Winter Backyard Guests: The Nocturnal Neighbors Who Come Alive When the Temperature Drops

As winter settles over Ohio and the nights grow longer, you may notice more movement in your backyard than you expect. The cold season doesn’t quiet wildlife — it simply reshapes their routines. Creatures who spend warm months hidden in forests, fields, and tree hollows begin venturing closer to our homes in search of food, shelter, and safe places to wait out the frost.

Winter invites a whole cast of quiet visitors, each with their own rhythms and secrets. And if you keep an eye out — especially in the early evening — you may spot a few of these familiar neighbors making their rounds.

Raccoons: The Clever Night Wanderers

Raccoons don’t hibernate, but they do slow down. During especially cold spells, they may hole up in dens for days at a time. But on milder nights, they reemerge — whiskers dusted with snow — to forage for whatever food winter still offers.

They are curious, intelligent, and infinitely resourceful. And this week, one particular raccoon reminded the whole nation just how creative they can be.

A Very Unexpected Winter Adventure

Photo courtesy of the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter.

You may have seen the now-viral story: a raccoon in Ashland, Virginia, who somehow managed to break into a liquor store through the ceiling — yes, the ceiling — before helping himself to rum, vodka, moonshine, eggnog, and even peanut butter whiskey.

(If nothing else, the little guy has range.)

The raccoon was eventually found sleeping it off on the bathroom floor, safely retrieved by animal control, and released from the "drunk tank" once he recovered from his accidental holiday hangover. The story charmed the country because it felt like a moment straight out of a winter comedy — a reminder that wildlife often has its own unscripted sense of humor.

Photo courtesy of the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter.

It also highlights just how bold and adaptable raccoons can be when they’re hungry and inquisitive… though we certainly hope the rest of our Ohio raccoons stick to water dishes and the occasional trash bin.

But while that raccoon’s midnight misadventure made national news, most winter wildlife interactions are far quieter and far closer to home. Not every backyard guest is planning a surprise visit to a liquor store. Many are simply trying to survive the season with dignity, warmth, and as little chaos as possible.

A Season of Quiet (or Maybe Not-So-Quiet) Visitors

Let’s take a look at the other winter neighbors you might see stepping softly across the snow.

Foxes: The Silent, Snow-Dusted Shadows

Red foxes and gray foxes stay active all winter, padding gracefully through snowdrifts in search of mice, voles, and other small prey. Winter is also the beginning of their breeding season, which means you might hear their eerie, high-pitched calls echoing on quiet nights — a completely normal part of their winter communication.

Foxes tend to avoid people, but you may glimpse one crossing a field at dusk, tail trailing like a brushstroke against the snow.

Skunks and Opossums: Winter’s Slow-Motion Foragers

Skunks and opossums do not hibernate, but they do conserve energy by sleeping for long stretches during cold spells. On warmer winter nights, they venture out again, shuffling sleepily along fence lines and beneath feeders.

Opossums, who lack thick fur, struggle more in the cold — their ears and tails are particularly vulnerable. Leaving brush piles or sheltered corners in your yard can help give them a small break from winter’s bite.

Owls: Silent Masters of the Season

Winter is one of the best times to spot (or hear) owls. With bare trees and early sunsets, great horned owls, barred owls, and screech owls become easier to notice. Winter marks the beginning of their nesting season, meaning their calls carry beautifully across frozen fields and snow-covered neighborhoods.

If you hear a soft “hoo-hoo,” consider it one of winter’s most magical sounds.

Why You’re Seeing More Wildlife Right Now

Winter reduces natural food sources. Many animals expand their territories, explore neighborhoods, or follow scent trails to bird feeders, compost piles, and sheltered backyard corners.

This doesn’t mean they’re becoming bold — just hungry, determined, and doing their best to survive the season.

How to Be a Kind Neighbor to Winter Wildlife

Here are a few tips to keeping the peace with our wildlife neighbors.

• Secure trash to prevent accidental ingestion

• Avoid feeding wildlife, which disrupts natural behavior

• Offer water sources that aren’t frozen

• Leave natural shelter like brush piles

• Bring in pet food at night

• Observe from a distance, especially if animals seem sluggish

And if you ever find a raccoon passed out in your bathroom? Call someone with gloves — and maybe keep the whiskey stored a little higher.