The raccoon is a small game animal found in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is home to a wide array of wild game species. Hunters have many choices about what types of animals to pursue. Different areas of Wisconsin offer different game species throughout the year. It's important to follow hunting laws, obtain permits and licenses as required, and adhere to any established hunting limits.
Sharp-Tailed Grouse
The sharp-tailed grouse is a game bird in Wisconsin that hunters must acquire a special permit to hunt. The sharp-tailed grouse, according to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds," closely resembles a female pheasant, growing as long as 20 inches. In Wisconsin, the sharp-tailed grouse occurs in grasslands and scrub forests. The sharp-tailed grouse season in Wisconsin typically is short, covering the end of October into the beginning of November.
Black Bear
Wisconsin is home to what the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website calls a "thriving" black bear population, with estimates between 26,000 and 40,000 bears as of 2009. The black bear occurs mostly in the upper portions of the state, but the southern region of Wisconsin also contains some black bears. The black bear can weigh as much as 600 pounds, and adults can reach lengths of up to 6 feet. Wisconsin has strict regulations in place regarding the hunting of black bear; it is illegal to kill a black bear cub or an adult with cubs.
Snowshoe Hare
The snowshoe hare is so abundant in Wisconsin that the state does not place a limit on the number a hunter may take each day. The state allows open season on the snowshoe hare year round. The "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mammals" notes that the snowshoe hare, also called a varying hare, changes its coloration to match its surroundings depending on the season. In the winter, this small game animal has white fur, but by summer, the snowshoe hare is a dark shade of brown.
Fox Squirrel
The season for hunting the fox squirrel in Wisconsin runs from the middle of September through the end of January. The fox squirrel is the largest of the tree squirrels in North America, and it is most active during the morning hours and the late afternoon. This squirrel inhabits oak and hickory forests as they search for nuts to eat. Wisconsin regulations allow hunters to take as many as five fox squirrels per day.
Raccoon
Raccoon hunting in Wisconsin allows residents to get a head start on non-resident hunters by allowing them to hunt two weeks prior to the beginning of the non-resident season for this game species. Raccoons are nocturnal creatures that make their dens in trees and rocky outcroppings throughout the woodlands and wetlands of Wisconsin. The raccoon is one of only three game animals in Wisconsin that you may hunt at night during their open season (the coyote and the fox are the other two).
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