Post on 20-Sep-2020
As a landownerinterested in
attracting wildlife toyour property, you’ll
need to know whatkinds of wildlife live in your
part of Wisconsin, what they eat, what typeof habitat they prefer and what they need fornesting or denning. This publication givesyou basic information about the needs of
some of Wisconsin's most common wildlife. Itis merely a quick-reference chart listing thefood, habitat, nesting sites, and distributionof these animals in Wisconsin. Use it to startlooking for wildlife already present on yourland and then develop project plans toattract animals native to your region.
You’ll also need to assess whether your landcurrently has the appropriate food, water,
If you’re looking for a new house, it isimportant to know what features you wantfor your “dream home” and what its ideallocation will be. You have to ask yourself:Where do I want to live in the world? Do Iwant to live in the city, the suburbs or thecountry? How many rooms does my familyneed? How close will I be to the grocerystore, work, the mall and the doctor? Animalsalso look for certain features when searchingfor a home in a particular area before they“move” into the neighborhood. What’s the habitat like? How much food isavailable? Where’s the nearest watering hole? Is there enough shelter toraise young? What’s the climate like in winter? How close are people to
their home territory? These are some of the key factors thatdetermine where wildlife will live in Wisconsin, and
whether they’ll choose your land as a suitable “home.”
Wildlife and Your Landa series about managing your land for wildlife
*Primer \prim•ar\ n. 1: a small book for teachingchildren to read. 2: a small introductory book on asubject.
Wisconsin Wildlife Primer*Wildlife Habits and Habitat
shelter and space to attract wildlife, orwhether you can adequately enhance yourproperty’s ability to attract wildlife byincorporating minor habitat modifications.For assistance in creating a wildlifemanagement plan for your property, pleaserefer to Putting Pen to Paper in this series.Be sure to read Calling All Wildlife to gainan understanding of some fundamentalconcepts in wildlife management. And, for anidea of what kind of trees, shrubs and vinesyou can plant to attract wildlife, read So,What Should I Plant? The moreinformation you have, the better you'llunderstand the habits and habitat of thewildlife you want to attract.
Wisconsin has historically been rich inwildlife resources. Wisconsin’s earliestEuropean explorers recorded a greatabundance and variety of wildlife in theforests, wetlands and grasslands of the state.From 1700 to 1800, the prairies andsavannas of southern Wisconsin teemed withelk, bison, wolves, cougars and white-taileddeer. The mixed conifer hardwoods innorthern Wisconsin provided habitat for
American (pine) marten, moose, deer andsmall populations of woodland caribou. Thestate’s central forests were home to millionsof passenger pigeons—populations so densepeople reported that the birds literally“blocked the sun from the sky” duringmigration.
Europeans had an impact on wildlife evenbefore they settled this land. By supplyinghorses and firearms to the native Americans,they helped these original people becomemore efficient hunters. The native Americansas well as American cavalry stationed atsuch outposts as Prairie Du Chienundoubtedly caused the extirpation of theherds of bison and elk which roamedsouthwest Wisconsin. The last bison wasreported to have been shot in the early1830s. The early lumberjacks who logged thenorthwoods each winter also impacted thepopulation of one of Wisconsin’s largesthoofed mammals in the 1800s, the moose.Moose prefer young forests with lushvegetation. As the mature forests werelogged it created better moose habitat.However, not only did it create better moosehabitat, it also created better white-tailed
2 Wildlife and Your Land
Wisconsin’s Wildlife Heritage: A Wildlife Wonderland
Extirpated:bison, caribou
deer habitat. Since deer carry a parasiticbrain worm which is deadly to moose, themoose population declined. This, togetherwith unregulated hunting, caused moose todisappear from Wisconsin by the early 1900s.
As these large grazers vanished, the wolf andcougar populations declined as well, sincetheir food source had disappeared. In orderto maintain a toehold in Wisconsin, theremaining large predators had to turn toalternative food sources—domestic livestock.Farmers couldn’t afford the loss of even onecalf or lamb to a hungry wolf or wild cat so in1865 the state legislature passed a $5 bountyfor each dead wolf that hunters brought in.The story was similar for cougars. By 1960,the timber wolf was declared extirpated fromWisconsin; and even though reports of cougarsightings still trickle in, wildlife biologistsbelieve most of these are unfounded or arethe result of an escaped or released captive-bred cougar.
