# So, who has caught a Porcupine before? (Poor little fella didn't make it)



## daveswoodhauler (Jan 26, 2011)

So, I got this buddy I see every week or so whan I am snowshoeing behind our property.....its about 1 1/2 miles from our house.
I'm 75% of the time I see him/her either grazing or in the den, so I just keep tabs on the little fella from time to time.
Caught a good video (by my crappy camera) and see that my buddy has a problem with a hind leg.
So, me being the Darwin type just say to myself....let it be, if he/her has made it this far, maybe they have adapted.
SSSSSOOOOOO...I tell my wife one day, and the next day she has called me at work.
She called the Tufts Wildlife center that treats wild animals, and if we can catch it we can brng it in for them to rehab/adapt.....OMG...my wife is going batty I tell you.
I ask her, "so, how are we going to hike out on snow shoes for 3 miles, catch a porcupine, and then bring it back to the house"...I know I should have known the answer already as she already has a gameplan involving 1. ) Our 3 boys red sled, 2.) A large rubbermaid container .3) Some snacks for the Porcupine.
I'm just thinking of George Kastanza and the marine biologist episode 

So, I hate to take out of of its elements, as I think it has adapted to the injury....but I think that we might be able to help it heal...I'd make sure that after rehab we would bring him back to his home. (A turned up rootball/log that I have coord's on my GPS)

What you all think?...Cute little bugger aint he/she?


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## bogydave (Jan 26, 2011)

Good eating too! (gotta be hungry though)  has a hint of a pine tree flavor.
Tanned hides make good throw rugs under window, keeps the bears on their toes.


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## jtakeman (Jan 26, 2011)

I'd go the rehab route. Heavy gloves on your list?

Please keep us posted on his/her progress!


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## yooperdave (Jan 26, 2011)

porky is one thing i haven't caught.  from the vids, looks like no problem though.  remember this  they can not shoot their quills!  i don't know how that ever got started!  looks like all you have to do is herd him into the storage bin and by the way he drags that rear leg, it shouldn't be much of a chore.  next question...why did you tell your wife?  i guess i probably would have too but learning from the past, i'd leave out the injury part.  another fine mess you've gotten us into.
my dad always said "leave the porkys alone when you're in the woods.  why?  someday, you may be lost and without a weapon and need something to eat.  you can always kill a porky...thats why they're called dead mans meat around here."  my dad always seemed to have a lesson.


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## Boozie (Jan 26, 2011)

OH, the poor little thing!!  He probably got caught in a trap.  I do hope you or your wife gets him in for rehab.


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## bogydave (Jan 26, 2011)

Get a piece of 8''  stove pipe  (if it's real big 10" pipe), screen on one end. (make a wooden box from 1X12, open both ends) you get the picture
Looks like a small one to me.
chase, push it in head first. block the open end , cover with a blanket so it's dark (it'll feel safer) & take him to your local wildlife department.
Find out first if they have a rehab center for injured wildlife. Most states do.  They may come & get it even.

They usually have a well packed trail in the snow between trees, they get high centered easy
 in deep snow so they are always walking the trail to keep it open when it's snowing.
They strip the bark off spruce trees here, for food in the winter time.
Usually they don't pay you much attention till you are real close. Then they turn their back to you & back up.
The only quick move they have is bounce & spin in circles to keep the working end pointed at you.
Friendly cool critters but dogs beware.


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## AVIVIII (Jan 26, 2011)

You are all out of your minds.

Let it be for crying out loud. It is not a pet and its life was fine before you came a long. Even if it doesn't life a 'full porcupine life' its just part of the wild life cycle. It could have been that way for so long it doesn't even know any better. Making human contact with it just makes it more of a target for predators. Imagine putting all this time and effort into fixing it and then it gets eaten by coyotes the first day its on its own....

I have only had the displeasure of being up close and personal with one and it was after it made the unfortunate decision to make its home inside my cousin's daughter's play set. Molly and her dog both got quilled before it got lead poisoning....

I'm not suggesting that to you though.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 26, 2011)

AVIVIII said:
			
		

> You are all out of your minds.
> 
> Let it be for crying out loud. It is not a pet and its life was fine before you came a long. Even if it doesn't life a 'full porcupine life' its just part of the wild life cycle. It could have been that way for so long it doesn't even know any better. Making human contact with it just makes it more of a target for predators. Imagine putting all this time and effort into fixing it and then it gets eaten by coyotes the first day its on its own....
> 
> ...



+1


Our last dog was very good at 'catching' pork's. Rifle in the Mrs' hands works very well. Or 12Ga in mine.

Please tell us it's not 'public money' being spent on rehabing this beast?? :-/


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## zzr7ky (Jan 26, 2011)

I'd let it be.

The one I ate was quite tasty.  Roasted it in the chicken roaster, and used the leftovers for a cassarole the next day.  'skinned through the belly.  We were so broke we could barelt pay attention.  It was from a hardwood forest.


