Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Ken Maggiore messaged about a “pretty unique sandhill out in Hoffman Estates” Tuesday. I expect fish notes from Maggiore, who is the only Illinois angler to catch two state records in one day: whitefish (7.5 pounds) and burbot (9.3 pounds) on March 22, 2017 at Montrose Harbor. He was right about the heavily banded sandhill crane. He could not get the full numbers, only the last four (4510).
Report bands on cranes at savingcranes.org/programs/north-america/report-a-banded-crane/. The International Crane Foundation explains the elaborate banding of the eastern population of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) throughout North America at savingcranes.org/programs/north-america/report-a-banded-crane/banding-programs/.
WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks 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 (@Bowmanoutside).
BIG NUMBER
15: Pounds of a coho (real proof how fast they are growing this year) caught Wednesday morning by Kevin O’Donoghue on Confusion Charters on a chrome Stubby with a Mirage Howie fly in 85 feet off Great Lakes Naval.
WILD TIMES
FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday, June 11: Captains Shane Jach and Sarah Sandahl of Schools Out Sport Fishing, Salmon Unlimited, (note venue change to Winthrop Harbor VFW), 7 p.m., salmonunlimitedinc.com
Wednesday, June 12: B.A.S.S. Open angler Brian Post, “Post-Spawn Early Summer Bass,” Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m., lakegenevafishingclub.com
Thursday, June 13: Ken “Husker” O’Malley on Des Plaines River, Braidwood, LaSalle, Heidecke and local ponds and lakes, Riverside Fishing Club, Berwyn Moose Lodge 424, 6:45 p.m., RiversideFishingClub.com
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Tuesday, June 11: Suddenly In Command, Villa Park, Donald Goff, dgoff6547@gmail.com
Next Saturday, June 15: Boat America, Waukegan, Dave Colen, education@waukeganaux.com
Next Saturday, June 15: Boat America, Fox Lake, Winston Tumaneng, jugodan52@aol.com
ILLINOIS PERMITS
Through June 30: First lottery, site-specific dove permits
Through June 30: Second lottery, deer firearm & muzzleloader
Through July 1: First lottery, fall shotgun turkey season
HUNTER SAFETY
June 29-30: Wilmington, https://islandparkdistrict.activityreg.com/selectactivity_t2.wcs
June 29-30:Diamond, (815) 907-7345; diamondtrap@indoor-range.net
Full state listing at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty
CICADA ART
June 16: Deadline to apply to exhibit cicada art at Conservation World during the 2024 Illinois State Fair, Aug. 8-18, junior exhibit (17 and younger) and adult (18 and older), register at dnr.illinois.gov/cicada-art-contest.html
HALL OF FAME
July 15: Deadline, nominations for 2024 class of Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame, details at ilconservation.org/Who-We-Are/Outdoor-Hall-of-Fame