When European settlers began flooding intothe state in the early and mid 1800s,unregulated hunting and trapping, as well asfarming and logging operations quicklyaltered the native landscape and its wildlifepopulations. Wetlands were drained, theprairies and savannas were plowed under,and northern forests were clearcut.Despite the disappearance of the largermammals from Wisconsin’s landscape, otherwildlife continued to flourish throughout thestate from the early to mid 1800s. Trappersfound abundant fisher, American (pine)marten and beaver populations; and hunterssaw no end to the flocks of passengerpigeons, prairie chickens, sharp-tailedgrouse, ducks and geese. But the harvest ofearly hunters and trappers wentunregulated. No one saw a need to imposebag limits because the wildlife populationsappeared so limitless. Not surprisingly, itwasn’t long before unregulated trapping ofmarten, fisher and wolverine lead to theirextirpation from the state by the early 1900s.Beaver and other furbearer populations werealso drastically reduced and were nearly
eliminated from the state by 1900. Markethunting caused the seemingly endless flocksof waterfowl to plummet; and the widespreaddestruction of passenger pigeon nests bymarket hunters interested in shippingbarrels of squab to eastern markets spelleddoom for this native bird.
The early settlers wielded a double-edgedsword against Wisconsin wildlife. Not onlydid their unregulated hunting and trappingcause wildlife populations to decline, buttheir swelling population created such drasticland use changes that wildlife lost the habitatthey needed to survive. The wild turkey andCarolina parakeet populations dramaticallydeclined due to loss of habitat. Civilizationwas expanding from the south and theclimate and habitat types of the northprevented the northward retreat of thesenative birds. Sharp-tailed and ruffed grouselost out in the south due to overgrazing and“clean” farming though they still maintain afoothold in the north. The draining ofmarshes, in addition to market hunting,caused waterfowl populations, including thetrumpeter swan, to drop dramatically. Poultryfarmers and commercial fishing interestsoften shot hawks, owls and fish-eating birdssince these birds preyed upon fish, game anddomestic fowl.
Wildlife and Your Land 3
Once extirpated:cougar, wolf
Although many types of native wildlifepopulations suffered as European settlerscontinued to change the landscape ofWisconsin, others actually increased. Theythrived in the habitats which farming andlogging provided. White-tailed deerpopulations in the thick northern forestswere originally moderately low, and theyremained low during the logging heydaybecause of intense exploitation. But as theforests resprouted with lush, young growthand as early farming provided a good mix offield and forest, the deer numbers swelled.When central Wisconsin farms grewperennial crops of bluegrass as a seed source,prairie chickens thrived. But it wasn’t longbefore these habitats were altered and theprairie chicken populations dropped. Stillother wildlife, such as coyotes, crows,blackbirds, and alien house sparrows,starlings and rodents, prospered all too wellby their association with people.
Hunters and early conservationists begannoticing the exploitation of Wisconsin’s naturalresources around the 1870s. They slowlyworked toward regulating the use of naturalresources as they enacted laws to protect wild-life populations and forest land. Wildlifemanagement was considered increasinglynecessary since people had greatly alterednatural landscapes. But the needs of wildlifefrequently conflicted with many human landuses. In 1908, Governor James O. Davidsonappointed the Wisconsin Conservation
Commission to manage the “basic naturalresources and related problems.” He had beeninspired during a Governor’s conference heldby President Theodore Roosevelt in which thepresident stressed the need for “conservation”which is defined as the wise use of ournatural resources.
With an enlightened view of conserving ournatural resources, new farming practiceswere put into action to prevent soil erosion,loggers replanted many acres of forest, andindustry began controlling environmentalpollution. Educational efforts began asconservation wardens met with schoolclasses, farming interests and public groups.In 1935, the state legislature ordered theteaching of “conservation of resources” inschools. It was finally recognized that carefulplanning and management could provide forthe future welfare of wildlife in Wisconsin.
