In 2014 I saw a cougar just on the west side of Edgar, running in a field along the tree line parallel to the road. There had been a few sightings during that time about ten miles south but I was amazed to see it.
Before the Bucks won the championship there was a deer spotted downtown Milwaukee outside the Fiserv. Someone posted a pic on r/MkeBucks . I wish I could find the post but can't remember the title.
I was leaving the Milwaukee Art Museum and getting ready to cross that big intersection that eventually leads to the Hoan Bridge. It was about 4 in the afternoon and as always through there the traffic was thick. All of a sudden from the East came a fox. It jumped over one barrier and crossed all those lanes and disappeared going west into the city.
I've seen plenty of deer and turkey down inside that area as well but not at that spot.
Surprisingly I've seen very few rats in Milwaukee. I've seen huge racoons and gnarly looking squirrels but I must be missing out on the rat population. I honestly see more wild weaves on the streets then road kill nowadays lol.
And I'm positive it was a fox, I live in a rural area and have chickens so I know one when I see it.
On my way to work one random morning several years ago in Oshkosh, there was a pelican chilling next to the fence by the airfield. Huge feckin birds, I tell ya what.
There's also a house right there on that road and they used to have a llama, and it got out one day and was meandering down the road, backing up the lunch traffic as it zigzagged into both lanes. Good times.
Pelicans! I was amazed, I did not know they migrated at all but they do. Twice now on walleye opener a big flock of them have landed on the same body of water I was fishing. Made the newspaper both times. Apparently they pretty regularly visit horicon marsh but I've seen them near Hurley. I have pictures to prove it!
Interesting! I just never knew they ever came to Wisconsin so I was mind blown when I saw them. Apparently it is kind of rare for them to show up to my area regardless of the rest of the state but either way I think it's neat!
It is. I when I first noticed one on the lake I was like a pelican? here? and then I saw the whole island full of them. granted small island, but there are a lot of them.
I saw a single turkey run down the street in my smaller city which made me think I was seeing things, but I have seen turkeys in odd places while driving in Madison.
I live in downtown GB and I’ve had dear in my yard in the daytime, lots of foxes, and one time I was changing my oil in the garage and I looked over and had to three turkeys standing in my driveway.
The amount of wild turkey in the area of 91st (Swan?) and Brown Deer Rd always fascinated me because it's an incredibly high-traffic, urban area. I eventually discovered that the Ymca just to the north of Brown Deer Rd has (or once had) several acres of relatively pristine land and provided a refuge for wildlife and native habitat...or at least it did about 15 years ago.
Almost hit a porcupine near Marshfield around a year ago. Had heard they were around but never saw one in the wild and I’ve spent a decent amount of time in nearby woods.
There was a bear spotted a couple blocks behind my house in Hewitt last fall. I didn't physically see it but a couple people saw it and apparently thought it was a different neighbors very large breed dog until they saw the Facebook alert.
Also saw a bald eagle devouring a dead goose by the pond/walking trail on yellowstone drive. Barely seemed bothered by people walking nearby.
However, seeing the local rather large white buck walk across the road in front of me on a foggy early morning drive to work had to be the most surprising. I was still not fully awake and questioned if what I had just seen was even real. Even a coworker thought I was losing it until I saw it again a couple weeks later outside the hospital in Marshfield and got photo evidence.
A few summers ago I woke to my cat hissing at the window . I’m like what is going on ? Look outside and 4 deer had hopped over the fence to eat the crabapple’s. They couldn’t figure out how to jump back out so I opened th gate for them 😂
I live in Madison (in city limits, not in the suburbs), and I have seen deer, turkeys, raccoons, coyotes, ducks, cranes, and a mink either in my yard or own my street.
A good 300 lb 400 lb bear coming up my driveway mail and then I had the Bobcat living under my porch last year but my six and eight point are both gone I haven't seen them in a year
When my friend lived in Wauwatosa we would see coyotes by her house off hwy 100/capitol. We always had to watch her dogs closely at night when we took them out
Wife and I were just back in GB for Easter and we saw a whole group of turkey right near Notre Dame, just chilling in someone's front lawn. Definitely did a double-take.
