Chicago outdoors: Harlequin duck surfing Montrose & crayfish grabbing a minnow
Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
FIELD NOTES
WILD OF THE WEEK
Reilly Manz photographed "this striking male Harlequin duck . . . navigating serious surf along Montrose Point" on Nov. 2. "A friend with the Chicago Ornithological Society let me know that there’s typically only one sighting of this species in Chicago each year, typically during the winter months, " he emailed. "I’m counting myself among the lucky few with this observation."
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 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 dont know why but the crayfish with minnow seems very profound to me at this time." Howard Bass, in giving a varied report on the unusual fall in northern Wisconsin
A: I'm not sure what to make of it other than is strange,
WILD TIMES
FISH GATHERINGS
Tuesday, Nov. 12: Top three finishers in club tournaments--Capt. Jim Parquette, Capt. Jim Stepp, Capt. Chris Jensen--Salmon Unlimited, Thornwood Restaurant & Lounge, Wood Dale, free, 7 p.m., salmonunlimitedinc.com
Tuesday, Nov. 12: Fox River Valley chapter president Dan Koniewicz on preparing for a Canadian trip, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies, Inc., North Branch Pizza & Burger Co., Glenview, 7:30 p.m., chicagolandmuskiehunters.org
Wednesday, Nov. 13: Award banquet and custom rod-builder Tom Baranowski, "Buy Fishing Rods at Retail," Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m., lakegenevafishingclub.com
Thursday, Nov. 14: Big-fish winnters and Jim Kopjo wrapping lakes he fished in 2024 and looking forward to 2025, Riverside Fishing Club, Berwyn Moose Lodge 424, 6:45 p.m., RiversideFishingClub.com
ILLINOIS SEASONS
Tuesday, Nov. 12: Canada goose season, central zone, second part reopens
Friday, Nov. 15: Rail (Sora or Virginia) season ends