Chicago outdoors: Wondering on a sturgeon mount, cemetery buck, low turkey harvest

A buck wandering a Chicago cemetery, wondering about the whereabouts of a sturgeon mount and Illinois’ low fall turkey harvest are among the notes from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

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Buck wandering at St. Casimir Cemetery. Credit: Chuck Doyle

Buck wandering at St. Casimir Cemetery.

Chuck Doyle

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED

Chuck Doyle photographed “this guy at St. Casimir Cemetery located on 111th street in Chicago wandering through the headstones.” I am not sure what it is about cemeteries that draws big bucks or if the setting compels photographs.

BOTW Unplugged, the celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs as apt 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), Instagram (@BowmanOutside), or Bluesky (@Bowmanoutside).

DALE’S QUESTION

In doing the column Wednesday on John Krizek catching a 72-inch sturgeon at the Wisconsin Dells, he mentioned a 112-pound sturgeon mount at Hooker’s Resort.

“My dad took me there some 35 years ago to see it,” Krizek said.

On Monday I checked with the current owners of Hooker’s Resort. Staff said the bait shop across the street with the sturgeon is gone. If anybody knows the story or whereabouts of the mount, or remembers it, please contact me.

BIG NUMBER

262: Turkeys harvested by Illinois hunters during the 9-day fall season, about the same as the 267 last fall, but well off the record harvest in 2005 of 1,218 birds.

WILD TIMES

ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS

Monday, Nov. 27: Final day, applications, late-winter/CWD deer, muzzleloader or firearm

Thursday, Nov. 30-Dec. 3: Second season, firearm deer

Friday, Dec. 1: Final day, first lottery, spring turkey

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Next Saturday, Dec. 2: Boat America, Bolingbrook, Darryl Joseph Haefner, jlyrrad@comcast.net

SHOWTIME

Friday, Dec. 1, to Dec. 3: St. Paul Ice Fishing and Winter Sports Show, St. Paul RiverCentre, Minn., stpaulicefishingshow.com

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE

Dec. 5: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources host, review/discuss detailed designs and construction strategies for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, Dec. 5, two redundant sessions (4-5:30 or 5:30-7 p.m.), Clarion Hotel & Convention Center Joliet, virtual option at https://usace1.webex.com/meet/BROpenHouse or (844) 800-2712 (meeting number, 199 338 6849). Site tour offered Dec. 6, 9:30 a.m.-noon.

ILLUMINATION

Through Jan. 6: Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton ArboretumElectric Illumination – an 18-and-older late-night experience – will feature a new curated disco and house music soundtrack from 9:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays, Dec. 8, 15 and 22; and an ’80s music-themed dance party Dec. 29, featuring hits from Prince, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Journey, Madonna, Talking Heads and more. For tickets, go to mortonarb.org and in-person at the Arboretum Visitor Center during operating hours. Pricing begins at $18.

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