Cold days prime for wildlife viewing

WILDLFIE WATCHING — Todd Klement, who lives in Spokane west of Highway 195, bought himself a pair of snowshoes for Christmas, and this morning was prime time to try them out in 9 inches of fresh powder and 0 degree temperatures.

He didn’t have to go farther than the edge of town to find a national-park-like wildlife watching experience.

Snow and bitter cold have a way of making wildlife more available to our viewing pleasure as the animals congregate in lowlands near food sources.

In a few hours of hiking, Klement saw white-tailed deer, fresh moose tracks, numerous birds and a porcupine.

“I know the porcupine picture is blurry,” he apologized in an e-mail, “but have any of you tried to get a porcupine to stop when he doesn’t want to pose for a picture? Very uncooperative.”