Chicago outdoors: Harriet Tubman, owls, lakefront muskrat, backyard buck, bobcats

Jim Mecha spotted this backyard buck in Wheaton last weekend. | Provided by Jim Mecha

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED

Jim Mecha had the buck above outside his window last weekend in Wheaton. It is getting late in the season to still be sporting antlers.

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. Send nominations to @BowmanOutside on Twitter or Instagram, to Dale Bowman on Facebook or email BowmanOutside@gmail.com.

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

April 18-19: Momence, (815) 472-2670

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Friday, March 13: Lockport dinner, Crystal Grand Banquets, Lemont. Contact John Suva, (708) 601-0189, or Dan Martis, (815) 955_2227

Saturday, March 14: South Suburban dinner, Kacey’s Banquet Hall, Lansing. Contact Eric Klein, (708) 302-5899, or Wally Klopp, (708) 715_5970

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

Friday, March 13: Cook County Turkey Baggers banquet, Chicago South Elks, Crestwood. Contact Carleton Rendel, (708) 349-8862

SHOWTIME

Click here for the master list of shows, classes and seminars.

Today, March 8: Quad County Hawg Hunters’ Fishing Flea Market, Plano American Legion, dlandmeier@frontier.com or 815-286-7170

Friday, March 13, to March 15: Canoecopia, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.

Saturday, March 14: Fish & Hook Sports Show, VFW Post 5788, Lockport

BIRDING

Saturday, March 14: Birding America Symposium, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., North Park University, Chicago. Click here for details.

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday, March 10: Guide Lee Tauchen of Lee Lures Custom Baits on new members night, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., North Branch Pizza & Burger Co., Glenview, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10: Capt. Jerry Costabile, Salmon Unlimited, Thornwood Restaurant & Lounge, Wood Dale, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 11: Forrest Huset on Lake of the Woods, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 11: Andrew Ragas, “Spring and Summer Smallmouth in Northern Wisconsin,” Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 12: Capt. Cheryl Smith on Fox River smallmouth bass, Riverside Fishing Club, LaGrange American Legion, 6:30 p.m.

SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL

April 4: Illinois & Chicago chapter’s fundraiser and banquet, Medinah Banquets, Addison. Contact Marla Rimkus, (224) 636-3750 or mrimkus@sci-illinois.com

LAKE MICHIGAN

Tuesday, March 10: Lake Michigan fisheries workshop, Chicago Maritime Museum, 6-8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 11: Lake Michigan fisheries workshop, North Point Marina, Winthrop Harbor, 6-8:30 p.m.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Tuesday, March 10: Remaining spring turkey permits will be sold over the counter.

DALE’S MAILBAG

“Is a muskrat sighting in Belmont Harbor good wildlife news? I was out looking for steelhead and browns, after work, when I spotted this guy.” Patrick Foley

A: It adds a dash of seasoning to time on the lakefront at any rate.

BIG NUMBER

22: Bobcats, of the 335 permits filled in Illinois, taken by permit holders in Pike County.

LAST WORD

“We know that [Harriet Tubman] used the call of an owl to alert refugees and her freedom seekers that it was OK, or not OK, to come out of hiding and continue their journey. It would have been the barred owl, or as it is sometimes called, a `hoot-owl.’ They make a sound that some people think sounds like `who cooks for you? Who cooks for you?’ “

Angela Crenshaw, ranger at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Maryland, via Tubman biographer Kate Clifford Larson, in an Audubon article

Barrington- Mark Spreyer has been at the Stillman nature center for 15 years. Caring for raptors and birds and prey. The barred owl.