The American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, can often be mistaken for a bird when projecting their alarm and bark calls. Other than being loud, they are also very good swimmers! In fact, one researcher observed a red squirrel swimming in Lake Superior up to a mile away from the nearest island. It’s likely that red squirrels are able to move between the islands of the Apostle Islands archipelago by swimming and, perhaps, occasionally crossing ice bridges in winter. Photo captured August 27, 2022…

Did you know that a raccoon can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees? This is so that they can climb down headfirst from trees. The scientific name for the common raccoon is Procyon lotor, which translates to “washer dog,” even though they are more closely related to bears. That nickname may have come about because raccoons are known to occasionally wash their food before they eat it, and if there isn’t water near, they may rub it in debris. Click READ MORE to see film clip from June 20, 2022…

This is an example of what NOT to do when you spot a trail camera. Although, this American black bear’s curiosity is entertaining to watch. This bear could have smelled our scent from when we were there installing the cameras since their sense of smell is seven times more sensitive than a dogs! This is part of the reason why we use “bear” boxes to protect our cameras. Even with bear boxes we had one camera that was destroyed by a black bear that bit the camera and its canine teeth punctured the lens and flash – ruining the camera. Click READ MORE to see film clip from August 26, 2022…