People began to take an interest in what washappening to wildlife, and this led to thestudy of wildlife and their habitats. AldoLeopold, one of the founding fathers of thewildlife management profession, took up aleadership role as his followers began tostudy wildlife populations and conductresearch to understand and manage wildlifepopulations.
Efforts to restore some populations ofextirpated wildlife were undertakenthroughout the 1900s by reintroducing them
4 Wildlife and Your Land
Reintroduced: wild turkeys, elk
into their former haunts. Some stockingattempts were successful, others werefailures. To date, successful restockingincludes: the wild turkey, trumpeter swan,American (pine) marten and fisher. Anexperimental reintroduction of elk wasinitiated in northern Wisconsin in 1995, andis currently being evaluated.
Other animals, such as the wolf and moose,were not reintroduced, but have found theirway here from neighboring Minnesota,Michigan, and Canada. The wolf populationcontinues to grow and spread, but the moosepopulations may be limited by the presenceof a parasitic brain worm transmitted bywhite-tailed deer.
Today, Wisconsin supports over 650 differenttypes of mammals, birds, reptiles,amphibians and fish, as well as countlessmillions of invertebrates. We truly live in awildlife wonderland.
Not All Native
Not all Wisconsin wildlife is native. Peoplehave wittingly or unwittingly introduced anumber of “exotics” or “aliens” to our state.Some of these, like ring-necked pheasant,Hungarian partridge, rainbow trout andbrown trout are considered useful becausethey occupy drastically altered ecosystemsthat can no longer support such natives asthe prairie chicken and brook trout. Theyprovide hunters with food and outdoorrecreation. Others, like carp, zebra mussel,ruffe, mute swan, starling, house sparrow,pigeon, Norway rat and house mouse, areconsidered pests. A recent exotic animal, thestone marten, in southeastern Wisconsinmay also have negative impacts yet to bediscovered. Nevertheless all are part ofWisconsin’s tapestry of wildlife.
Wildlife and Your Land 5
Aliens:brown trout,
carp
Population boom:whitetail fawn
Mammals, those warm-blooded animals thathave hair and nourish their young with milk,are important to many of us. Seventymammals are native to the state; at least 4are extinct.
Mammals are valuable to people in a numberof ways. Game mammals, such as white-tailed deer, black bear, gray and fox squirrelsand cottontail rabbit provide many hours ofhealthy recreation in the field as hunters pittheir skill against the native wits of thesemammals. Venison and most wild game meatis low in fat and highly nutritious. Thefurbearers—beaver, muskrat, mink, otter,bobcat, coyote, red and gray foxes, raccoonand fisher—provide a source of income fortrappers as well as a source of fur for people’sclothes. All mammals are fun and interestingto watch in the wild, though some can be areal nuisance and cause damage to crops,orchards, bee hives, livestock and our homes.Rodents, skunks, opossums, woodchucks,beaver, deer, coyote and bear fit into thiscategory.
But mammals, like birds, reptiles,amphibians, fish and invertebrates, areimportant regardless of human values.
Different animals are found in differentregions of the state because they fit into thescheme of things. Each plays a particularrole, fills a certain niche within their naturalcommunity. They are dependent upon thevery community of which they are a part andmembers of that community are dependentupon them. Nature has established adynamic equilibrium between each type ofwild animal and other plants, animals andnon-living features of those naturalcommunities. If these natural communitiesare left undisturbed by people, theyultimately work to the benefit of all.
The ranges of Wisconsin’s mammals varyfrom a “toe hold,” such as that of the spottedskunk or white-tailed jackrabbit on ourwestern border, to a statewide presence suchas that of the white-tailed deer or red fox. Amammal’s range is not always constant orpermanent. Progressive expansion orshrinkage may be noted as a result ofchanges to the habitat, either by people or bythe changes wrought by nature (wild fires,tornadoes, changes in climate). Usually themeat-eating mammals require largerterritories than similar-sized plant-eatingmammals. Some mammals, including a few
6 Wildlife and Your Land
Mammals
bats, migrate when winter arrives. Somesuch as ground squirrels and woodchuckshibernate in underground dens. Others, likeskunks or raccoons, sleep during extremewinter conditions. The remainder stay activeall winter. These include rabbits, red fox,coyotes and white-tailed deer.
