Park, smittythepainter@yahoo.comU.S. COAST GUARD AUXILLIARY

(Click here for full package of classes in the area)

Saturday:About Boating Safely, Chicago, Dan O’Connell, doc731@yahoo.com.

Saturday: GPS for Mariners, Waukegan, Curt Schumacher, publiceducation41.5@gmail.com.

DUCKS UNLIMITED

(Click here for the general list of Illinois DU events)

PHEASANTS FOREVER