Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
WILD OF THE WEEK
In an email going from the utter dearth of monarch butterflies this year to oak leaf itch mites after the emergence of periodical cicadas, Jeff Getz also included this image of a water lily at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “I have done absolutely no manipulation to the picture other than cropping,” he emailed. “It’s like a painting. Nature!”
WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sunday Sun-Times. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside), Instagram (@BowmanOutside). or Bluesky (@Bowmanoutside).
DALE’S MAILBAG
“We were set to tee off on the first hole at Silver Lakes South golf course in Orland Park [last Sunday]. A great blue heron stalked across the hole in front of us near a small creek. After we teed off and were crossing a bridge across the creek, we saw the heron had caught a chipmunk and was positioning its dinner to gulp it down.” George Cartwright, photo taken by Rick Lucchetti.
A: I’ve never seen a GBH with anything other than fish or frogs, but they are opportunistic.
WILD TIMES
FISH GATHERING
Wednesday, Aug. 21: Chauncey Niziol, local fishing reports, South Side Muskie Hawks, Village Sportsmen’s Club, Alsip, 7 p.m., southsidemuskiehawks.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Next Saturday, Aug. 24: Northern Illinois Super Duck 50 Gun Raffle and Event, DuPage Event Center & Fairgrounds, Wheaton, https://ducksunlimited.myeventscenter.com/event/Northern-Illinois-Super-Duck-50-Gun-Raffle-And-90797
SHOWTIME
Next Saturday, Aug. 24: Waterfowl Hunters Expo, Sunnyview Expo Center, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., waterfowlhuntersexpo.com
HUNTER SAFETY
Next Saturday, Aug. 24 to Aug. 25: Morris, (815) 941-1366
Sept. 12 & 14: Bonfield, (815) 635-3198
Sept. 14-15: Kankakee, Leroy, (815) 935-2700
Sept. 21-22: Diamond, (815) 907-7345, diamondtrap@indoor-range.net
Full state listing is at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty
WINGSHOOTING
Next Saturday, Aug. 24 or Aug. 25:Hunter clinics, Aurora Sportsmen’s Club, Waterman, hunterwsclinic@gmail.com
Sept. 21 or 22:Hunter clinics, Des Plaines SFWA, Wilmington, (815)423-5326
Nov. 9: Youth clinic & youth pheasant hunt, Iroquois SWA, Beaverville, (815) 933-1383
ALDO LEOPOLD
Aug. 26:Aldo Leopold Foundation director Buddy Huffaker, Aldo Leopold’s impact on the conservation movement, Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, Indiana Dunes National Park, (219) 395-1882, www.nps.gov/indu
BIRDING FESTIVAL
Sept. 13-15: First citywide festival, guided trips, registration opened Saturday, https://www.theurbanbirdingfestival.org/
BEER IN THE WOODS
Sept. 21:LaBagh Woods, 1-5 p.m., fotfp.org/event-item/8th-annual-beer-in-the-woods/