Late winter is time to dream about cubs

 Late winter is time to dream about cubs

Boars continue to snooze in their pseudo-hibernation, alone. But the sows are with their cubs, not so much rest for the weary. If she was pregnant, then a sow would deliver her litter in January.

While January seems like a tough time to give birth, the coziness of the den and the bulk warmth of the sow make it a perfect time. Nursing in a dark and hushed world for several months, the cubs will emerge in the spring with enough strength and vigor to tackle the challenges of the world they enter. Most importantly, the cubs will be strong enough to climb a tree, the second most important piece of protection they have. First, is a ferociously protective mother.

Do I think there are any cubs with "Iowa" on their birth certificates this year? No, but I dream that there are. And for now, that will be enough.