View the featured photos and top entries in National Wildlife’s monthly caption contests

EVERY YEAR the editors of National Wildlife select unusual or funny images from our annual photography competition to feature in our monthly caption contests. We then invite readers to write captions for the photos. Here are the caption contest winners and runners-up, along with the images that inspired them.

April 2012

WINNER

“Come on, Bud. Get off that cell phone and let's play!”
—Elaine J. Kelly, Brick, New Jersey

 

RUNNERS-UP

“Dancing with the Stars didn't look THAT hard.
— Jennifer Bjerke-Mickle, Cheyenne, Wyoming

"It's not that hard, dude. You put your left foot in; you take your left foot out. It’s the LEFT foot!”
— Beth Rodgers, Elm Grove, Wisconsin

"You seriously need to cut down on the kung-fu movies."
— Kurt Tonjes, Lindenhurst, New York

 

March 2012

WINNER

"I'm supposed to walk on these?"
— Gary O'Daniels, Creston, Iowa

 

RUNNERS-UP

"I can't seem to get off my butt."
— Doreen Montis, Great Falls, Virginia

"Aww, Man! I can't believe I just sat in that."
— Kurt Tonjes, Lindenhurst, New York

 

February 2012

WINNER

"OK, what happened last night? I don't remember a thing after the fourth Twinkie."
— Kurt Tonjes, Lindenhurst, New York

 

RUNNERS-UP

"Coming out isn't the same as going in."
— Deb Buchanan, Liberty, Missouri

"That was way too close! That'll be the last time I sneak through the back door of a restaurant."
— Lisa Hardy, Granbury, Texas

"I didn't think I ate that much while I was in there."
— Paula Pruessner, New Haven, Missouri

"All this for one french fry!"
— Tammy Smith, Orange, Texas

"Pardon me, but would you have any Grey Poupon?"
— Josh Velten, Whitesboro, Texas

"Help, Ma! The dumpster truck is coming!"
— Dian Wood, Sauble Beach, Ontario

 

January 2012

WINNER

"Why walk when you can slide!"
— Jason Ralston, Salt Lake City, Utah

 

RUNNERS-UP

"Penguin number two! You are cleared for takeoff!"
— Barbara Allibone, Bound Brook, New Jersey

"Mom said I can't play for 15 minutes. I'm in a timeout."
— Sue Detwiler, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Guys, are you sure this is safe?" "C'mon, Randy, it's fun!"
— Peter Funk, Levittown, Pennsylvania

"Hey, there's no chair lift to get you guys back up here!"
— Robert Kerchen, Metamora, Michigan

"I'll wait here; just bring me some fish."
— Nancy Olney, Tucson, Arizona

"Seriously, Mom and Dad? How embarrassing."
— Diana Schneider, Acworth, Georgia

 

December 2011

WINNER

"That last cup of eggnog was a mistake."
— Rachel Warren-Stauffer, Deerfield Beach, Florida

 

RUNNERS-UP

"Aspirin. I need aspirin. These office Christmas parties are killers!"
— Gina Baratono, Suring, Wisconsin

"Hand me a Coke and then I’ll smile."
— Jeri Hassell, Gainesville, Texas

"Geez, can someone turn that heat down?"
— Elaine J. Kelly, Brick, New Jersey

"Yes, officer, I can touch my nose with my eyes closed. Oh, you meant while standing up?"
— William Newman, Chicago, Illinois

"It's morning already? Just let me sleep a little bit longer!"
— Jennifer Phillips, Angola, Indiana

"Look―in the sky! It's a bird…it's a plane…no, it's Santa Claus!"
— Ray Swart, Georgetown, Kentucky

"Whew, I'm getting too old for this. Those darn seals are getting faster and faster every year."
— Linda Wild, Maryland Heights, Missouri

 

November 2011

WINNER

"You know, I'm beginning to think we're adopted."
— Katelin Mathews, Margate, Florida

 

RUNNERS-UP

"Of all the holes in all the trees in all the forest, she hops into mine."
— Rob Goldberg, Fayetteville, New York

Mr. Frog hired the bodyguard after a close encounter with a chef.
— Will Newman, Chicago, Illinois

"I've had a frog in my throat but never on my head!"
— Sarina Shore, Mayfield, Kansas

