Chicago outdoors: Summer mushrooms, lakefront walleye, steeplechase-worthy buck, salmon clubbing?
Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
MUSHROOM OF THE WEEK
Jay Damm messaged, "I managed to grab some cantharellus chicagoensis (Chicago chanterelles) this afternoon [July 19]. [With recent rains], my summertime favorites should be around for a bit." They are some of the more visually interesting mushrooms.
MOTW, the celebration of mushrooms around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt in the special 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)..
FISH OF THE WEEK
Anthony Johnson caught a pair of walleye late Tuesday night downtown on a deep-diving 4-inch Bandit Minnow in chrome perch. One was 22 inches, the other 23.5 inches with a girth of 16. His buddy Nick Winstead caught a 19.5-inch smallmouth. In the heat, "late night fishing seems to be the way to go at the lakefront," Johnson messaged.
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).
BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED
Lydia Rypcinski on Tuesday messaged about a velvet buck in River Forest in the backyard of a townhouse near the railroad tracks. "He got himself into the yard, couldn't figure out how to get out, then did a steeplechase worthy leap over a fence and ran off," she messaged. That's a description.
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 Sunday. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside), Instagram (@BowmanOutside), or Bluesky (@Bowmanoutside).
BASS OPEN
The South Shore Bass Open presented by Horseshoe Hammond is next Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2-23. Dennis Banik said that as of Tuesday, 30 teams were signed up, guaranteeing a top prize of $10,000. He expects around 40 teams, topping last year's 36. Bass Pro Shops will have a couple boats there and games for the kids. There will be a live DJ, Sizzlebox Food Truck, a cash bar by Hammond Marina and a 1,300-gallon live release tank this year. Festivities on shore start around 2 p.m. each day. Sign up and more information is at southshorebass.com
LAST WORD
"These salmon are like you at 21 in the club, they're on the move."
Stacey Greene-Fenlon, Park Bait proprietor, to youngish anglers about the movements of salmon.
WILD TIMES
ILLINOIS BLIND DRAWS
Details at https://dnr.illinois.gov/press-release.31386.html
Today, July 26: Draws for northern Illinois/Chicago area waterfowl blinds, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sunday, July 27: Draws for Downstate and Illinois River waterfowl blinds,
ILLINOIS SEASONS/PERMITS
Friday, Aug. 1: Applications begin, free upland game permits
Friday, Aug. 1: Squirrel season opens
TRAPSHOOTING
Wednesday, July 30-Aug. 9: Grand American World Trapshooting Championships, World Shooting and Recreation Complex, Sparta, shootata.com/About-Us/Grand-American
WINGSHOOTING
Aug. 16 & 17(three separate sessions): Waterman, email hunterwsclinic@gmail.com to register.
HUNTER SAFETY
Aug. 9-10: Morris, https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/230848
Aug 14 and 16: Bonfield, (847) 635-3198
Aug. 23-24: Wilmington, https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/230303
The full state listing is at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Next Saturday, Aug. 2: Boat America, Skokie, Dan O'Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com