Many smaller mammals provide a foodsupply for carnivores. But even smallmammals prey on insects. Bats, for instance,are beneficial as they help keep the mosquitopopulations down in areas where we live andrecreate. Small burrowing mammals such asmoles, shrews, and mice play an importantrole in developing the fertility of the soil.Combined with the actions of earthworms,fungi and bacteria, they help aerate the soil,manufacture humus and build up leaf mold.Many mammals act as scavengers or “clean-up crews” to help recycle dead plants andanimals. Beaver assist many other animalswhen they construct dams which createsmall ponds and wetlands along streams.
Mammals, unlikethe birds, aremuch moredifficult toobserve in thewild, since theyare very secretiveand most areactive in thetwilight hours andgenerally after dark. Mammals are best“observed” by following their tracks in thesnow in winter. Although many mammalswill rarely be seen, tracking allows you tolearn much about mammal behavior. Inaddition to tracks, mammals leave behindabundant signs such as droppings, barkchewings, grass tunnels, trails, tree rubs andground scrapes. If you are careful, quiet, anddetermined, you can have good results bystanding along a woodland or grasslandwildlife trail in the early morning, lateafternoon, or even on a bright moonlit night.Mammals leave abundant characteristicsigns. Tracks in the snow, droppings, barkchewings, grass tunnels, trails, and tree rubsall give clues to the type of animal that livesthere. It’s fun to learn these signs and tobecome a seasoned observer. Use field guidesto mammals, such as Allen Kurta’s Mammalsof the Great Lakes Region (University ofMichigan Press), or James Halfpenny’sMammal Tracking in North America(Johnson Books, Boulder), for more completeinformation.
Wildlife and Your Land 7
Red fox
White-footed Mouse
8 Wildlife and Your Land
Little Brown BatWhite-tailed Deer
EasternChipmunk
LeastChipmunk
BadgerFisher
Black Bears
Beaver
Coyote
Bobcat
Gray FoxRed Fox
Wildlife and Your Land 9
Badger
Bats (7 kinds; LittleBrown Bat is common)
Black Bear
Beaver
Bobcat
Eastern ChipmunkLeast Chipmunk
Coyote
White-tailed Deer
Fisher
Gray FoxRed Fox
Ground squirrels, mice,pocket gophers, birdeggs
Moths, mosquitoes andother night-flyinginsects
Berries, acorns, insects,fish, carrion, fawns, birdeggs, honey, nuts
Bark and twigs ofaspen, cottonwood andwillow; roots, grasses
Small mammals,especially snowshoehares; some deer inwinter
Seeds, nuts, acorns,berries, insects, birdeggs, young mice, bulbs
Mice, rabbits, squirrels,carrion, fawns andground-nesting birds
Broad-leaf plants,acorns, fungi, field corn,apples, alfalfa; inwinter, twigs, especiallyhemlock, white cedar
Snowshoe hares, voles,squirrels, carrion, mice,porcupines
Mice, rabbits,pheasants, wild grapesand other berries andfruit, snakes, turtles,woodchucks, grass-hoppers, carrion
Grassland, savanna andfarmland
Agricultural areas,forests; flies over lakes,fields and woodsRural towns, cities
Forest
Wetlands and rivers
Forest; wilder sectionsof brushy northernforest, especially areaswith swamps and rockyoutcrops
Northern forests ofmixed evergreens anddeciduous trees andsouthern woodlands
Farmland, newly cutover forested areas,woodland edge. Note:Populations spreadinginto urban areas
Border areas betweenforest and clearings,wetlands, tamarack andcedar swamps, evenurban areas
Forest of dense conifersor mixed deciduous andconifer forests
Red fox prefersfarmland, mixedwoodlands; gray foxprefers forests to openbrush land
Underground dens insandy fields, pastures,hilltops
Daytime: under barnboards or siding in ruraltowns or farms; underloose bark or in treecavities in forestedareas; caves. Nightroosts: under porchawnings, behindshutters, barns. Winter:caves, attics, inside walls
