It is safe to say that we are experiencing a genuine Wisconsin winter right now—the snow, the cold temperatures, short days and seemingly endless nights. In this week's episode of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist examines Bergmann’s rule, which helps explain how our wildlife can handle Northwoods winters. In my travels around the country, when people learn where I live, they frequently ask how I can stand our winters here. Well, I grew up here. These are the winters I need to feel like we

In this month's installment of Field Notes Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses Lichens in Wisconsin’s forests, a fascinating organism commonly overlooked. There are many things in our environment that we don’t really see. It’s not that we are ignoring them on purpose, but they just blur into the background. If you are driving, you will pass dozens of utility poles without a second glance, they are part of the background. A group of fascinating organisms that fall into this same background blur

Bird feeding is the second most popular hobby in the United States (behind gardening), with more than 55 million Americans participating annually. In this week's edition of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist talks about how, and what, to feed our local and visiting bird species this winter. If you have never fed birds, but are considering it, do a little research on the area around your home or office to see what kinds of feeders your neighbors have out and the kinds of birds you can expect

Black bears are easily one of our most interesting wildlife species. In this episode of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist discusses some of what is going on in the life of a bear in the midst of Winter. Black bears are a continual source of questions for folks who contact me for information. The calls tend to taper off somewhat in the winter, naturally, as bear activity slows to a crawl. However, any winter observation of a bear or a bear den gets a lot of attention and will trigger a

Is goose on your menu this holiday season? In this episode of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist takes a look at the tradition of the Christmas goose and the status of our native migratory geese. A few years back, I was doing some research on what a traditional German Christmas feast contained. I learned that, while hogs were usually butchered in fall and eaten in winter, it was a real treat to harvest and eat wild geese. In fact, the goose was not just a preferred German holiday feast;

In the Northwoods, most of us don't spend a lot of time thinking about armadillos. In this week's episode of Wildlife Matters though, you'll hear about at least one verified armadillo report from North Central Wisconsin. The nine-banded armadillo is probably the most adaptable armadillo species, and as such it does well in the southern US. With their natural defenses they have few effective predators, and with a relatively high reproductive rate they can rapidly increase populations. They can

And with this month’s Field Notes , Susan Knight of Trout Lake Station tells us about a few of her favorite holiday plants. Although the leaves have fallen, and it is a bit gray, Christmas is a great season for plant lovers. We bring out cheerful plants to brighten the dark days of winter and remind us that spring and warm days will soon return. Three plants buoy us through the Winter Solstice and Christmas season: holly, mistletoe, and poinsettia. Holly, with its shiny dark green leaves and red

Another firearms deer season is in the books. Did you get your deer? In this episode of Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist takes a look at when a deer really becomes yours. Well, did you get your deer? You may have gotten a deer, but whose was it really, and when did it actually become yours ? I know a guy who owns a large amount of land in NW Wisconsin, and he manages the hunting access. He has ring binders with photos of deer you are allowed to shoot, and deer you are not allowed to shoot.

You may well find deer antlers beautiful, but how much do you think about them—a little or a lot? In this episode of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist talks about the importance of antlers. Antlers are extremely important. They are important to deer, to be certain, but they are important to hunters as well. If you took someone who knew absolutely nothing about deer or deer hunting and asked them to study deer and the people who hunt them, there is a fair chance they would come to the

Have you ever wondered what the first Thanksgiving might have been like if held in Wisconsin? In this episode of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist examines that very question. It seemed simple enough; I was going to refresh my memory on the first thanksgiving and write something about it. I vaguely recalled a story that in 1620 the pilgrims at Jamestown were struggling to survive and feed themselves, the Indians taught them how to farm and find food, and to celebrate a successful first