raccoons

Stay Alert for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

January 12, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Since it was first introduced into New York State in January 2022, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been documented in captive birds in multiple counties and detected in free-ranging wild birds and mammals throughout the state.

Wild bird mortalities from HPAI increase in late fall and peak over the winter months, then typically decrease in the late spring and summer months. At this point, it is widespread in wild birds and even suspected to be present in counties where it has not yet been detected. [Read more…] about Stay Alert for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Reduce Your Risk of Rabies Infection

August 15, 2025 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

As warm weather encourages more outdoor activities, encounters with wildlife increase. Wild animals can potentially carry diseases such as rabies.

Though most wild animals are healthy, people should be aware that some wild animals can carry rabies, which is most commonly seen in bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Any mammal can be infected with rabies, including unvaccinated household pets and feral cats. [Read more…] about Reduce Your Risk of Rabies Infection

Vernal Pools: Nursery for Amphibians, Buffet for Predators

April 11, 2025 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

When the winter snow melts and the spring rain begins, vernal pools appear on the landscape. These ephemeral wetlands form in depressions in forests or ridge lines and offer essential breeding habitat to amphibians and invertebrates, including wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp.

Because vernal pools dry up in high summer and are disconnected from other waterways, fish cannot survive in them – making them uniquely attractive to many amphibian and invertebrate species. [Read more…] about Vernal Pools: Nursery for Amphibians, Buffet for Predators

Tree Cavities: Prime Real Estate for Wildlife

March 14, 2025 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Tree cavities are a precious commodity for wildlife. It has been estimated that about one-fourth of northeastern forest wildlife species need trees with cavities.

Some cavities are excavated by birds while others are created by decay and broken branches. Trees with cavities are used by wildlife for nesting and raising young, protection from predators, a place to store food, hibernation, and roosting. [Read more…] about Tree Cavities: Prime Real Estate for Wildlife

Rogue Wildlife Rehabber on Long Island Facing Charges

April 16, 2024 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In early March, NYS Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Zach Kochanowski and DEC Wildlife Biologist Chip Hamilton received a report about a wildlife rehabilitator unlawfully accepting raccoons at her home in Merrick in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, on Long Island. [Read more…] about Rogue Wildlife Rehabber on Long Island Facing Charges

State Legislature Passes Bill Banning Wildlife Killing Contests

June 22, 2023 by Editorial Staff 3 Comments

On June 21, 2023, the New York State Assembly passed legislation carried by Deborah Glick, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Conservation to ban wildlife killing contests in New York State. This bill was passed by the State Senate in early June, carried by Senator Timothy Kennedy. If the legislation is signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul as expected, New York State will become the ninth state to ban wildlife killing contests. [Read more…] about State Legislature Passes Bill Banning Wildlife Killing Contests

Paddling Freshwater Marshes: Wildlife Mosaics

September 25, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Sunlight glinted off the water as we paddled our canoe along a winding channel which led through a freshwater marsh of tall grasses and wild rice. Two white, long-legged birds – great egrets – stalked the shallow water, poised to spear fish with their pointed bills.

A bald eagle landed in a tree, squawking as it joined its mate. After four miles of canoeing down the Missisquoi River in northwestern Vermont we had reached the point where the river enters Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Paddling Freshwater Marshes: Wildlife Mosaics

Old Trees Play A Unique And Essential Role

March 18, 2022 by Paul Hetzler Leave a Comment

Typically, “tree aging” is done by counting annual growth rings, either on a stump or on a sample core taken by a special tool. But the phrase can also refer to veteranization, a process whereby trees are prematurely aged through targeted injury and stress in order to create specialized habitats. It’s much like the ageing of parents, a treatment administered by one’s children to produce worry lines, grey hairs, and character. [Read more…] about Old Trees Play A Unique And Essential Role

New York’s Raccoons in Spring

May 9, 2021 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Often, during my forays into the woods behind our house, I wonder who might be occupying the holes carved into tree trunks by time and nature.

The barred owls I hear hoo-hoo-hoo-hooing, maybe, or the chittering red squirrels. And, chances are, there are raccoons in some of those hollows, high above the ground. [Read more…] about New York’s Raccoons in Spring

The Hidden Life in Hollow Trees

November 22, 2020 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

I can’t seem to pass a hollow tree without stopping to snoop. If there is a cavity within reach, an investigation is in order. Wear and tear around a hole, evidence of food items on the ground, or simply sounds from within tell of the tenants inside. One of my favorite tricks is to power up my camera, flash on, and poke it inside a tree cavity for a quick snap. My most memorable and rewarding discovery came while lying on my stomach at the hollow base of a huge, dead maple. [Read more…] about The Hidden Life in Hollow Trees

Raccoons Seized From Manhattan Apartment

May 17, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

NYS Environmental Conservation Officers Alexander Shea and Brendan Dickson reported that they responded to a complaint about raccoon cubs being kept in an apartment in Manhattan on April 29th.

When the ECOs arrived at the address, the officers say they spoke with a couple possessing the raccoons. The couple alleged the raccoons were dropped off at their doorstep. [Read more…] about Raccoons Seized From Manhattan Apartment

Remember Adirondack Dumps? And the Bears?

December 17, 2019 by Lawrence P. Gooley 6 Comments

Remember that long-ago weekly ritual, the trip to the dump with Dad? I’m talking about the 1960s, and maybe in some cases the 1970s. If you’re not old enough to look back that far, you’ll be amazed (appalled) to see how trash, garbage, and another-man’s-treasures were disposed of by most folks.

It was a part of small-town life that we can now look back on and be thankful it has largely vanished. From a child’s perspective, the dump was a mysterious and somewhat scary place that you couldn’t wait to visit, and soon enough couldn’t wait to leave. [Read more…] about Remember Adirondack Dumps? And the Bears?

Dump Day: A Little Garbage History

August 4, 2014 by Lawrence P. Gooley 1 Comment

Here’s an unusual item that’s part of just about everyone’s personal history if you’re 50 or older. Remember that long-ago weekly ritual, the trip to the dump with Dad? I’m talking about the 1960s, and maybe in some cases the 1970s. If you’re not old enough to look back that far, you’ll be amazed (appalled) at how trash, garbage, and another-man’s-treasures were disposed of by most folks. It was a part of small-town life that we can now be thankful has largely vanished. From a child’s perspective, the dump was a mysterious and somewhat scary place that you couldn’t wait to visit, and soon enough couldn’t wait to leave. [Read more…] about Dump Day: A Little Garbage History

raccoons

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