Photos: see bears, bucks, and fighting foxes caught on Wisconsin trail cams
A wild turkey tom displays his feathers for a hen in Adams County. Male turkeys strut to attract females and to establish dominance over subordinate males. On adult males, like the one pictured, the tail forms a full, unbroken contour when fanned out. On juvenile males, the middle 4-6 tail feathers are longer than the outer feathers, so the tail appears uneven when fanned out.
A long-tailed weasel, one of three weasel species in Wisconsin, dashes through the snow in Ashland County in a trail cam photo from the Snapshot Wisconsin collection.
A porcupine photographed in Bayfield County. Volunteers say the lumbering gait is a key characteristic to identifying porcupines -- that, and the sharp quills.
A pair of Clark County bear cubs wrestle near the end of their first summer. Black bear cubs weigh a pound or less when they're born during the winter but grow quickly after emerging from the den.
A muskrat captured in Dane County.
Primary growth forest, where the herbaceous layer stays relatively low to the ground, makes for great opportunities to capture wildlife, such as this fisher photographed near a Door County brook.
A pack of coyote cubs prowl through the woods of Iowa County.
Moose are an uncommon sight in Wisconsin, but the number of moose observations in the Snapshot Wisconsin database more than doubled in 2020, with at least four photographed in September and October across Iron, Price, and Burnett Counties.
Trail cams sometimes capture more than one species in a frame, though rarely a predator. This Juneau County shot captured two -- as a black bear and coyote cross paths.
Predator and prey come together in this La Crosse County image of a barred owl carrying off a fresh catch.
Introduced to Wisconsin in the late 1800s, the ring-necked pheasant can be distinguished from other upland game birds by its long, pointed tail. This Lafayette County pheasant makes a rare appearance after snowfall.
Not only does this Marquette County image show an uninhibited moment between two red foxes; it also showcases the distinct pelage of this iconic Wisconsin species.
A Virginia opossum carries her young on her back in this Milwuakee County image. North America's only marsupial, Opossums carry their young in a pouch until they are old enough to cling to their mother's back.
The color of wolves' coats can vary widely. Black (melanistic) wolves, are less common than those sporting the traditional grizzled coat, so staff and volunteers enjoy coming across photos like this one. The unusual eye color of this Oneida County wolf is especially noteworthy.
A deer, rabbit and skunk cross paths in this Pepin County photo. Only about 0.2% of Snapshot Wisconsin photos contain multiple species.
Greater prairie chickens lekking in Portage County. Snapshot Wisconsin teamed up with wildlife management to use trail cameras to monitor leks, such as this one, where male birds display to attract females.
A Racine County mink captured in a rare still moment. Mink are often captured at night or in motion, making it difficult to distinguish their features.
Perhaps less recognized than their relatives the hairy and downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers are nonetheless relatively common and widespread across the state. This action shot from Richland County showcases the red caps and beautiful checkered plumage.
Wisconsin's mascot is typically seen at night, but this Sauk County badger photo shows off its fantastic markings in the daylight.
A bull elk in Sawyer County. Snapshot Wisconsin has been used to help monitor elk herds reintroduced to the state.
A bobcat caught on a trail camera in Trempealeau County. In addition to being smaller than cougars, bobcats are recognizable for their short -- or "bobbed" -- tails.
The American marten is extremely rare in Wisconsin. In more than 50 million photos, this 2019 shot from Vilas County is the only one to capture one -- or at least part of one.
This white buck was captured by a Snapshot Wisconsin camera in Waukesha County. Wisconsin law forbids hunting white deer.
This male cougar, likely from the Dakotas, photographed in Waupaca County, is one of only two captured by a network of 2,100 volunteer trail cams in the Department of Natural Resource's Snapshot Wisconsin project.
Launched in 2016, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has collected more than 50 million photos through Snapshot Wisconsin, a citizen-science initiative to catalogue wildlife.
Wisconsin will resume its wolf season next November after the animal is dropped from the federal endangered species list, the state announced Friday.
Residents in school districts across the state will see an increase in their property taxes in the coming year but the increase will be considerably lower than the previous year despite a recession brought on by the global health crisis.
The letter calls for “immediately” establishing quotas and the implementation of a wolf-hunting season in January.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the endangered species list on Jan. 4.
The DNR’s policy board voted 4-3 last month against opening the season in February amid concerns that the department had not consulted tribal nations as required by treaties and did not have time to set quotas.
The Department of Natural Resources reported at 4 p.m. Wednesday that hunters had registered 182 wolves since the hunt began Monday, or about 15% of the estimated population. The quota for non-native hunters was 119 wolves.
The DNR reported Thursday morning that hunters have registered 213 wolves killed between Monday and Wednesday, or about 18% of the estimated state population.
Officers from the Wausau Police Department recently wrangled a deer that had crashed through the window of a local nursing home and returned her to the wild, with the whole rescue caught on camera.
What's beyond dispute is that the project fits into an escalating battle over the future of energy pipelines, which federal regulators say are generally safer than hauling fuels but pose their own hazards.
As many as one-third of Wisconsin's gray wolves likely died at the hands of humans in the months after the federal government announced it was ending legal protections, according to a study released Monday.
A top U.S. wildlife official suggested the federal government could take steps to restore wolf protections if it sees population declines that put them on the path to extinction.
The smallest member of the falcon family, American kestrels are beloved for their beauty and charisma. Though common throughout North America, their population has plunged in places like Wisconsin.
The UW Urban Canid Project relocated eight fox, three of which were vandalizing a Madison golf course, and found they can travel great distances but sometimes at deadly cost.
The deer hunter told authorities he felt threatened by the animal prior to shooting it.
While better than the 2019 season, this year’s totals are still below 2018, which had the highest numbers since 2013.
The Public Service Commission filed an appeal Tuesday on behalf of Chair Rebecca Valcq and former Commissioner Mike Huebsch, who are named as defendants in the case brought by Driftless Area Land Conservancy and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.
The utility announced Thursday that the last shovel of coal was burned Dec. 1 and going forward will use natural gas as a backup fuel for the 20 megawatt plant, which was the first in the nation to be powered by waste wood.
The Natural Resources Board unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday asking the Legislature to authorize “an increase in revenue and periodic review” of fees to pay for state facilities and programs.
The tribes claim the state’s Department of Natural Resources policy board violated the tribe’s treaty rights and have asked a federal court to block the planned Nov. 6 hunting season for gray wolves.
