Those who stayed over the winter were called "Badgers" and Wisconsin was called the Badger State.

Where is the Badger State?

As early as the 1840s, Wisconsin was already embracing its new identity as the “Badger State” and it quickly became a symbol of state pride. The University of Wisconsin-Madison adopted the ground dwelling critter as its mascot in the 1880s.

How did Wisconsin get called the Badger State?

Some miners found shelter in the holes they had dug, and earned the nickname "badgers", leading to Wisconsin's identity as the "Badger State".