Chicago outdoors: Pic of a flicker flight, a sailing Chinook and the return of Stray Cast

Paul Vriend’s photo of a northern flicker in flight, a tale of a Chinook salmon caught while sailing and, as requested, the return of the Stray Cast are among the notes from around the Chicago outdoors and beyond.

A northern flicker photographed in flight at Rosehill Cemetery.

Notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Paul Vriend emailed about photographing “the colors of a northern flicker all on display.” Vriend photographed it at Rosehill Cemetery. Northern flickers are one of seven native woodpeckers in Cook County, according to the Forest Preserves of Cook County . The others are the pileated woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker and red-bellied woodpecker.

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).

FISH OF THE WEEK

Jeff Beyer offered his “buddy Dave Bogdan” for FOTW. On Sept. 26, Beyer invited Bodgan to sail on their Catalina 22. Bogdan asked if he could bring his fishing rod. And it paid off. “As we headed north from Calumet Park, he got a bite when we about a mile southeast of the 68th Street Crib,” Beyer emailed. “I honestly didn’t think he had a chance of catching anything while sailing.” Bogdan boated a salmon. I would not have thought the possibilities very high either and it’s the first tale of that sort I’ve received.

Dave Bogdan holds the Chinook salmon he caught while sailing with Jeff Beyer.

FOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, now runs most weeks in the 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

“If you are going to continue a weekly column, please include ‘Stray Casts’ thank you.” — Gregory Cameron

A: Per request of Cameron and others, I’m restarting Stray Cast in the Sunday outdoors.

STRAY CAST

ICE in Chicago is like a viceroy butterfly.

WILD TIMES

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Thursday, Oct. 9: Barrington area banquet, Wild Onion Brewery and Banquets, Lake Barrington. Find more information here.

FISH GATHERINGS

Wednesday, Oct, 8: Capt. Anthony Zimmer, “Late Season Geneva Walleye,” Lake Geneva Fishing Club, Poplar Creek Bowl, Hoffman Estates, 6 p.m. More information at www.lakegenevafishingclub.com/

Thursday, Oct. 9: Don Baker (new battery products), Nick Delgado (custom jigs and his associated ice-fishing group) and Patrick Combs Jr. (latest soft plastics and best applications), Riverside Fishing Club, Berwyn Moose Lodge 424, 6:45 p.m.

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Now: Early catch-and-release trout season is open; nearby sites include Rock Creek, Kankakee River State Park, and Apple River, Apple River Canyon SP. Regular fall trout opens Oct. 18.

Tuesday, Oct. 7: First lottery, spring turkey, residents only.

Oct. 11-13: Youth firearm deer season.

Oct. 11-12: Youth waterfowl hunt, north zone.