bout with porcupine

[3dvapor]

Last morning of our four day trip.  I was working some very very thick cattails getting a lot of quail in singles, doubles and triples out of when my dog seemed very excited to get into a pushed up wall of cattails.  She was having trouble getting into the frozen wall so i pryed apart a small opening in the top portion and shoved her in thinking it was more quail or a pheasant.  This was what I got back.  I felt terrible I kept telling her to getem thinking it was birds holdin tight.  This was my fourth time dealing with this with my setters and 2nd time with ava my drahthaar.  I honestly didnt know what to do so I cleared them around her eyes first and after a half hour realized it was hopeless without a vet.  They were too thick in her mouth and she was pressing them into her roof and cheeks further everytime she opened her mouth.  It looked like a flower blooming.  Luckily I was able to carry her out and get her to a vet fairly quickly.  Years ago I had to use my teeth when I was younger and less prepared with my setter.  These days I try to have a leatherman and dog bag in the truck with basic first aid items.  Great weekend with dogs and friends and thankfully ava seems ok.  Fingers crossed.

[carpsniperg2]

Can't stand them and love shooting them. I have pulled quills out of to many cows and dogs. Plus they are really hard on all of our restoration projects.

[3dvapor]

Here we are after I pulled what I could out.

[sled]

  My God!   Poor Dog!

[Greenhorn]

I hate porcupines, my dog has been into them 4 times.   However just filled a porky tag today!

[carpsniperg2]

I need to get that way and thin them down again for you greenhorn

[Bmcox86]

That's one of my worst nightmares for my setter, that and going off a cliff Chuckar hunting

Glad he's ok

[lokidog]

Poky tastes a lot like rabbit.   

3dvap, are you sure you weren't hunting with a walrus?     Poor puppy.

I sent my dog into a really thick spot when I was a kid, the dog didn't want to go in but I told him to, he came out with his face to the ground smelling like a skunk.  I felt pretty bad about that.

[Stilly bay]

POOR DOG!

[bowhunterforever]

Dang she got a mouth full

[AspenBud]

German dogs love porkies.

[Heredoggydoggy]

My Setter went down into a thicket and I heard a "yipe!" and she came out with quills in her nose.  Not nearly as many as the dog in the picture.  I think she went up to it to see what it was and got whapped.  I sat her on the tailgate and pulled out the quills, and I don't think she ever went near a porky again!  Some dogs learn, and others get mad and keep going back for more....

[pianoman9701]

Happened to one of ours years ago. Horrible to be part of.

[AspenBud]

I hate porcupines, my dog has been into them 4 times.   However just filled a porky tag today!

Make sure you guys bury them when you shoot them. Nothing worse than being out hunting only to find your dog rolling on a dead one.

[jackson7]

I did the same thing when my dog was younger. not quite as bad and managed to pull them out with a leatherman. luckily a friend was with me and could hold her still. She was hunting 20 minutes later as if nothing happened. funny thing was later that afternoon I had the same scenario under a brush pile. as I walked up could see the porcupine and she is ready to go again. I pulled her away and walked a ways away before I released her.
I don't shoot them but have friends that do.

[Gringo31]

It's amazing where you will find those things...

I've killed 3 in the last 2 months, one I only had a flashlight with me 

[Greenhorn]

I need to get that way and thin them down again for you greenhorn

They are pretty hit or miss around here, I usually know when they are around because the dog comes back with a face full of quills.

[JJD]

Ouch !

[andersonjk4]

German dogs love porkies.

 

My GSP has gotten into them 3 times.  You'd think he'd learn.  The first time I saw one while hunting we shot it and thought I would do some avoidance training with him.  You know, just let him sniff it get a few quills in his nose and use the shock collar to re-enforce they are bad.  Well there wasn't any sniffing involved when I brought him close to it.... he just dove right on top of it.  Luckily he only got a few in his mouth.  We pulled them out and went on bird hunting.  I thought that it might do the trick and maybe he would think twice the next time.  Well the next time we found one in the cattails like the OP, but he was pointing it.  But it wasn't a solid point he was definitely on something but kept adjusting his stance, kind of fidgeting.  I figured the pheasant had run on him so I went to go check it out and as soon as I started parting the brush he pounced and luckily again I was right there and he only got one bite.  I have caught him two more times now doing the porcupine point.  Every time he is out of my sight in thick stuff and I hear him bark (he barks at deer when he jumps them) it makes me nervous that he is fighting a porky.   

[Don Fischer]

I had a male shorthair years ago the was bent on getting even after he got the first quills. But his mother, also my dog, would point them and never jumped in on them. never had a quill in her until, you knew that was coming, I was out with a friend. His male shorthair, father of my Hannah, hated the things. He'd point them and if jack got there quick enough, he'd let Jack collar him and kill the porcupine. Well this time dollar pointer the thing, jack got there and collared dollar. Shot the porcupine and the d*mn thing rolled down hill and hit Hannah right in the chest, she was backing her old man! Jack see's it coming and let go of dollars collar and yell's, Oh no! At the same time slapping his forhead with the now empty hand. Soon as he let go of Dollars collar, Dollar was out to get that thing rolling down hill. I like to think he wanted to protect his daughter. He got there a step to late so now there were quills to pull out of Hannah's chest, not bad but Dollar taught that thing a lesson, costly lesson for dollar but that porcupine never bother a dog again. Sheesh!

[AspenBud]

Rumor has it that steadying your pointing dog can cut down on the problem. If you can bounce quail off the dog and it won't move a muscle it probably won't budge on a pointed quill pig.

I have a running theory going that argues the reason people started to not teach pointers to flush here as they do in Europe is because of snakes, skunks, and porcupines.

[Birddogman]

I heard from an old timer and I have seen with other dogs I have owned, that is your dog gets into a fight with a porky once......they will do it again!

Mine got it four times, different porkys.

Curb the dog of the scent or you may be back in the vet office!  The old barrel trick works I hear.