bout with porcupine

[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.