Bowman’s outdoor notes for July 1, 2023. WOTW photo attached
Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
WILD OF THE WEEK
While monitoring a nesting bird area, Alan Anderson spotted a snapping turtle laying eggs in a scrape near Salt Creek in DuPage County. “I didn’t want to have it abandon its task, so I didn’t go by it to my monitoring point,” he emailed and took a few photos instead. “Not anywhere as big as `Chonkosaurus’ but the first time I’ve found one laying eggs.”
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) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).
DALE’S MAILBAG
“Do you know if they are stocking catfish this year. I heard they did 75th park this morning.” Wayne Hankins on June 19
A: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has no channel catfish for stocking this year, but have been stocking bluegill into the Chicago lagoons. Hope is within a year or two to solve the problem of obtaining catfish for stocking. Some groups have procured small numbers of catfish for individual events. The IDNR did stock some advanced growth channel catfish from their hatchery last year; there’s a chance some of those are still around.
BIG NUMBER
1: Ranking of O.H. Ivie Lake in Texas in the 2023 Bassmaster Magazine 100 Best Bass Lakes standings.
LAST WORD
“We had no choice. Sadness was [as] dangerous as panthers and bears. the wilderness needs your whole attention.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder, attributed by goodreads.com
WILD TIMES
HUNTER SAFETY
July 13 & 15: Newark, (773) 858-3917
July 25, 27 & 29: Elmhurst, (773) 562-4856
Aug. 10 & 12: Mundelein, (847) 918-6145
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Next Saturday, July 8: Weekend Navigator, Waukegan, David Colen, education@waukeganaux.com ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Thursday, July 6, to July 20: Applications, second lottery, free dove permits
FISHING DERBY
Through July 9: Annual multi-species Kankakee River Fishing Derby, $20 per family. Details at kankakeefishingderby.com.
HALL OF FAME
July 14: Deadline to make nominations for the 2023 Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame. Click here for the nomination form. For info, info@ilconservation.org or (217) 785-2003.
