Notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Last Saturday, Bob and Judi Doychak emailed, “Think you’ll like seeing the winter aconite that always is the first to bloom in our Darien garden. This year was the earliest, and it’s even pretty today peeking through the snow.” Our weird winter kept on rolling.
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
“Regarding your sighting of American robins recently, my guess is that they were our `winter robins’ down from the northern reaches of Canada. . . . If I’m right on this, the robins you saw will leave as soon as they have cleaned out the remaining fruit from the crabapple tree and you will not see robins again until a few weeks from now, at which time the birds will be one or two of a nesting pair that will hang around as they raise their brood.” Marianne Hahn
A: Hahn is one of my heroes/mentors in our outdoor world, so if you want to see her full explanation of winter robins vs nesting robins, contact me.
BIG NUMBER
3,000: Ice shanties counted on opening weekend (Feb. 11-12) of sturgeon spearing on the Lake Winnebago system—half of the count in 2022—because of poor ice conditions.
LAST WORD
“The Appalachian National Scenic Trail—commonly known as the Appalachian Trail or simply “the A.T.”—is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,190 miles in length.”
Appalachian Trail Conservancy (I hope it nudges a high schooler or college student to do it; hiking the southern quarter after college changed my life)
WILD TIMES
FISH GATHERINGS
Wednesday, March 8: Capt. Kevin Pischke on Green Bay and other waters through the seasons, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies, Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Capt. Ryan Whitacre, “Season Long Finesse Tactics for Smallmouth Bass,” Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m.
Thursday: Capt. Chris Taurisano, “Spring crappie and walleye techniques,” Riverside Fishing Club, Berwyn Moose Lodge 424, 6:30 p.m.
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Thursday, March 9: North Shore Chicago Dinner, Kenilworth Club
HUNTER SAFETY
March 11-12: Bridgeview, (708) 594-1818
April 28-29: Morris, philliparnold3@gmail.com or (815) 343-7330
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Next Saturday, March 11: Boat America, Dan O’Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com
SHOWTIME
Click here for the complete list of show, outdoors classes and swap meets.
Today, March 4: Indoor Fishing Flea Market, Rolling Meadows High School
Through Sunday, March 5: Northern Illinois Boat Show, Lake County Fairgrounds, Grayslake
Thursday, March 9, to March 12: Journal Sentinel Sports Show, Wisconsin State Fair Park, West Allis, Wis.
Thursday, March 9 to March 12: Ultimate Sports Show, DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Friday, March 10, to March 12: Rockford RV, Camping & Travel Show, Indoor Sports Center, Loves Park
Friday, March 10, to March 12: Canoecopia, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.
Next Saturday, March 11: Fish & Hook Sports Show, VFW Post 5788, Lockport
Next Saturday, March 11: DRiFT’s annual Fly Fishing Auction, VFW Post 2801, Villa Park
Next Saturday, March 11: Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies Inc.’s annual banquet, Schaumburg Golf Club
