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Author Topic: The annual porcupine hunt  (Read 5260 times)

Offline yorketransport

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The annual porcupine hunt
« on: April 29, 2012, 08:26:02 AM »
Every year around Easter my father-in-law and I go on a porcupine hunt, just for fun. We've done this every year for 9 years and I haven't come back empty handed yet! This year's porcupine isn't as big as some, but that doesn't make them any less fun! :chuckle:


I use these guys to test bullet performance and this one took a 180gr Hornady XTP at 1350fps from a 10mm out of a S&W 610. Hit him in the neck, head on and the bullet came out the back end of the critter. You can get an idea from the picture how much penetration that would take. I was pretty happy with the performance.

I skinned it yesterday, now today I need to start pulling the quills and guard hairs. This time I'm also going to try cleaning the skull and doing a sort of European mount of it.

Andrew

Offline cem3434

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2012, 08:42:54 AM »
How do they taste?
The best friend a guy could have asked for. RIP chasing pheasants in heaven Denali girl.

Online Jason

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2012, 08:58:06 AM »
Very cool!

Offline bobcat

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2012, 09:01:29 AM »
How do you hunt porcupines?

I see them occasionally while out hunting but I don't know how I'd go about finding one on purpose.


Offline BOWHUNTER45

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2012, 09:02:32 AM »
thats a hornaday for ya  :dunno: :chuckle: what do you do with them ?

Offline yorketransport

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2012, 08:27:21 PM »
How do they taste?
It's all in the preparation. :chuckle: The first one I ever shot I took home and roasted. That wasn't very good. In fact it made my wife vomit! (to be fair she was 7 months pregnant :sry:) After talking to a few folks who are much better cooks than I am, I found out that porcupine is a perfect substitute for beaver. I made a heck of a porcupine chili last year. :tup: The young ones taste the best, like you'd expect. The older ones are tough and have a very strong piney taste. This year's and the one from 2 years ago had worms, so I didn't eat them. I'm not taking any chances for one of these critters.


thats a hornaday for ya  :dunno: :chuckle: what do you do with them ?
The quills and guard hairs are worth some money, so I pull those and sell them. The claws are pretty cool too, so I have a few sets of those. Mostly though, I treat these critters like people treat ground hogs. They're just varmints. They do a lot of damage to the trees so I wouldn't feel too bad about shooting them and then leaving them for the coyotes. Since they're so tough, they make a great test for bullets. With the thick fur, hide, and quills, porcupines are surprisingly tough to kill. I've watched them take several solid hits to the brain with a 22lr and just keep kicking. Even after taking a 10mm to the throat and through the chest, this one didn't go down as fast as you'd think.

How do you hunt porcupines?

I see them occasionally while out hunting but I don't know how I'd go about finding one on purpose.



It seems like every time I step into the woods down in Ryderwood, I spot one. They're usually in or around brush piles at the edge of the timber. Check the landing at the end of logging roads. Lots of times there are brush piles with blackberries or other bramble growing on them. The porcupines seem to love eating those fresh blackberry leaves. You can also look for an area where there's a patch of dead fir trees in the middle of a stand of otherwise healthy timber. The porcupines will ring the trees and kill them. I can usually find a critter or two near by.

In the name of responsible conservation, I limit my self to 2 porcupines per year. They reproduce pretty slowly and my goal has never been to eradicate them. They are fun to watch in the woods. They just ramble along doing their own thing, not really scared of anything. Unless I haven't filled my quota for the year......... :hunter:

Andrew


Offline kentrek

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2012, 08:41:22 PM »
i have heard that there is a bounty for them, is that true ?

also try spear hunting them,it works better than bullets  :tup:

Offline lokidog

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2012, 08:58:10 PM »
How do they taste?

We think they taste pretty good.  I've cooked them like rabbit in hassenpfeffer.

Offline pjb3

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Re: The annual porcupine hunt
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2012, 04:34:29 PM »
I'm still looking for one myself to mount. I mounted one before and they make a kewl mount but sold it :'(

 


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