I don't see many porcupines, but I got some pictures yesterday

[ivarhusa]

I was visiting the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge yesterday and saw a few critters.  The most interesting was this porky.  I was surprised at how different the back half looks compared to the front half. I don't know if this is typical, or if this one had (in its defense) shed some quills . Looking at pictures on the web doesn't really answer that question very well.  I suppose this one is typical.

[AWS]

Thereharehalot aroun a bord hunt friend killed 13 that his dog found this season he only had to pull quils a few times.  I got 3 lucky I was able to call off the dog before he got into then. I wasn't so lucky a couple of years ago and had to take a dog into the vet to get them out of his mouth and throat.  Skinned out 2 coyotes this year that had a bunch of quills in them one must have had 50 in the front half of him, most had been bitten off and only the tips were sticking through the hide found them while skinning and fleshing.  The other one was pretty fresh as I could see them on the outside only had a few around the face abd shoulder.

AWS

[carpsniperg2]

Some premo gaurd hair on that quill pig

[Gutpile]

They are naturally like that because they try to keep there faces away from the threat and the tail towards it. If you barely touch a guard hair or quill the whole rear end flexes and whacks quills into you. I was taught to kill them on site but I dont do it that often anymore, sometimes but not always. I do like to mess with them a bit and typically let them walk. I know I know flame on. I guess i'm getting to be a softy in my old age. I was messin with one a few years ago while pheasant hunting and this is what happened when I touched it with my shotty. I get a kick out of watching them.......... run

[HighCountryHunter88]

There a ton around cheney. I was shed hunting a piece of property Friday near turnbull looking for moose sheds and saw a lot of tree damage

[ivarhusa]

I have heard that they damage trees, a lot.  How do you recognize their damage?  I mean, it isn't as obvious as beaver, eh?   

[Gutpile]

I have heard that they damage trees, a lot.  How do you recognize their damage?  I mean, it isn't as obvious as beaver, eh?   

No, they eat the bark. Usually they eat the immature bark of young trees or the immature bark near the tops of older trees. Look at the bear room about bear peels. thats what it looks like. You can clearly see the tooth marks. kills trees dead.

[littletoes]

Sure, they girdle them (trees, that is). I think they are after the cambian llayer, which is the part that takes nutrients up to the needles. It also has the most nutrients.

Caught a couple of baby pine pigs when I was a kid, they didn't have any quills as of yet, and you could pick 'em up. Cute as hell then.

[NWTFhunter]

I have seen 2 in the umptanum that past 2 weeks.  First time I have seen them there.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I used to see alot over here on the westside in the 80s and 90s but have not seen many lately ... When I shot my cougar last Dec.. he had quills stuck in his face and in between his toes and when I skun him the quills were under his skin in the neck area... Come to find out if those quills would of gotten deeper into his neck it would of killed him ... They say cougar eat alot of porcupine but I never knew that until last year ..