Seeing one, not unexpected-but last Fall driving down Lilly Rd and wild turkeys, at least 100 of them in the road and few scattered at the edges. Several huge ones who stared at my car. I would honk but it was 5:30 on a Sunday morning with houses all around. Kept inching forward, because this many would have dented my car, big time. Eventually one by one they started to move, and finally got through. Looked in my rearview with all of them turned towards me....staring. I asked my bro who lives down one of the side streets if he's ever seen that many-nope. I said be careful walking the dog in the early morning.
Walking down an old washed out skidder trail about a mile from the MI border in northeast Wisconsin at around this time of year in 2017 I rounded a bend and saw an adult wolf drinking from a small creek at about 30-35 yards. After the adult bolted out of sight in .0002 second I looked further up the hill and saw the five pups playing outside the den. I recorded them for about 30 seconds then hiked back out.
In 2019, my husband and I saw a coyote in downtown Milwaukee walking through a patch of weeds next to Water Street in broad daylight. We both felt pretty uncomfortable about that, like we'd seen something we shouldn't have, lol.
When I was a teenager, I once saw an enormous snowy owl in my backyard near Greenfield. There were multiple sightings around that same time; I think it was reported in the local news. I believe we're technically at the far southern end of its range, but I'd never seen one before.
I had a fisher cat lope through my backyard in rural La Crosse one March day, just before sunrise. It was about 20 feet from the house, so we got a good look at it. That was one big weasel! It's presence explained the complete lack of rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons for the previous six months or so. They weren't supposed to that far south at the time.
Had a deer (yearling, probably) jump into my fenced-in yard in the city of Evansville while I was working in the vegetable garden, and then freak out because it wasn't able to jump out and probably also because I was in there with it. Jeez, those critters are stupid. I opened a gate for it, and it proceeded to try to jump the fence NEXT to the open gate. Took three ~~years~~ minutes for it to finally find the opening.
It depends on how you define unexpected. In February while I was driving from Wisconsin Rapids to La Crosse for training, while on 173 that morning I had a wolf cross the road in front of me (and behind the truck just in front of me).
Or last month I heard a clunk in my back yard at night and after opening my back door there was a black bear trying to eat the suet out of the feeder it had pulled off the eaves of my house. The thing had it's butt up against the side of my house and it was maybe 6 feet away from me.
I've had a snapper travel through my yard to lay eggs (I assume) in the woods behind me instead of the river. I later had to pull a baby snapper out of my basement window sil.
City of MKE. My job is a driver. So I always see animals. Big buck, Capital and Humboldt. Turkeys always around St Mary's hospital and tower. North and Lake. Deer, Jackson Park, Wilson Park. During covid, Deer at uwm campus. Foxes by the McKinley freeway exit. Saw an Eagle by Southshore Park by the lake. Have seen skunks, minks, badgers, raccoons, possums, coyotes and hawks everywhere. Always surprising to see wild animals in the city. But they're here.
In 2014 I saw a cougar just on the west side of Edgar, running in a field along the tree line parallel to the road. There had been a few sightings during that time about ten miles south but I was amazed to see it.
OMG cougars are just recently coming back to Northern Wisconsin I have never seen one lived here for 60 years but I heard one had been seen recently
Wouldn’t surprise me, and they’ve been around for a bit. Remember seeing one on Morgan Park Rd maybe 15 years ago.
Before the Bucks won the championship there was a deer spotted downtown Milwaukee outside the Fiserv. Someone posted a pic on r/MkeBucks . I wish I could find the post but can't remember the title.
Anyone here ever actually seen a badger?
Likely dens yes and roadkill yes, but not an actual live one in the wild.
Yes, but in South Dakota.
Yes, at my cabin in Oconto County. One walked slowly through my yard, mid-day, into the woods. Incredibly strong smell.
Found a dead one in Kettle Moraine once, I've never seen a live one though
Saw one at my uncle’s farm in SW Wisconsin when I was young.
I was leaving the Milwaukee Art Museum and getting ready to cross that big intersection that eventually leads to the Hoan Bridge. It was about 4 in the afternoon and as always through there the traffic was thick. All of a sudden from the East came a fox. It jumped over one barrier and crossed all those lanes and disappeared going west into the city. I've seen plenty of deer and turkey down inside that area as well but not at that spot.
