Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
FISH OF THE WEEK
Crappie in Chicago is the theme this week. BoRabb Williams texted Monday, “For the 1st time EVER, we fished for crappie in the Chicago RIVER and we were SHOCKED, catching Slab crappie 12-14 inches, thick ones averaging 1 1/2 pounds, big bluegills and some nice bass and catfish that we threw back. Impressed.” In the photo, Nolan Martin holds a pair of big crappie from the Chicago River.
Must have been a good weekend for crappie. A couple hours later Jason “Special One” Le texted about catching a 15-inch crappie at Montrose Harbor.
FOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, now runs most weeks in the two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Sunday. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside), Instagram (@BowmanOutside). or Bluesky (@Bowmanoutside).
DALE’S MAILBAG
“I bought my parents house in 2020 [in Beverly on Chicago’s South Side] and they lived here 40 years. However, this is a first: whitetails browsing. Funny times!” William Butler
A: Between nesting eagles, established coyotes, a stray mountain lion and wild turkeys arriving, not much in Chicago outdoors stuns me anymore. A wolverine would.
WILD TIMES
ILLINOIS SEASONS
Monday, June 16: Perch season reopens on Lake Michigan
FISH GATHERING
Tuesday, June 17: Mike Wollenberg, “Wading for Fox River Smallies,” http://arlingtonanglers.com/
Arlington Anglers, Poplar Creek Banquets, Hoffman Estates, 6:30 p.m., arlingtonanglers.com
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Wednesday, June 18: Chain O’Lakes Gun Bingo, Fox Lake American Legion, 5:30 p.m.
BIRD EXHIBIT
Friday, June 20: “Winging It: A Brief History of Humanity’s Relationship with Birds,” opens at Newberry Library, free, runs through Sept. 27
NIGHT FISHING
Saturday, June 21: “Fishing Under the Stars,” Hidden Lakes Trout Farm, Bolingbrook, 6-10 p.m., free, all ages, (815) 722-4121
FREE FISHING
Through Monday, June 16: Illinois free fishing days, no licenses or stamps required, other regulations apply.
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Next Saturday, June 21: Boat America, Skokie, Dan O’Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com
Next Saturday, June 21: Boat America, Fox Lake, Winston Tumaneng, jugodan52@aol.com
Next Sunday, June 22: Boat America, Waukegan, Dave Colen, education@waukeganaux.com
HUNTER SAFETY
July 17 & 19: Newark, davidpaulinski@gmail.com
The full state listing is at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty