This week’s field notes
OUTDOORS May 14, 2011 1:20AM
Dale’s mailbag
“At the [Illinois Poison Center], we advise individuals to refrain from eating wild mushrooms
completely, but we are always on call via our 24-hour hotline (1-800-222-1222) to offer free expert advice should Illinois residents have questions or concerns about mushroom poisonings or any other potentially harmful substance. I just wanted to drop you a quick note in hopes you will share this information with your readers, so that they are informed about the resources available to them during their outdoor activities.” — Najja Howard
Oh, I will share that information, all right. And I will offer a couple of my own tidbits. If you aren’t sure of your mushrooms, don’t eat them. But any Illinois state agency advising citizens not to eat wild mushrooms is institutionalized idiocy, especially considering another part of state
government has made accommodations so citizens can gather morels legally at public sites. This kind of stuff from the IPC could turn me into a libertarian. When did Illinois become a state whose citizens are treated like children?
Related Stories
Updated: August 27, 2011 12:33AM
MOREL OF THE WEEK
Robin Hager sent this photo of the large morel her father, Bob Hager, found in the Illinois River bottom near Chandlerville earlier this month. ‘‘The beer can is for illustrative purposes only!’’ the Naperville woman e-mailed. E-mail MOTW nominations to straycasts@sbcglobal.net.
WILD TIMES
FISH GATHERING
Tuesday: The Arlington Anglers will hold a fly-tying and fly-fishing seminar at 7 p.m. at the Harper College Reservoir in Palatine, arlingtonanglers.com.
Thursday: Fish Tales Fishing Club, 7 p.m., 15350 Oak Park Ave., Oak Forest.
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Wednesday: Palos Park banquet, Lexington House, Hickory Hills. Contact Ted Verdun at (630) 878-7778 or Jim Mayer at (708) 557-1300.
Friday: Barrington Fun Shoot, Northbrook Sports Club, Hainesville, dubarringtonil.org.
PADDLING
Next Sunday: 54th Des Plaines River Canoe and Kayak Marathon, canoemarathon.com.
CHICAGO RIVER
Wednesday: The Fish Hotel, a floating aquatic habitat, returns to the Chicago Riverwalk at Dearborn, chicagoriver.org/projects/fish_hotel.
BIG NUMBER: 191/380
Record number of teams/collegiate anglers registered for the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship on May 26-27 at Lake Lewisville, Texas, to decide the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing National Championship.
THE LAST WORD
‘‘There were two state trucks at Montrose feeding the seagulls again in full daylight [early last week]. The seagulls converged on those trucks like the catfishermen converge on the parks the minute the ponds are stocked with catfish. Aplenty for sure.’’
A lakefront regular, with a common complaint when small salmon or trout are stocked on the Chicago lakefront during daylight hours