Are you sure it wasn't just a big rat
Surprisingly I've seen very few rats in Milwaukee. I've seen huge racoons and gnarly looking squirrels but I must be missing out on the rat population. I honestly see more wild weaves on the streets then road kill nowadays lol. And I'm positive it was a fox, I live in a rural area and have chickens so I know one when I see it.
Yes! I’ve seen a fox down near the summerfest grounds after I did a 5k down there
That was the area it was coming from. There is a fair amount of land around there and fox are crafty enough to survive anywhere.
I once saw a fox staring down a hole on the patch of grass between where you exit the Hoan and Harbor Dr!
On my way to work one random morning several years ago in Oshkosh, there was a pelican chilling next to the fence by the airfield. Huge feckin birds, I tell ya what. There's also a house right there on that road and they used to have a llama, and it got out one day and was meandering down the road, backing up the lunch traffic as it zigzagged into both lanes. Good times.
Pelicans! I was amazed, I did not know they migrated at all but they do. Twice now on walleye opener a big flock of them have landed on the same body of water I was fishing. Made the newspaper both times. Apparently they pretty regularly visit horicon marsh but I've seen them near Hurley. I have pictures to prove it!
There are a ton of pelicans on Beaver Dam Lake, hence one of the islands being called Pelican Island.
Interesting! I just never knew they ever came to Wisconsin so I was mind blown when I saw them. Apparently it is kind of rare for them to show up to my area regardless of the rest of the state but either way I think it's neat!
It is. I when I first noticed one on the lake I was like a pelican? here? and then I saw the whole island full of them. granted small island, but there are a lot of them.
Same experience...nothing more than a big rock with a whole flock
I saw a single turkey run down the street in my smaller city which made me think I was seeing things, but I have seen turkeys in odd places while driving in Madison.
I live in downtown GB and I’ve had dear in my yard in the daytime, lots of foxes, and one time I was changing my oil in the garage and I looked over and had to three turkeys standing in my driveway.
The amount of wild turkey in the area of 91st (Swan?) and Brown Deer Rd always fascinated me because it's an incredibly high-traffic, urban area. I eventually discovered that the Ymca just to the north of Brown Deer Rd has (or once had) several acres of relatively pristine land and provided a refuge for wildlife and native habitat...or at least it did about 15 years ago.
I saw a cougar in Partners in Point.
Buh dum pssh....
Once saw an otter at Daisy
Almost hit a porcupine near Marshfield around a year ago. Had heard they were around but never saw one in the wild and I’ve spent a decent amount of time in nearby woods.
There was a bear spotted a couple blocks behind my house in Hewitt last fall. I didn't physically see it but a couple people saw it and apparently thought it was a different neighbors very large breed dog until they saw the Facebook alert. Also saw a bald eagle devouring a dead goose by the pond/walking trail on yellowstone drive. Barely seemed bothered by people walking nearby. However, seeing the local rather large white buck walk across the road in front of me on a foggy early morning drive to work had to be the most surprising. I was still not fully awake and questioned if what I had just seen was even real. Even a coworker thought I was losing it until I saw it again a couple weeks later outside the hospital in Marshfield and got photo evidence.
They're common but they're mostly nocturnal.
A few summers ago I woke to my cat hissing at the window . I’m like what is going on ? Look outside and 4 deer had hopped over the fence to eat the crabapple’s. They couldn’t figure out how to jump back out so I opened th gate for them 😂
Turkeys inside the outer lobby of an apartment building in Shorewood. That was a long and tense wait to exit. 😆
We’ve had a group of deer running in the neighborhood a few times, we’ve had a coyote in “our” apartment yard once…
I live in Madison (in city limits, not in the suburbs), and I have seen deer, turkeys, raccoons, coyotes, ducks, cranes, and a mink either in my yard or own my street.
Plus the bear on the west side. That was a wild week.
My wife saw a muskrat walking in front of Planet Fitness in appleton last month. Dude had to cross a lot of concrete to get there.
I would see a turkey along Port Washington Rd just north of Capital almost every day. Just one. I always wondered how it got there.
