Wooly Bear

This is a Wooly Bear Caterpiller that we came across as he crossed the trail that we were on. He is busy foraging before he builds a cocoon and finds a secure place to spend the winter...under a rock or maybe in some tree bark. In the spring he will emerge as a Isabella Tiger Moth.
There is an old story that the more brown that is on a Wooly, the milder the winter. I think that this has been disproven......as my theory that the more acorns, the harder the winter :-)
If you pick up one of these caterpiller, you may have a problem with a rash or burning on sensitive skin. The hairs on the spine are poisonous (or more likely irritating and painful).