Ospreys, steelhead, morel, perch: Notes on Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WIlD OF THE WEEK

John Cuculich photographed ospreys building a nest along the Cal-Sag and emailed, “As Rod Stewart once said, `Every picture tells a story – donut.’ ‘’ That puts the icing and filling on a WOTW.

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

DALE’S MAILBAG

Email: “Perch boil sounds too violent. How about perch scrum? Or, with the ‘80s in mind, a perch mosh pit?’’ John Vukmirovich

A: The wordsmith Vukmirovich nailed it with “perch mosh pit,’’ but perch boil more precisely captures perch welling up.

BIG NUMBER

2,218: Steelhead that have gone through South Bend on the St. Joseph River by Wednesday, according to Ben Dickinson, Indiana’s assistant Lake Michigan fisheries biologist.

LAST WORD

“We are still a little ahead of schedule throughout the entire state!’’

Thursday’s progression map on Illinois Morel Mushrooms Facebook page, which included a find near Wisconsin in Winnebago County and two in Will County. (On the day I found this map, our youngest son found the small pile pictured here in NE Illinois)

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

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

April 29-30: Palatine, click here and it is program number 203560

May 4 and 7: Woodstock, mchenryilhs@gmail.com

May 12-13: Zion, hunterssafety@5starfirearms.com

May 18 and 20: Newark, (815) 210-4995

BOAT CHECK

Saturday, April 22: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 37-25, Silver Lake launch, Blackwell Forest Preserve, Warrenville, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday, April 18: Jim “The Crappie Professor’’ Kopjo, Arlington Anglers, Cabela’s, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m.,

Tuesday, April 18: Dave Duwe on Geneva and Delavan lakes, Libertyville Fishing Club, Libertyville Township Center, free to guests, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 19: Swap meet and fundraiser, including raffles, South Side Muskie Hawks chapter of Muskies Inc., Vince’s Restuarant and Pizzeria, Chicago, 7 p.m. Contact John Daley, (773) 581-8650

Thursday, April 20: Capt. Ralph Steiger, Fish Tales Fishing Club, Oak Forest Community Center, 7 p.m.

ARCHERY

Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23: Illinois IBO State Champions/World Qualifier, Blackhawk Field Archers, Rockton. Contact Brenda Lee, (708) 567-7431

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Through April 30: Illinois residents may apply for first lottery, firearm and muzzleloader-only deer permits. Click here for details

Spring turkey hunting: Through Wednesday, April 19, third season, south zone; through Thursday, April 20, second season, north; Thursday, April 20-April 26, fourth season, south; Friday, April 21-April 26, third season, north

DUCKS UNLIMITED

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

SHOWTIME

(Click here or the exhaustive list of shows, seminars, swap meets and auctions)

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)