Plan ahead if tree trimming is in your future

Springtime may seem like a long way off, but for those homeowners whose spring clean-up activities will include cutting down unwanted or dead trees there is good reason to make those plans now rather than later. Even though spring means that the weather starts to cooperate and trees may still be dormant, it is the worst time of year to cut or remove them, at least for your wild neighbors. Right now squirrels and some birds, raccoons and a few other species are still nesting in Wisconsin trees, but soon, as the days become shorter and the nights cooler, they will have begun the transition into adulthood. Early-mid fall is not only after the nesting season is done but it is also before most mammals begin using trees for winter dens making it the ideal time for removing trees while having the least negative impact.

Great Horned Owls start nesting as early as January, often in old hawk or crow nests built in numerous types of trees. As the spring progresses, tree squirrels, raccoons, and many bird species build their nests and raise their young in trees. Cutting down trees in the spring and summer can destroy nests and animals can be displaced, injured, or even killed in the process. We get a number of babies like squirrels, raccoons and a wide variety of birds whose nests or families have been destroyed from tree removal and trimming throughout these seasons.



Thanks to Volunteer and Photographer, Katie Pfaff for this photo of a playful raccoon being rehabilitated after his nest tree was cut down killing his mother and several of his siblings.



If a dead tree is not posing a threat to your home or other buildings, you could even consider leaving it, or only cutting off the most dangerous branches. There are a number of good reasons to keep them around for the sake of your wild neighbors. Dead trees (called snags) provide important habitat for many species of wildlife. Woodpeckers often use snags as a source of their insect diet. They also drill holes (cavities) in live and dead trees which they use for nesting. These cavities are important nest sites for a number of other cavity-nesting species that don’t have the ability to make holes in trees themselves; these include chickadees, bluebirds, and kestrels. Snags also provide den sites (both nesting and wintering) for many mammal species including squirrels, raccoons, and even bears.

So, whether you are still relishing the summer sun or looking forward to the first crisp fall day, look up the next time you are outside and if tree removal is in your future, plan accordingly.

The Busiest Day

June is always our busiest month of the year at the height of summer and prime time for summer babies as well as adult wildlife. And every year one of those busy June days yields the “Most Patients Admitted in a Single Day.” In 2011 that day was Friday, June 3 when we admitted 30 animals of 8 species.


Species                 Age           Reason for admission     City of Origin


American Woodcock     Adult       internal injuries             Waukesha


Big Brown Bat     Adult     Found in garage, unable to fly      Brookfield


Common Grackle     Juvenile  Unable to fly, fractured wings    Jefferson


Common Grackle      Juvenile    Found on ground calling        Sullivan


Eastern Cottontail        Infant    Nest found by cat               Hartland


Eastern Cottontail        Infant    Nest found by cat               Hartland


Eastern Cottontail        Infant    Nest found by cat               Hartland


Eastern Cottontail       Infant     Nest found by cat               Hartland


Eastern Cottontail        Infant    Nest found by cat               Hartland


Eastern Cottontail        Infant     Nest found by cat              Hartland


Eastern Cottontail        Infant      Cat attack                        Mukwonago


Eastern Cottontail        Infant      Cat attack                        Mukwonago


Eastern Cottontail        Infant      Cat attack                        Mukwonago


Eastern Cottontail        Infant       Cat attack                        Mukwonago


Eastern Cottontail        Infant      Dog Attack                         Hartland


Eastern Cottontail   Juvenile   Nest dug up while landscaping   Watertown


Eastern Cottontail   Juvenile   Nest dug up while landscaping   Watertown


Eastern Cottontail   Juvenile   Nest dug up while landscaping   Watertown


Eastern Cottontail   Juvenile   Nest dug up while landscaping   Watertown


Eastern Cottontail   Juvenile   Nest dug up while landscaping   Watertown


Eastern Cottontail   Juvenile   Nest dug up while landscaping    Watertown


Eastern Gray Squirrel    Infant      Fell from tree               Oconomowoc


Eastern Gray Squirrel   Juvenile    Fell from tree               Oconomowoc


European Starling    Juvenile    CNS issue/disorder           Waukesha


Raccoon           Juvenile    Fell out of tree onto driveway    Mukwonago


Raccoon            Juvenile   Mom hit by car                      Oconomowoc


Raccoon            Juvenile   Mom hit by car                      Oconomowoc


Raccoon            Juvenile   Found in garage screaming      East Troy


Raccoon            Juvenile   Found in garage screaming      East Troy


Wood Duck         Infant     Wandering in road                    Waterloo

A close second in admissions was Monday, June 27 with 29 animals admitted of 14 different species. Does that date sound familiar? That was the opening day for our new facility! I guess the wildlife all wanted to be the first to see the new building. Here’s who came in that day.

