Owls, wild turkeys, scent-control, Hofmann Dam: Chicago outdoors notes

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Paul Bleers photographed juvenile great horned owls and noted: ‘‘We’ve seen so many owls that what was once a special event has become sort of commonplace.’’

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

Q: Took my daughter driving from Channahon to Seneca and back. Coming back on DuPont Road, came across five to seven turkeys in the road. See them a lot on the Heritage Bluffs Golf Course here in Channahon, too. — Frank Macikas

A:I’m still amazed at the places I see wild turkeys now.

BIG NUMBER

88/51

Percentage of hunters who think scent-control products work/percent of those hunters who use such products, according to a recent poll on HunterSurvey.com.

LAST WORD

‘‘When we were kids, we rarely, if ever, waded around there, both because of the polluted water and because we’d sink into the sediment up to or even beyond our knees. It’s hard to believe it’s the same river. It’s a nice gravel and rock substrata (it was probably always there, but it was buried under a couple of feet of muck) with a riffle/run/pool configuration. I’ve seen good numbers of crayfish and minnows. If I went out later in the afternoon, I’d expect to see caddis and maybe even mayflies hatching.’’

Pete Lamar, after a fly-fishing trek near the former Hofmann Dam on the Des Plaines River

WILD TIMES

CWD INFO MEETINGS

Tuesday:7 p.m., Illinois State Rifle Association Shooting Range, Bonfield.

Thursday:7 p.m., Lost Valley Visitors Center, Ringwood.

HUNTER SAFETY

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

Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Beecher, TJHUNTERSAFETY@GMAIL.COM . . . Morris, rainbowcouncil.org

Oct. 14-15:Morris,(815) 941-3122 . . . Plainfield, hunteredsignup@aol.com.

Oct. 18, 21, 22: Elburn, phil-joanne@juno.com

Oct. 20-21: Arlington Heights, www.huntsafely.webs.com

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Through Sept. 30: Applications for bobcat hunting and trapping permits, $5 non-refundable fee, il.wildlifelicense.com/start.php

Sunday: Archery season for deer and turkey opens

FISH GATHERING

Wednesday: Noah Humfeld, Walleyes Unlimited, 7 p.m., Gurnee American Legion, walleyesunlimitedusa.org.

DUCKS UNLIMITED

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

Wednesday: Barrington dinner, Onion Pub and Brewery, Lake Barrington. Contact Don Chapman at (630) 805-1263 or go to tinyurl.com/barringtonducks.

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)