Illinois Animals

At Thanksgiving time, it's about the foods you should and shouldn't allow your pet to eat, but then at Christmastime you also have to consider not only the foods to avoid but the holiday plants, too. Here are the ones to keep away from the four-legged family members in your house.

If a wild turkey in Illinois tries coming after you, here are some steps to defend yourself against the aggressive bird.

A woman in Illinois recently had her very own Griswold moment when she had to call the local police about a unique home intruder.

After my son and I witnessed a "near-collision" between a car and a deer running across Route 2 last weekend, I began wondering what the odds are of a encounter between a deer and a person driving here in Illinois. Now that I know, I don't feel that much better.

We've all seen amorous humans do some really stupid things in the interests of romance, but it's rare that you see human speed-dating get ruined by a fast-moving pickup truck. That's not the case with Illinois' population of white-tailed deer, who will be looking for love in all the wrong places from now through December.

Just because you've rarely if ever seen one doesn't mean that they're not around. The state of Illinois has 102 counties, and bobcats have been reported in all but three counties. So, how many does Illinois have? The number will probably surprise you.

My daughter Molly, a true dog-lover if ever there were one, recently told me that her ideal home would have lots and lots and lots of dogs running around. When I asked what lots and lots and lots meant, she replied "whatever the legal limit is." Since I had no idea about legal limits on dogs, I decided to check into it.

If you've spent any time outside during the late night or early morning hours, you've probably noticed that there's a sound that's perfect for Halloween-time: the eerie hooting of an owl or owls. Here's why Illinois' owls are making themselves heard in the month of October.

Over the next 30 days or so, you and your pets are more likely to get a blast of spray from a skunk that at any other time of the year in Illinois. Here's why Illinois' skunks are going to be out and around...and possibly kind of cranky.

Lots of different things are currently heading south, or about to take off on their fall journeys out of Illinois. You've got hummingbirds, geese, and assorted other birds taking flight south, and tens of thousands of monarch butterflies are heading out of here, too.