Chicago outdoors: Buck rut, Gertrude Stein, more mantises, Geneva Lake muskies

A big buck standing tall at Illinois Beach State Park. (Eddie Pasiewicz)

Notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED

Eddie Pasiewicz found this buck in the Illinois Beach State Park South Section. It is a timely reminder that deer are in the rut.

BOTW Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside), Instagram (@BowmanOutside), or Bluesky (@Bowman outside).

DALE’S MAILBAG

A mantis making an office visit in Chicago, expanding the meaning of Chicago outdoors. (Robert Kuta)

“I found this cool dude [in late October] in the parking lot of my office. It’s right in the heart of the city around Fullerton and Clybourn. Judging by his color and size I’m pretty sure he’s a male. I brought him in to show my coworkers and then put him him back where I found him. I was hoping he would find a date to share his amorous feelings with and then of course . . . dinner. lololololol” Robert Kuta

A: Dark nature humor. On a more serious note, more readers than in any other year sent accounts of mantises from all around the area. I don’t know if that means anything or indicates any change.

BIG NUMBER

1,375: Advanced growth Leech Lake strain of muskies stocked into Geneva Lake in Wisconsin on Oct. 27, by the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies, Inc., with help from partners Fox River Valley chapter of MI, Flatlanders chapter of MI and Blackhawk Musky Club. The Dean Rosseet Stocking Program now has totaled more than 4,700 muskies (more than 3,800 Leech Lake strain and 900 Wisconsin River strain).

LAST WORD

“It is astonishing that those who have fought so hard and so well should pick/yellow irises and fish in a stream.”

Gertrude Stein, in “from The Work,”

WILD TIMES

FISH GATHERINGS

Wednesday, Nov. 8: Kevin Nash on twitch baits, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies, Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m., facebook.com/groups/281138376820

Thursday, Nov. 9: Milwaukee comedian, Mike Marvell, aka “Gutpile” or “Couch Commander,” Riverside Fishing Club, Berwyn Moose Lodge 424, 6:30 p.m., RiversideFishingClub.com

Thursday, Nov. 9: Kevin Nash on PMTT and muskie fishing Midwest Musky Club, Village Sportsmen’s Club, Alsip, 7:30 p.m., midwestmuskyclub.com

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Today, Nov. 5: First season, Canada geese, central zone, ends

Saturday, Nov. 12: Second Canada goose season, central zone, begins