NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDLIFE JOURNAL: Nature in the North

Today we welcome the New Hampshire Wildlife Journal to the newsstand. Published by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in Concord, it's a wonderful guide to nature in the state. We're leafing through the new January-February issue, which has a suitably wintry theme. You'll find an enjoyable article on ice fishing (cleverly titled "Walking on Water") that offers all sorts of pointers on how to make a day on the ice safe and fun for the whole family. There's a profile of the industrious beaver, with a nice description in words and pictures of the animal's advanced engineering skills. You'll also get stuck on an article about the porcupine, a basically solitary night creature that you don't want to get too friendly with. Author Judy Silverberg explains that the porcupine doesn't throw its quills, which are actually strong, hollow hairs covered with tiny barbules. The quills are quite loose, and the animal uses its tail like a club to hammer them into the victim. The porcupine's mating rituals are pretty kinky—and I'll bet you didn't know that a baby porcupine is called a "porcupette"! This issue also provides advice on picking the right kind of snowshoe: the heavier you are, the bigger snowshoe you'll need. The New Hampshire Wildlife Journal is one of quite a number of ad-free state wildlife publications that are available at low cost because they're subsidized by taxpayers. You don't have to live in a state to subscribe to its wildlife journal. Take advantage! An annual subscription to the New Hampshire Wildlife Journal (six issues) is $12.00 from the publisher; we'll send you a sample copy for $2.59.