Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED
Matt McGowan emailed, “This fellow was walking thru my neighborhood in St. Charles with his doe. Don’t see many bucks outside the tree line - especially during daylight.” `Tis the season.
BOTW Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt in the outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).
DALE’S MAILBAG
“With Henry’s closing [soon], where would people go, to get a possible record breaking fish certified?” Ryan
A: IDNR biologists have a roving certified scale. I know a citizen in Chicago with one. Park Bait at Montrose Harbor, the Salmon Stop in Waukegan, the Kankakee River Trading Post in Altorf and Lake Michigan Angler in Winthrop Harbor have certified scales. A cooperative butcher or grocer might do it, but don’t count on it.
BIG NUMBER
10.15: Pounds of Great Lakes record smallmouth bass caught Nov. 3 on Lake Erie, by Gregg Gallagher.
LAST WORD
“It’s harder in the summer: So many channel catfish you can never keep a crawler in the water long enough to catch a sturgeon. They just pick them off.”
Troy Gustafson, on why it’s easier to target shovelnose sturgeon in the fall on the Rock River
WILD TIMES
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Next Saturday, Nov. 19: Boat America, West Chicago, Bob Allen, uphigh63@aol.com
LAKE MICHIGAN FISHERIES WORKSHOP
Wednesday, Nov. 16: Whiting Library, 6-8:30 p.m., free, (in-person or Zoom) but register at bit.ly/fisheries-workshop-2022
URBAN STREAM RESEARCH CENTER OPEN HOUSE
Next Saturday, Nov. 19: Blackwell Forest Preserve, tours every half hour, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 12 and younger with an adult, $5 per person, (630) 933-7248, register by clicking here.
FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday, Nov. 15: Bert Saxon and Steve Jung on fishing in locally and Wisconsin, pizza dinner included, Arlington Anglers, Poplar Creek Banquets, Hoffman Estates, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17: IDNR biologist Seth Love on Heidecke Lake, Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m.
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Today, Nov. 12: Second Canada goose season, central zone, opens
Today, Nov. 12: Duck and Canada goose seasons, south-central zone, open
Monday, Nov. 14: First dove season ends
Friday, Nov. 18: Rail (Sora and Virginia only) season ends
Friday, Nov. 18, to Nov. 20: First firearm deer season