Makes dens in hollow,downed trees, in uprightdead trees, or beneaththe ground
Lodges made ofsaplings, partiallyunderwater, or densbuilt into stream banks.Note: Protect largeornamental trees withhardware cloth
Dens in trees or underrocky outcrops
Dens in undergroundburrows, rock piles, rockwalls, house foundations.Note: Protect flowerbulbs with wire mesh
Lives in undergrounddens at base of cliff orunder a stump
Hides fawn in thicketsor dense grassy areas.Northern herds seekshelter in conifer standscalled “deer yards”
Dens in tree cavities;seeks shelter in hollowlogs, rock piles andabandoned beaverlodges
Dens in hollow logs ortrees or under rockpiles. May use desertedwoodchuck burrows inhillsides or may digtheir own burrow
Northwest, west
Statewide, morecommon south
Northern third andcentral forest
More common north,southwest, MississippiRiver
Northern third;sightings reported inBaraboo Hills, Vernon,Richland and Crawfordcounties. Uncommon
Eastern is foundstatewide. Least innorth and centralconifers
Statewide but morecommon in the north.Not common in wolfhabitat
Statewide
North and expandinginto central
Red Fox foundstatewide; Gray Foxfound southern third
Mammal Food Habitat Den Site Distribution
10 Wildlife and Your Land
Pocket Gopher
Snowshoe Hare
American Pine Marten
Deer MouseWestern Harvest MouseWhite-footed Mouse
Woodland Jumping MouseMeadow Jumping Mouse
Mink
Star-nosed MoleEastern MoleShrews (5 kinds)
Muskrat
Opossum
River Otter
Porcupine
Roots, bulbs andrhizomes; clover, alfalfa,grass, dandelion,plantain, mullein, dock
Fresh twigs and bark ofyoung trees and shrubssuch as pine, alder,aspen, willow, hazelnut,birch, cedar, spruce andsumac, grasses, clover,berries
Voles, mice, squirrels,rabbits, small birds,nuts, fruits
Seeds, insects, berries,nuts, corn, small grains,soybeans
Seeds, berries, fungi,greens, insects
Muskrat, rabbits, mice,squirrels, snakes
Insects, earthworms,small animals, littlevegetable matter
Roots of cattails, arrow-heads, water lilies,rushes; periodically eatsfrogs, turtles, fish,crayfish, mussels
Carrion, small birds,frogs, mammals, fish,eggs, insects, fruits
Fish, crayfish, birds,small mammals
Bark and twigs of pinesand maples
Prairie, savanna, andscrub lands where soil isloose or sandy
Brushy woodlands,swamps and heavyforests especially withdense evergreens
Mature forests of denseevergreens or conifer-hardwood mix
Forest, grassland, oldfields, woodland edge,grain bins
Woodland Jumping,conifer forest orwoodland; MeadowJumping, forest edgeand moist meadows
Wetlands and forestedstreams
Grasslands, woodlandsand wetlands
Marshes, ponds, slowstreams, banks of largerrivers
Woodlands, hardwoodswamps, farmland,hedgerows
Rivers, streams andlakes
Forests
Builds extensiveunderground tunnels.Look for mounds of dirtwithout entrance hole
Hides in dense forestcover such as low-hanging evergreenbranches
Creates den in hollowlogs and tree cavities.Note: Rarely seen
Build small, grassynests lined with fur,feathers, and plants.May be found on theground, in wood piles,under old stumps orlogs, in holes in trees,inside walls of houses
Hibernate inunderground nests;summer nests of leavesand grass near surfaceor in dense vegetation
Burrows into banks oflakes, marshes, rivers
Moles burrowunderground; Shrewsbuild small nests of dryleaves and grassesunder old logs, hollowstumps or under piles ofgrass or brush
Builds dens in banks ora hut of mud, cattailand bulrush
Dens in tree cavities,burrows, or hollow logs
Creates dens in streambanks with underwaterentrance or builds denin hollow logs
Hides in trees, brush,caves, and rock crevicesin forests with someevergreens. Note: Canbe destructive to trees
West of WisconsinRiver, northwesternhalf
Snowshoe, north;White-tailed jackrabbit,western border
