Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Jay Damm took in one of the esoteric pursuits in Chicago outdoors and went fossil hunting at Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area, where fossil hunting opens March 1. "The earlier in the season one goes the better: Little to no ticks, reduced vegetation and the early bird gets the worm as far as concretions go," he emailed. ". . . I managed to find some good yet heavily vegetated mounds of shale surrounding one of the larger lakes at the park. Before too long I was finding the famed Mazon Creek ironstone nodules."

He found a couple open specimens. One he thought was "a possible Essexella, which has long been classified as a jellyfish or possibly a type of anemone." The other was "the classic fern, Pecopteris." In a followup, Damm note a biologist/avid collector at the University of Wisconsin, believes the jellyfish may "be the much rarer Reticulomedusa.

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).

WILD TIMES

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday, March 18: Guide Steve Welch on Shelbyville crappie, Arlington Anglers, Poplar Creek Banquets, Hoffman Estates, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19: Slammer Tackle's Bill Schwartz on early-season muskies, Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies, Inc., Schaumburg Golf Club, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19th: Chauncey Niziol, South Side Muskie Hawks, Village Sportsmen's Club, Alsip, 7 p.m., southsidemuskiehawks.org

Thursday, March 20: Ken "Husker" O'Malley, "Des Plaines River, Cooling Lakes, Pits and Ponds," Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m., fishtalesfishingclub.com

ILLINOIS SEASONS

Next Saturday, March 22: Early catch-and-release trout season opens at nine sites statewide, three nearby: Rock Creek, Kankakee River State Park; Apple River, Apple River Canyon SP; Pine Creek, White Pines Forest SP.

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Thursday, March 20: Windy City dinner, The Elmcrest, Elmwood Park, ducksunlimited.myeventscenter.com

SHOWTIME

Friday-next Sunday, March 21-23: Illinois Deer Classic, Peoria Civic Center

Friday-next Sunday, March 21-23: Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas

Saturday, March 22: Riverside Fishing Club swap meet, Berwyn Moose Lodge

The master list of outdoors shows, classes, swap meets and major ice fishing events are https://chicago.suntimes.com/outdoors/2024/11/28/outdoors-shows-master-list-for-2025-around-chicago-and-beyond

HUNTER SAFETY

April 5-6: Beecher, bschunted@gmail.com

April 25 & 27: Peotone, 708-258-3343 or peotoneparkdistrict.com

The full state listing is at dnr2.illinois.gov/SafetyEd/SafetyEdClassByCounty

SCI Banquet

April 12: SCI Illinois & Chicago chapter’s banquet, Medinah Banquets, Addison

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Next Sunday, March 23: Boat America, Jerry Miarecki, boatsafe@coastguardchicago.com

Next Sunday, March 23: Boat America, Jennifer Angone, uscgaux3511@gmail.com

John O'Shea says teams all over Europe will try to sign Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool

HE'S A KEEPER

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BOURNEMOUTH are confident of beating Big Six clubs to sign Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher this summer.

The Republic of Ireland international wants to leave Anfield to get first-team football, and may have played his last game for the club in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. 

Chelsea, Tottenham and Carabao winners Newcastle are also interested.

Bournemouth are ready to move first however, putting them in pole position, as manager Andoni Iraola has made signing a goalkeeper a priority with Kelleher his top target.

Iraola has used on-loan goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for most of the season, but there is no obligation to buy in the loan contract with Chelsea and his performances have been mixed.

The Spaniard was dropped by Iraola earlier in the season for another young Irish goalkeeper, Mark Travers, who is now on loan at Middlesbrough.

Iraola regards Kelleher as a big improvement on both his current goalkeepers and has asked Bournemouth to move quickly when the transfer window opens in June.

Chelsea have also expressed interest, but will not commit to making a bid at this stage.

Boss Enzo Maresca wants to back his current goalkeepers, Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, despite the doubts of others at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham’s goalkeeping position is also unclear, with Guglielmo Vicario, Fraser Forster and Antonin Kinsky all being used by Ange Postecoglou this season.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

And while Newcastle want an extra goalkeeper and like Kelleher, the club’s PSR problems mean they may not be able to meet Liverpool’s £30million asking price.

Bournemouth may also be able to offer European football as Iraola’s side are currently ninth in the Premier League, but Kelleher does not regard that as essential.

Shay Given loses the rag over Liverpool’s treatment of Caoimhin Kelleher

SHAY IT AIN'T SO

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Kelleher’s priority is securing a move to a Premier League club that can provide regular first-team appearances after his career has stalled at Anfield through no fault of his own.

The 26-year-old has played 17 matches so far this season, but has been restricted to appearances in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup since Alisson Becker returned from a hamstring injury in December.

Liverpool are aware of Kelleher’s frustrations and will not stand in his way.

Arne Slot has already signed Kelleher’s replacement, with Georgian international Georgi Mamardashvili due to arrive from Valencia at the end of the season.