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Mornin’ to everyone airing out their piggies after learning yes, you can drive without shoes in Wisconsin. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly, the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

This week’s weekly:

🐺 Turning taxidermied animals into robotic, poacher-catching machines

🌲 Tree huggers? How about tree listeners (in the name of conservation)

💰 Democrats put forth bill to re-authorize land purchase program

🚢 STORY OF THE WEEK: 183-year-old lost shipwreck discovered in Door County

🐺 Turning taxidermied animals into robotic, poacher-catching machines LINK

• Brian Wolslegel of Mosinee runs Custom Robotic Wildlife, Inc., building lifelike, remote-controlled taxidermy decoys—deer, elk, moose, and more—to help wardens catch poachers in targeted sting operations.

• Outfitted with moving heads, legs, and even heat signatures, the decoys are designed to fool hunters using spotlights or thermal scopes, and have proven cost-effective—one $2,000 deer decoy helped generate $30,000 in fines over 10 years.

• Beyond law enforcement, Wolslegel’s creations have also been used in TV shows and movies, with future designs including thermal “heat deer” and even steam-breathing mounts to stay ahead in the cat-and-mouse game with poachers.

🌲Tree huggers? How about tree listeners (in the name of conservation) LINK

• UW–Madison researchers are using bioacoustics in the Baraboo Hills, with 24/7 forest microphones capturing over 50,000 hours of sound in a year to study biodiversity and long-term forest health.

• By analyzing these massive audio datasets with machine learning, scientists can identify bird species, measure ecological complexity, and evaluate how land management practices like prescribed burns support wildlife.

• The Soundscape Baselines Project spans six global sites, and researchers hope its recordings will provide a valuable baseline for future conservation, tracking shifts in species, migration, and the impacts of warming temperatures.

💰 Democrats put forth bill to re-authorize land purchase program LINK

• Wisconsin Democrats introduced a bill to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program at $72 million annually for six years, more than doubling its current funding as it nears expiration in 2026.

• The proposal would create a 17-member oversight board—including representatives from lawmakers, tribes, conservation groups, and the public—to approve or deny large projects, aiming to avoid partisan gridlock in the Legislature.

• Republicans have put forward a competing plan with lower funding and more legislative control; the debate follows years of blocked conservation projects, lawsuits, and a state Supreme Court ruling limiting GOP veto power over stewardship funds.

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WISCAMPSIN WEEKLY POLL

Last week's poll may have been a little too easy… 85% of you got it right: Foxfire Glow is a rare nocturnal natural phenomenon that can sometimes be seen in August, caused by bioluminescent fungi on decaying wood.

A review from the trail… Smarty pants