Northern thirdRARE
Statewide, exceptHarvest Mouse isrestricted to southwest
Meadow foundstatewide; Woodland innorthern half
Statewide
Eastern Mole, south andwest; Starnosed Mole,north and central;Masked and Shorttailshrews, statewide
Statewide
Southern half
Statewide, mostabundant in northernhalf
Northern and central
Mammal Food Habitat Den Site Distribution
Wildlife and Your Land 11
Masked Shrew
Opposums
Muskrat
Porcupine
Pocket Gopher
Harvest Mouse
Jumping Mouse
Deer Mouse Marten
Otters
Mink
Snowshoe Hare
Eastern Mole Star-nosed Mole
12 Wildlife and Your Land
Cottontail
Woodchuck
13-lineGroundSquirrel
Flying Squirrel
Fox SquirrelGray Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Long-tailed Weasel
Short-tailed Weasel
Wolf
Raccoon
Meadow Vole
Bog Lemming
SpottedSkunk
StripedSkunk
Least Weasel
Wildlife and Your Land 13
Cottontail Rabbit
Raccoon
Striped SkunkSpotted Skunk
Fox SquirrelGray Squirrel
Southern Flying SquirrelNorthern Flying Squirrel
Thirteen-lined GroundSquirrel
Franklins Ground Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Voles (5 kinds, MeadowVole is common)
Lemmings
LeastWeaselShort-tailed WeaselLong-tailed Weasel
Gray or Timber Wolf
Woodchuck
Raspberries and otherbriars, dandelions,plantain, clover, fruit;in winter, tree bark,dried corn
Frogs, fish, shellfish,small mammals, birds,eggs, reptiles, insects,fruit, field and sweetcorn, nuts
Insects, smallmammals, eggs, snakes,crayfish, poultry
Nuts, seeds, buds, fungi,bird eggs, corn
Seeds, nuts, buds,berries, insects, birdeggs, fledgling birds
Seeds, leafy material,insects, eggs
Pine nuts, seeds,berries, sap, mush-rooms, insects, birdeggs, fledgling birds
Grasses, sedges, roots,bulbs, clover, plantain,dandelion, goldenrod,yarrow, insects; inwinter, bark on youngtrees and shrubs
Mice, voles, insects,small birds, chipmunks
Deer, beaver, snowshoehares, small mammals
Grass, clover, plantain,apples, insects, snails,crops, weeds, gardenvegetables
Forest, farmland withforest and grasslandedges
Forest edge andfarmland
Farmland, woodlandedge, brush alongstreams and ditches
Hardwood forests, orsmall woodlotsinterspersed withfarmland
Forests with large dentrees
Grasslands, prairie,lawns
Forests with pine, fir,hemlock; some mixedhardwood forests
Low, moist grasslands,forest, bogs for somekinds
Longtail, shorttail:forest, brush land,prairies; Least:meadows and fields
Pack territories cover20–110 square miles indense expanses offorests
Farmland, edges ofbrushy forests or creeks
Seeks shelter in denseshrubs, briars, andbrush piles in sparsewoodlands andfarmlands. Note:Protect ornamental fruittrees and shrubs fromrabbits in winter andearly spring
Dens in hollow trees orlogs, especially thosenear water. Note: Protectyour sweet corn cropswith electric fencing
Burrows among treeroots. Seeks shelter inabandoned buildings orunder porches
Nests in hollow trees orbuilds leaf nests high inbranches
Nests in old woodpeckerholes, sometimes inattics
Underground burrowsfor raising young andhibernation
Dens in tree cavities,old woodpecker nests
Build nests of drygrasses and sedgesunder debris or inunderground tunnels.Note: Protect youngsaplings with wire mesh
Dens in abandoned moleruns, or beneath a rockpile, wood pile or inabandoned buildings
Den in 6–12 foot deepholes, hollow logs, orcaves
Burrows in ground,wood piles, stone walls,old stumps, foundationsof abandoned buildings;multiple entrances toden
Statewide
Statewide
Striped, statewideSpotted, no recentrecords
Gray Squirrel, state-wide; Fox Squirrel,statewide exceptnortheast
Southern, southern halfNorthern, northern half
Thirteen lined, state-wide; Franklins, western
Northern two-thirds
Statewide
Statewide
Northwest and central
Southern half
Mammal Food Habitat Den Site Distribution