Species               Age           Reason for admission                   City of Origin


American Crow     Adult    Found along road with fractured spine   Brookfield


American Toad    Adult     Found in yard disemboweled                Eagle


House Finch         Adult                Stuck in Jelly                         Dousman


Midland Painted Turtle    Adult       Hit by Car, fractured bridge      Waukesha


Mourning Dove       Adult      Flapping on ground, fractured keel             Hartland


Western Painted Turtle  Adult    Hit By Car, fractured shell, spinal injuries    Colgate


Woodchuck                   Adult      Hit by car, fractured leg              Delafield


Brown-headed Cowbird   Infant  Blown out of nest, fractured leg     Waukesha


Brown-headed Cowbird     Infant     Blown out of nest                  Waukesha


Sandhill Crane      Infant         Dog scared away parents           Oconomowoc


American Robin    Juvenile      Found on ground, CNS issues    New Berlin


American Robin    Juvenile      Found on ground                        Waukesha


American Robin   Juvenile       Found on sidewalk                     Waukesha


American Robin  Juvenile       Found on sidewalk                       Waukesha


American Robin   Juvenile       Found on sidewalk                      Waukesha


Brown Thrasher   Juvenile       Found on ground, CNS issues      Waukesha


European Starling    Juvenile   Fell out of nest, fractured wing      Oconomowoc


House Finch   Juvenile  Mom stopped going to nest 2 days ago    Delafield


House Finch   Juvenile  Mom stopped going to nest 2 days ago    Delafield


House Finch   Juvenile  Mom stopped going to nest 2 days ago    Delafield


House Finch   Juvenile  Mom stopped going to nest 2 days ago    Delafield


House Finch   Juvenile   Mom stopped going to nest 2 days ago    Delafield


Raccoon         Juvenile     Found in yard limping             Oconomowoc


Raccoon         Juvenile     Found on road, fractured leg    Waukesha


Mallard           Infant          No Mom                               Waukesha


Mallard           Infant          No Mom                               Waukesha


Mallard           Infant          No Mom                                Waukesha


Mallard           Infant           No Mom                               Waukesha


Mallard           Infant           No Mom                               Waukesha


For the entire month of June the Wildlife In Need Center admitted 443 wildlife patients of 56 different species. And we packed, moved and unpacked the entire operation as well that month including moving all the patients we had in care from the previous months. June was pretty busy for all the tired staff and wonderful volunteers of WINC. But our new home is wonderful and was worth all the hard work!

June 2011                             Species Number


13 lined Ground Squirrel             8


American Crow                          4


American Robin                        42


American Toad                           2


American Woodcock                  1


Baltimore Oriole                         1


Barn Swallow                             3


Big Brown Bat                            3


Black-capped Chickadee         10


Blue Jay                                     1


Brown Thrasher                         1


Brown-headed Cowbird            2


Canada Goose                          2


Chimney Swift                           1


Cliff Swallow                             1


Common Grackle                     11


Downy Woodpecker                 5


Eastern Bluebird                         1


Eastern Chipmunk                    11


Eastern Cottontail                     57


Eastern Gray Squirrel                 9


European Starling                     19


Great Blue Heron                       1


Great Horned Owl                     2


Green Frog                                1


Hooded Merganser                    1


House Finch                             15


House Sparrow                        14


Mallard                                    40


Midland Painted Turtle               2


Mourning Dove                        11


Muscovy Duck                           1


Northern Cardinal                       1


Northern Flicker                         1


Painted Turtle                             1


Raccoon                                  80


Red Fox                                     1


Red Squirrel                                2


Red-bellied Woodpecker            3


Red-tailed Hawk                         6


Red-winged Blackbird                 1


Rock Pigeon                                3


Ruby-throated Humming Bird      2


Sandhill Crane                             2


Snapping Turtle                           4


Sora                                            1


Southern Flying Squirrel               1


Tree Swallow                              1


Virginia Opossum                      14


Western Painted Turtle                5


White-breasted Nuthatch             1


White-footed Mouse                   1


White-tailed Deer                        1


Wild Turkey                                2


Wood Duck                              16


Woodchuck                              10

The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Raccoon

For those of you who crave a good mystery...

