Local Features

One of the smartest birds in North America is also one of our least appreciated. In this episode of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist shares some information about the raven. This time of year, with the leaves on the ground and brown, and the trees mostly bare, it is a lot easier to see into the woods. Many of our migratory bird species have left, but there are some visible year-round residents remaining, such as ravens. Ravens are known around the northern half of the globe. I have seen

In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses sound waves. If we listen carefully, trees have a great deal to tell us. You may have an image in your mind of someone bear hugging a tree with their ear pressed tightly to the trunk. This strategy may work if you need a hug, but you won’t likely hear anything of consequence. What I am referring to is the process of using sound waves to “see” inside the tree. The process is called Stress Wave Timing . In a

Have you ever had someone tell you hummingbirds ride south on the backs of geese in the fall? In this episode of Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist looks at this charming, albeit false, old wives’ tale. My mom always used to tell me that hummingbirds traveled south for the winter riding on the backs of Canada geese. While this is a charming and compelling tale, the fact is that these little birds don’t hitchhike their way south. They migrate like many other bird species. Migration is an

It is easy to let our modern electronics lull us into a false sense of security today, even when in the woods. In this episode of Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist talks about planning your hunt, and hunting your plan. When I lived in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, I tried to get out hunting whenever I could. I usually went small game hunting, seeking jackrabbits, rocky mountain cottontails, coyotes or grouse. I would try to use a combination of maps and atlases to find land open to

Color peeping and hunting in the fall results in a lot of wildlife observations. In this episode of Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist gives a few examples of unusual wildlife observations that come in especially in the fall. I hear from a lot of people who wish to report sightings of what I will refer to as unusual wildlife. For example, every October without fail a few people report seeing a moose. These reports are easy to confirm; oftentimes there are digital photos of the animal as well

In early August, a group of writers got together in Rhinelander for a retreat as part of ArtStart’s School of the Arts Legacy Program, held in partnership with the Rhinelander District Library. A highlight of the weekend was the public reading at ArtStart on Saturday, August 5 th led by writer and teacher, B.J. Hollars. Coming up now, we have an abridged version of the public reading featuring 6 of the 10 participants. You will hear stories from Bill Mathis, Lauretta Kaplan, Kris Adams Wendt,

Have you let the red lanterns light your way this fall? In this episode of wildlife matters, the Masked Biologist shares some excerpts from an Aldo Leopold essay about grouse hunting in autumn. It is October, and the red lanterns of autumn are lit. If you are not familiar with the red lanterns, it is a reference to one of Aldo Leopold’s essays in his book, Sand County Almanac. Many respected naturalists from the early days of natural resource conservation were hunters. Their love of the nature

Chipmunks are a common sight here in the Northwoods, but how much do we know about them, or pay attention to them? In this episode of wildlife matters, the Masked Biologist takes you on a voyage of chipmunk discovery. I recall walking through a parking on one occasion when an unusual sight caught my eye – a chipmunk was sitting on the pavement, contentedly eating a small bird. There wasn’t much left by the time I discovered the scene, so I don’t know if the chipmunk found the bird dead, or if it

In this month’s Field Notes , Susan Knight of Trout Lake Station tells us about the genetics of apples and the real story behind Johnny Appleseed. Before I ever got to college, I knew I wanted to be a biologist, in fact, a zoologist, or so I thought. I grudgingly signed up for a few plant classes, including plant taxonomy. Well, the professor wasn’t all that interesting, but I would have followed the teaching assistant anywhere. I was completely smitten… with the plants, of course. My class

If you own a property with some trees or brush and would like to tinker with wildlife management, take note of today’s episode of Wildlife Matters . The Masked Biologist talks about brush piles for small mammal habitat. Small mammals rarely get attention from natural resource managers these days. Not intentionally; wildlife biologists are fans of all manner of creatures. However, as staff time is reduced, budgets are flat or cut, and priorities are narrowed to huntable “high visibility” species