Outdoors notes: WGN’s Cullerton was one of the best
One of the Chicago area’s best and well-known outdoorsmen is no longer with us.
William Cullerton Sr. died last weekend at the age of 89. He made his mark with his flying skills as well as his success in the fishing tackle industry.
Bill earned his wings in 1944 and subsequently went on to become a World War II Ace with 21 kills of enemy aircraft. He was the last surviving member of the heralded Dragon Squadron of the 355th fighter group.
He started in the fishing tackle business by working for his grandfather, Bill Jamison, who started the W.J. Jamison tackle company in Chicago.
His longtime radio program on WGN 720-AM, “Great Outdoors,” ran from 1979-1999 and was enjoyed by many while they had their Saturday morning coffee.
Poaching arrests:An energy drink and a chewing tobacco can left behind ultimately sealed the fate of two men arrested for poaching.Wyoming Game and Fish Department reported that wardens charged Matthew Mulcare and Joel Newberry as suspects in the poaching of two buck deer on the winter range near Big Sandy. According to a story by Christine Peterson of the Casper Star-Tribune, when Pinedale Warden Jordan Kraft found the body of a headless deer on Nov. 12, he also found a can of long-cut chewing tobacco. Two days later, biologists and a warden in the area found another dead deer along with an energy drink can left at the scene. Kraft went to area convenience stores to see if any sold the two brands he recovered, and a store in Boulder fit the bill. Using surveillance photos, Kraft match a four-door tan pickup to descriptions given by witnesses, and he used a credit card receipt to get their names. The truck tires also matched those from the scene, Kraft said.Fishing report Lake Michigan: The recent warm weather appeared to offer an invitation to perch to look for minnow offerings close-to-shore. Some Navy Pier anglers managed to bring home a few jumbos. In southern Wisconsin harbors, brown trout have been gobbling fresh spawn.Fox Chain: If I had my druthers, I would wait another week before I trusted my usual ice fishing spots on Pistakee Lake. ŸContact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, and catch his radio show 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM and live-streamed at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.