Porcupine in Upstate NY during the fall
Much is written about warning drivers to be on the lookout this time of year for white-tailed deer being on the move and carelessly crossing roads during “the rut,” which is their annual breeding season. Deer aren’t the only critters ending up as road kill because of their breeding behavior. Porcupines also mate this time of year. Prime time for mating porcupines in the Adirondacks is Veteran’s Day through Thanksgiving; and in the Catkills, into December. The slow-traveling males move around to locate as many females in estrus as that they can, and in the process end up crossing roadways and getting run over by passing motor vehicles. Porcupines, found throughout much of Upstate New York, are the country’s second-largest...