"Baby, please don't go. We can work out our differences."
— Meera Sulaiman, Toronto, Ontario

"I think we're safe now; where's the nearest pond?"
— Brad Wakeman, Grafton, Ohio

 

October 2011

WINNER

"Are you sure this isn't considered breaking and entering?"
— Donna Naseef, West Chester, Pennsylvania

 

RUNNERS-UP

"Two longneck beers over here."
— Jason Dubas, Palatine, Illinois

"Whoa! Did you see the bearskin rug? We’re out of here!"
— Kate Lee, Somers Point, New Jersey

"The brochure said this place was animal friendly!"
— Sarah Madison, San Francisco, California

"I don't know, honey. I think we need something bigger."
— John Perry, Delran, New Jersey

Bring the great outdoors inside your home!
— Paula Sanson, Decherd, Tennessee

"It's nice enough, but it looked so much bigger when we booked online!"
— Heidi Smith, New York, New York

 

September 2011

WINNER

"Sorry, that word kinda slipped out."
— Rob Falconer, Lakeland, Florida

 

RUNNERS-UP

"Oops! Too loud. I hope I don't get into trouble!"
— Sharon Burgess, Lexington, Kentucky

Speak No Evil posed for pictures while Hear No Evil and See No Evil went for coffee.
— Doug Croft, San Jose, California

"How humiliating! They're all pointing at me because I burped."
— Susan Detwiler, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Oh, no, Tarzan fell off his tree again!"
— Charlotte Francis, Danville, Virginia

"I can't believe I ate all of it!"
— L’Tanya Segal, Chicago, Illinois

"Oh, man, this is the last time I have spicy buffalo wings for lunch!"
— Rita Simpson

"Oooooo, I'm telling Mom you said a bad word."
— Maria Tinoco, La Crescenta, California

"Must...resist...temptation...to...howl!"
— Elizabeth Turner, Charleston, West Virginia

 

August 2011

WINNER

"When I told the birds to make themselves at home, this is not really what I had in mind."
— Jenny Cromie, Clio, Michigan

 

RUNNERS-UP

"If I stand really still, no one will see me."
— Heather Clark, Pasadena, Maryland

"What am I gonna do when they lay the eggs?"
— Brent Cogswell, Columbia, Maryland

"She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!"
— Manuel David, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Separated at birth from the Donald.
— David Ege, Englewood, Florida

ATTENTION, BIRDS: Mobile home for rent. Off-road capabilities. Complete with his and her perches.
— Lisa Langell, Scottsdale, Arizona

"What!? The Royal Wedding is over?"
— Kathy Nielsen, Plaistow, New Hampshire

"What do you mean it's too late for an Easter bonnet?"
— Paula Pruessner, New Haven, Missouri

"I get better reception this way."
— Rita Simpson, St. Johns, Michigan

 

July 2011

WINNER

"I'll never play with Superglue again."
— Bruce Squiers, Salem, New York

 

RUNNERS-UP

"Oh! These abs exercises are boring me! What if I change to yoga?"
— Laura Bover, Pearland, Texas

"Today I don't feel like doing anything!"
— Tina Cox, Jordan, New York

"...and this little piggy had a nap."
— George Goertzen, Toronto, Ontario

"This body just ain’t like it used to be. I know what you're thinking―I'm such a panzee!"
— Lisa Hardy, Granbury, Texas

This year's winner of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” shows what a right angle is.
— David Rogers, Waldorf, Maryland

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Don't worry― I'll hold it with my feet!"
— Sudhir Sharma, Stormville, New York

 

June 2011

WINNER

"Righty tighty, lefty loosey..."
— Patrick Butler, Dania Beach, Florida

 

RUNNERS-UP

Having reached the pinnacle, Billy wondered, "Is this all there is?"
— Doug Croft, San Jose, California

"Where's the twenty bucks you promised if I made it to the top?”
— Amy Friedman, Manlius, New York

"Well, I’m up here. Now what?”
— Jeri Martin, Blacksburg, Virginia

"Has that cat gone yet? I can't stay here much longer―my legs have a cramp.”
— Susan Mcknight, Belfast, Northern Ireland

