2025 Bonus Antlerless Deer Harvest Authorizations Available For Purchase Aug. 18

What Is It And Will It Hurt Me?

Planning to visit state parks, forests, trails or recreation areas this summer? Most things you’ll encounter when spending time at these properties are pretty harmless. If you hear noises at night while camping or see rustling in the woods on a nature hike, it’s probably something common like a squirrel or raccoon. But there are some things to watch for in the outdoors.

The summer issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine can help you prepare for common outdoor encounters when adventuring in the Wisconsin State Park System. Check out “What is it and will it hurt me?” to learn about some of the animals, insects and even plants to watch for — like snakes, shrews, ticks, wasps and poison ivy — and know how to avoid potential harm. It’s all meant to help you better enjoy your time in the outdoors!

Find this story and more about state parks and other natural resources topics in the latest magazine issue online. You also can get the print issue delivered to your doorstep when you subscribe online or call 1-800-678-9472 to sign up, renew or give a gift subscription.

^{Photo Credit: iStock/patty_c}

Keep Young Wildlife Wild

Have you spotted any young wildlife this year? If not, you’ll have another chance this summer, because it’s baby season, again! Remember to protect young wildlife by observing them from a safe distance and letting them grow up in their natural environment.

While young wild animals may seem helpless, they are well-adapted to survive without human intervention. With most species, it is natural for mothers to leave their young alone for long periods of time. While alone, young animals will often lie quietly and still to avoid attracting predators. As they grow, young wildlife will often wander on their own and, in most cases, do not need intervention.

Here are more reasons to keep wildlife wild:

• Stress: Wild animals view people and domestic animals as predators and are highly stressed by the sights, sounds and smells of being near humans or domestic animals. This stress can cause serious health problems or death.
• Diet: Wild animals have specialized dietary needs that are not easily met in captivity. Inadequate diets put them at a high risk of severe nutritional deficiencies that they may not be able to recover from.
• Habituation: Wild animals must learn normal social behaviors from their own species. Wild animals that learn abnormal behaviors from humans or domestic animals will likely not survive if released.
• Disease: Wild animals carry many diseases and parasites, including some that can spread to domestic animals and humans.
• It’s illegal: Most wild animals are protected under state and federal laws and cannot be taken from the wild or possessed by unauthorized citizens.

Visit the DNR’s Keep Wildlife Wild webpage for species-specific information on native Wisconsin wildlife and learn why leaving them in their natural environment is best.

Become A Community Scientist By Surveying Wildlife In August And September

Wisconsinites can become community scientists by participating in Operation Deer Watch and the Game Bird Survey.

These surveys are designed to measure the reproductive status of deer and game birds by establishing ratios of adults to juveniles (e.g., fawn-to-doe ratios). This data helps indicate the productivity of Wisconsin’s deer and game bird populations. The data from these surveys, along with harvest information, provide DNR scientists with the key elements needed to make knowledgeable management decisions for these species.

Participation in Operation Deer Watch and the Game Bird Survey requires no registration, and observations can be recorded using a mobile device. If in a vehicle, participants should only record sightings when their vehicle is stopped and not while driving.

• Operation Deer Watch – Members of the public can report location, age, sex and the number of deer seen from dawn to dusk during the summer months. This information helps to determine the fawn-to-doe ratio and, ultimately, deer population estimates. The deadline to submit observations is Sept. 30.
• Game Bird Survey – Members of the public can collect information on the types and numbers of game bird broods they observe during the summer months. This information is the basis for monitoring the reproduction of game birds for that breeding year. The deadline to submit observations is Aug. 31.

Please do not use the app while operating a vehicle.

More information and downloads for both surveys are available on the DNR’s Operation Deer Watch and Game Bird Survey webpages.

^{Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service}