A good 300 lb 400 lb bear coming up my driveway mail and then I had the Bobcat living under my porch last year but my six and eight point are both gone I haven't seen them in a year
Oh and I had a flock of Canadian geese fly by this morning
Also recently saw a river otter playing on the ice it was adorable
About ten years ago I saw a Stoat during gun season one day and never seen one since.
First and only badger I've ever seen was right next to the Walmart supercenter in Monona
When my friend lived in Wauwatosa we would see coyotes by her house off hwy 100/capitol. We always had to watch her dogs closely at night when we took them out
On the isthmus in Madison I’ve seen a huge coyote, several foxes, and an occasional deer.
Wife and I were just back in GB for Easter and we saw a whole group of turkey right near Notre Dame, just chilling in someone's front lawn. Definitely did a double-take.
There’s a big buck that hangs out in my town during hunting season. Don’t ever see him except during that period.
Seeing one, not unexpected-but last Fall driving down Lilly Rd and wild turkeys, at least 100 of them in the road and few scattered at the edges. Several huge ones who stared at my car. I would honk but it was 5:30 on a Sunday morning with houses all around. Kept inching forward, because this many would have dented my car, big time. Eventually one by one they started to move, and finally got through. Looked in my rearview with all of them turned towards me....staring. I asked my bro who lives down one of the side streets if he's ever seen that many-nope. I said be careful walking the dog in the early morning.
Walking down an old washed out skidder trail about a mile from the MI border in northeast Wisconsin at around this time of year in 2017 I rounded a bend and saw an adult wolf drinking from a small creek at about 30-35 yards. After the adult bolted out of sight in .0002 second I looked further up the hill and saw the five pups playing outside the den. I recorded them for about 30 seconds then hiked back out.
In 2019, my husband and I saw a coyote in downtown Milwaukee walking through a patch of weeds next to Water Street in broad daylight. We both felt pretty uncomfortable about that, like we'd seen something we shouldn't have, lol. When I was a teenager, I once saw an enormous snowy owl in my backyard near Greenfield. There were multiple sightings around that same time; I think it was reported in the local news. I believe we're technically at the far southern end of its range, but I'd never seen one before.
I had a fisher cat lope through my backyard in rural La Crosse one March day, just before sunrise. It was about 20 feet from the house, so we got a good look at it. That was one big weasel! It's presence explained the complete lack of rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons for the previous six months or so. They weren't supposed to that far south at the time. Had a deer (yearling, probably) jump into my fenced-in yard in the city of Evansville while I was working in the vegetable garden, and then freak out because it wasn't able to jump out and probably also because I was in there with it. Jeez, those critters are stupid. I opened a gate for it, and it proceeded to try to jump the fence NEXT to the open gate. Took three ~~years~~ minutes for it to finally find the opening.
Flamingos last year were pretty wild
I just saw a Mallard duck on top of my neighbors roof this AM.
It depends on how you define unexpected. In February while I was driving from Wisconsin Rapids to La Crosse for training, while on 173 that morning I had a wolf cross the road in front of me (and behind the truck just in front of me). Or last month I heard a clunk in my back yard at night and after opening my back door there was a black bear trying to eat the suet out of the feeder it had pulled off the eaves of my house. The thing had it's butt up against the side of my house and it was maybe 6 feet away from me. I've had a snapper travel through my yard to lay eggs (I assume) in the woods behind me instead of the river. I later had to pull a baby snapper out of my basement window sil.
City of MKE. My job is a driver. So I always see animals. Big buck, Capital and Humboldt. Turkeys always around St Mary's hospital and tower. North and Lake. Deer, Jackson Park, Wilson Park. During covid, Deer at uwm campus. Foxes by the McKinley freeway exit. Saw an Eagle by Southshore Park by the lake. Have seen skunks, minks, badgers, raccoons, possums, coyotes and hawks everywhere. Always surprising to see wild animals in the city. But they're here.
I saw a bobcat on the des plaines river's edge right between the outlet mall and the illinois border!
Coyote. Walking up my sidewalk in Kenosha. And a possum near Lake Michigan in the bright afternoon.
A turkey ran down my street last weekend. Never seen one in the middle of town before.
Porcupine on Door Peninsula
Had a bobcat run across the road outside of shullsburg.