"My whole life, I told my parents, ‘Iguana be an astronaut.’"
— Will Newman, Chicago, Illinois

"Great! Now how am I gonna get back down?”
— Rochelle Norelli, Belton, Texas

"Ha! Now I can ride like Harry Potter!"
— Mariah Stone, Caledonia, Minnesota

 

May 2011

WINNER

"I do solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
— Doug Croft, San Jose, California

 

RUNNERS-UP

"We praise thee, O Sun!"
— Glenda DeBekker, Canon City, Colorado

Every morning, Pete and Dave do a series of yoga poses before their morning forage.
— Dawn DeClark, Rochester, Michigan

"Uh, waiter?… WAITER!!"
— Barbara Gallagher, Greencastle, Pennsylvania

Prairie Yoga―Join now! AM classes are for the dogs; PM classes are for night owls.
— Lisa Hardy, Granbury, Texas

"STOP in the name of love…."
— Alyssa Maki, Gainesville, Florida
— Leslie Rothermal, East Windsor, New Jersey

"Everybody was Kung Fu fighting...."
— Tina Schell, Kiawah, South Carolina

"Bye, E.T.! Don’t forget to phone."
— Rita Simpson, St. Johns, Michigan

The Cynomys sisters compete for the title of Synchronized Prairie Swimming.
— Tracy Szela, West St. Paul, Minnesota

 

April 2011

WINNER

"Half an inch taller than last month!"
— Kris Nylaan, Grand Rapids, Michigan

 

RUNNERS UP

"Tweet all you like; I'm sticking with a land line."
— John Breckenridge, Apple Valley, California

"I hope this is what my yoga instructor meant when she said to stand in tree pose!"
— Jessica Houseman, Enola, Pennsylvania

Trying to stay fit with the newest craze to hit the forest ― Grizzly Pole Dance Routines.
— Alyssa Maki, Gainesville, Florida

"…98, 99, 100. Ready or not, here I come!"
— Ethel Thomas, Purcellville, Virginia

"That cloud looks just like a pic-a-nic basket!"
— Scott Thomas, Springfield, Ohio

 

March 2011

WINNER

"OK, so I got a little carried away with the blow dryer this morning."
— Kathy Bakken, Everett, Washington

 

RUNNERS-UP

"I read in Elle that teased hair is back in."
— Gay Burkhart, Zionsville, Indiana

"Let's ride that roller coaster again!"
— Will Newman, Chicago, Illinois

"Awww shucks, I always blush when you tell me that my hair looks pretty!"
— Stacy Reyes, Sacramento, California

"Hurry up and take the picture! I can't hold this pose forever!"
— Jill Shurden, Olive Branch, Mississippi

 

February 2011

WINNER

“Working hard on his finger-grip skills, Bart hopes to impress the ladies with this move.”
—Alyssa Maki, Gainesville, Florida

 

RUNNERS-UP

“This is a heck of a way to get your nails to dry!”
—Debbie Caponigro, Astoria, Oregon

“Free-climbing is not for the faint of heart.”
—Doug Croft, San Jose, California

“Whew! I used to be able to do 200 pull-ups. Better lay off the carbs.”
—Sue Detwiler, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“Poison only gets you so far....”
—Jodi Grace, Flushing, New York

“Hang in there; Friday's coming!”
—Pam Preskenis, Knoxville, Tennessee

“In training for the Poison Dart Frog Olympics.”
—Carol Sadler, Sautee-Nacoochee, Georgia

“Maybe if I stay really still, Microsoft will feature me as their Windows desktop background!”
—Nandita Sampath, Redmond, Washington

 

January 2011

WINNER:

“But your Facebook profile says you are vegetarian!”
—Nandita Sampath, Redmond, Washington

 

RUNNERS-UP:

“No! No! No! You put your RIGHT foot in first!”
—Judy Fish, Westerly, Rhode Island

“Put me in, coach, pleassssse!!”
—Tammy Gepfer, Coudersport, Pennsylvania

“Who are you calling short, Fuzzy?”
—Robbin Hair, Bradenton, Florida

“I'll have you know I'm a master in Kung Shrew!”
—Cody Hatley, Willow, Alaska

“Put that paw down. The last high-five you gave me knocked me out for a week.”
—Will Newman, Chicago, Illinois