Chicago outdoors: Chicago River muskrat, lakefront kvetching, lunar eclipse memories
Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.
DALE'S MAILBAG
"How common are muskrats in the main branch of the chicago river. Well, I had a visitor today." Jeffrey Williams messaging earlier this month.
A: Muskrats are common around the Chicago River system, particularly the branches. Downtown, they are a rarer sighting.
WILD OF THE WEEK
Nicholas Kriho photographed the lunar eclipse at the south end of Cemetery Road outside the parking lot of the north side of Braidwood Lake. "It was quite a remarkable event to witness, and while these photos are not by anyone's standards technically good, they at least serve as memories of that romantic few hours that my wife and I spent staring at the sky."
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).
LAST WORD
"They are not enforcing time restrictions. You can't say it is OK for them and not for everybody else."
A lakefront user, saying there's no reason you can't fish or be on the lakefront overnight, if the Chicago Park District is not enforcing the time restrictions on the various homeless encampments at city parks.
WILD TIMES
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
FISHERIES WORKSHOP
Thursday, April 10: Illinois Indiana Sea Grant’s Lake Michigan Fisheries Workshop, Wilmette Harbor Club, 6-8:30 p.m. (virtual meeting, April 17)
FISH GATHERING
Thursday, April 3: MEGA RAFFLE NIGHT, Midwest Musky Club, Village Sportsmen's Club, Alsip, 7 p.m., midwestmuskyclub.com
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Sunday, March 30: Final day, first youth spring turkey season
Monday, March 31: Groundhog season ends
Saturday, April 5: Spring trout season opens
Next weekend, April 5-6: Second youth spring turkey season