The caller I spoke with over the phone reported that she had seen the neighborhood children in her yard with an animal that turned out to be a baby Raccoon. When she questioned the girl who had it, the girl said it was from her Grandmother’s house. A man came to get the girl and told her to leave the Raccoon, she couldn’t have it. The child and man walked away while the woman tried to ask them about the Raccoon. We always try to re-nest Raccoons, but obviously she had no idea where it came from so she was kind enough to bring it to us from Muskego.

Later that day a man and woman came in with a baby Raccoon. The woman worked at a local veterinarian’s office and one of the vets had brought 2 baby Raccoons in and asked his staff if someone wanted them. They had cared for them for a few days, but now they were going on vacation and didn’t want them anymore. But there was only one baby now. The man was very indignant that someone had stolen one of the babies. I have never had a report of a stolen Raccoon before. He said he kept them on his porch in a kennel cab and one disappeared between feedings. Raccoons are great escape artists and we have had them release themselves from kennel cabs. But a toothless baby was pretty young for such a life of crime and besides, it wouldn’t escape and then lock its sibling in. The man demanded to know if anyone had turned in a baby Raccoon. We admit many baby Raccoons this time of year but no one had “turned one in as missing”.

But- wait.

I checked my admission record for the Raccoon left by the unknown child. Same town. Same street . Hmmm, I think we have a match. When I related parts of the conversation the woman had with the child, the man knew which child she meant from the neighborhood that lived part-time with her Grandmother nearby. The child had watched him feeding the babies earlier and had apparently come back and taken one later. So the siblings were reunited and the mystery solved.

I did explain to the man and woman that it is illegal to keep wild animals (not to mention ill advised unless you enjoy having your home torn up by a wild animal) unless they have the proper licenses from the DNR. They thought because a vet had given the Raccoons to them that it was ok. Even veterinarians must have wildlife rehabilitation or other wildlife licenses to possess wildlife. We will be contacting this veterinarian’s office to educate them on the subject and also to let them know that we are here if they or their clients have wildlife issues.

-Guest Blogger L.R

Let a sleeping raccoon lie

It was 3PM when I received a call from a gentleman. “When I got into work this morning there was a raccoon in the dumpster. We've tried to get it to leave, but I think it must be stuck or injured because it hasn't left yet.”


Dumpsters may not seem like nice places for most of us, but for urban raccoons they provide a number of life's essentials. Dumpsters not only provide a cozy dark place to hide out during the day, they are often filled with a veritable buffet as well. In the spring and summer months mothers may also see them as ideal places to stash their young while out foraging or perhaps snoozing in a nearby location. (We all need a break sometimes).


The likely reason this raccoon has not left yet is due to the fact that it is terrified that the awesome hideout it found turned out not to be so private. Given the tools it would need in the off chance that it was trapped (ie. A board for it to climb out on or a box or other object that it could jump up onto to reach the lid of the dumpster) it will likely leave on its own once the sun sets and everyone goes home, leaving him to feel much safer in making a decision to leave the area.


To ensure a visitor of this variety does not return, or in the case of finding young in a dumpster, try the following:


1. Place a portable radio, on a talk radio station, on the ground near the dumpster before leaving for the evening (the radio can be wrapped in a plastic bag to protect it from the weather).


2. Soak a rag in ammonia and place it in an empty can or yogurt cup. Place this either in the dumpster or just outside of it. Hopefully the scent will fool the raccoon into thinking that a predator has been in the area marking its territory. In a pinch you can try other offensive odors such as mothballs. For maximum effect try purchasing synthetic fox or coyote urine. Make sure you look for the synthetic varieties, as the means of procuring non-synthetic versions are often in-humane. You can find these at garden centers and hunting supply stores.


3. Leave the lids open. If there is a possibility of severe weather try leaving only one side open. The open lids will make the raccoon feel vulnerable and it will be less likely to return to a location that makes it feel that way.


4. IF you feel that the animal is trapped – if the dumpster was recently emptied and they may have fallen in for example – place a stick or pallet in at an angle that they may climb up in order to free themselves. You could also place a box or larger item in the dumpster that the raccoon will be able to climb on top of to leap to freedom.


In the case of young, it may take mom a couple of days to transport them all to a new nest, give her time and respect. If the animal is obviously injured or if you have other concerns, contact our office between 9AM and 5PM seven days a week for guidance.


And while on the topic of raccoons; and paying homage to those few brave blogging rehabilitators who have been at this for a lot longer than us... This is a sad situation, and unfortunately one that is not uncommon for all rehabilitators at some point and in some fashion or another.
http://nywildliferescue.blogspot.com/2009/10/good-bad-ugly.html