The internet can't get enough of these pictures of wild Wisconsin animals. Here's why you can feel good about browsing them.

Beck Andrew Salgado
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Thousands of trail cameras sit in Wisconsin's forests, plains and pastures, silently waiting to capture an image of a passing elk, a curious bobcat or a pack of galloping otters. 

And millions of those images have been compiled for all to see thanks to the Snapshot Wisconsin program set up by the state Department of Natural Resources.

Many are blurry or show only an ear or tail at the edge of the frame. But others reveal playful, anxious and heartwarming scenes — moments that humans rarely see.

The project has devoted fans, and photos from the site have been widely shared on Twitter and Facebook after the New York Times recently covered the project (which Journal Sentinel outdoors columnist Paul A. Smith has covered regularly, including an article introducing it in 2014).

Snapshot Wisconsin has captured millions of wildlife photos in Wisconsin since 2016

The Snapshot program is a “citizen-science project” run by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It works by having volunteers place cameras in pairs, at least a mile apart, across the state. 

To date, tens of millions of photos have been captured by more than 2,000 cameras across Wisconsin, all of which have been set up by volunteers. 

Given that the program is now so widespread, it can capture images in an extensive amount of ecosystems, uncovering vast amounts of wildlife.

Snapshot Wisconsin is primarily funded through Pittman-Robertson dollars provided by the federal government to Wisconsin DNR.

The project has multiple goals, as Smith reported in 2018, including getting more residents involved in wildlife monitoring, improving relationships between the DNR and citizen and assessing the statewide distribution of carnivores.

How to participate in Snapshot Wisconsin with your own trail camera

To participate in the program you need access to 10 acres of land. You must either own the property or have received permission from the landowner or public land manager to place a trail camera there. 

Trail cameras must be at least 100 yards from any buildings, paved roads or baiting for wildlife. The cameras must be checked every three months.

Anyone can classify the animal photos and help Snapshot Wisconsin track wildlife populations

Anyone can visit the Snapshot Wisconsin website to help classify the animals captured in these millions of photographs.

With a few clicks, you can identify whether the animal in a shot is a deer (or a weasel, otter, fox, domestic cat or human, among the dozens of options). Some animals come with follow-up tasks, like determining whether a deer is "vigilant," resting or giving a "camera stare."

The information is used to developing new methods to monitor deer populations and track the population sizes for various species.

And photos of whooping cranes, moose, cougars and marten give the DNR confirmed locations of these rare species.

More:Smith: Snapshot Wisconsin has put 50 million wildlife images in people's hands. Give 'em a look.

Snapshot Wisconsin has become a wholesome place to discuss nature

A white-tailed deer in Wood County licks its nose on a trail cam image captured as part of the Snapshot Wisconsin project.

Part of Snapshot Wisconsin is a forum where people can comment on their favorite photos, share tips on good camera placements and create funny captions for some of the best candids of meandering animals.

Users will tag an especially good photo — one that captures an intense scene, beautiful moment or rare animal — as a "supersnap."

Nature lovers have also congregated to learn and share knowledge, and it's a pretty friendly place.

On one post where people were looking to learn the differences between a wolf and a coyote, a helpful respondent shared a "great wolf and coyote quiz" from Oregon's DNR.

"It not only tests your skill but is also a great teaching tool for those canine characteristics. Enjoy!”

More:Smith: Weather so far has been unkind to traditional winter outdoor activities like ice fishing in Milwaukee area, southern Wisconsin

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