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## muncybob (Jan 26, 2011)

Seems to me you could further damage the injury by trying to catch it. Since it has adapted to it's injury just let it alone. I have no love for these critters as I have had more than 1 trip to the vet for quill removal from my dogs.


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## yooperdave (Jan 27, 2011)

i think anyonw that has dogs in a rural setting and lets them run, has had the opportunity to see how good they are at removing quills from dogs mouth, tongue, throat.  stupid dogs just can't stay away from something so slow moving.  but gotta give them credit (porkys)!  i never heard of anyone removing dogs teeth from a porky---

  used to work with a guy that had a vendetta against porkys. it seems that his dog got tangled up with one real bad.  from that day, he said he destroyed every one he could.  even to the point of using his truck against them.  yeah, you guessed it already...he took the ditch with the truck trying to get the porky and did quite a bit of damage to it (truck)


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## bogydave (Jan 27, 2011)

yooperdave said:
			
		

> i think anyonw that has dogs in a rural setting and lets them run, has had the opportunity to see how good they are at removing quills from dogs mouth, tongue, throat.  stupid dogs just can't stay away from something so slow moving.  but gotta give them credit (porkys)!  i never heard of anyone removing dogs teeth from a porky---
> 
> used to work with a guy that had a vendetta against porkys. it seems that his dog got tangled up with one real bad.  from that day, he said he destroyed every one he could.  even to the point of using his truck against them.  yeah, you guessed it already...he took the ditch with the truck trying to get the porky and did quite a bit of damage to it (truck)



Reminds me of the old saying:
 "Have a dog that get into a porky once, help the dog, shoot the porky. Have a dog that gets into a porky twice, shoot both. Get a new dog"


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## Freeheat (Jan 27, 2011)

I'm with the let it be , Its nature some live some die , If it dies its food for someting else.


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## daveswoodhauler (Jan 27, 2011)

I think I have decided and convinced my better half that we will let it be and let nature take its course.
Seems to be eating ok, and although he/she moves a little slow its not loosing weight as far as I can tell...I'll just keep tabs on my buddy every wekeend or so on my hikes, and hopefully I will see him in the future.


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## Freeheat (Jan 27, 2011)

keep us in the loop


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## yooperdave (Jan 27, 2011)

estang said:
			
		

> I'm with the let it be , Its nature some live some die , If it dies its food for someting else.



wrong-we all die. haven't saved anything yet...whales, dolphins, sea turtles, endangered species.  all the billions of dollars and not a single one has been saved.  maybe just a little more life breathed into them, thats all!  life is not short...it's the longest thing we know!


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## wetwood (Jan 30, 2011)

Sorry, but don't try to catch a porcupine. Just shoot the thing. Got one running around here that our dogs have found twice. He'll be dead as soon as I find him.


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## daveswoodhauler (Feb 20, 2011)

Well, finally am getting over this Bronchitis thing after being on Antibiotics, and decided to make a trip out to the woods.
Found the little fella near his house....must have succumbed to sickness, as he was out of his house and half buried in the snow.
Judging by the tracks in the snow, looks like some moose got near him, so not sure if he just tied to hide and then couldn't get out of the snow pack....the darwin in me says that we did the right thing, but I will miss seeing him on my ventures out in the woods.
On another note, found a clearing where at least 5-6 moose must have beeded down for the night....anyone have any ideas on what to do if you run into a moose out in the woods? (Judging by the tracks and oval patterns, must have been about 5 or 6 of them)


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## BrotherBart (Feb 20, 2011)

Sorry you lost your buddy.


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## firefighterjake (Feb 22, 2011)

daveswoodhauler said:
			
		

> Well, finally am getting over this Bronchitis thing after being on Antibiotics, and decided to make a trip out to the woods.
> Found the little fella near his house....must have succumbed to sickness, as he was out of his house and half buried in the snow.
> Judging by the tracks in the snow, looks like some moose got near him, so not sure if he just tied to hide and then couldn't get out of the snow pack....the darwin in me says that we did the right thing, but I will miss seeing him on my ventures out in the woods.
> On another note, found a clearing where at least 5-6 moose must have beeded down for the night....*anyone have any ideas on what to do if you run into a moose out in the woods?* (Judging by the tracks and oval patterns, must have been about 5 or 6 of them)



Well what I would do is quickly look around to see if Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel is around since you know he could get you out of any scrap . . . and start looking behind the bushes and trees to see if Boris or Natasha are hiding behind them.


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## SKIN052 (Feb 22, 2011)

If you have as much snow as us, stay away from a moose in the woods. They are having a hard time getting around this time of yeaar and will not want to give up a packed trail. Good change they will hold ground and maybe even charge at you. Winters of heavy snow re rough on large animals like moose.


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 22, 2011)

When claiming "nature's course", you have to remember that a good number of animal injuries that you see are auto, trap, gun induced.  A fair number of critters suffer because WE screw up and leave them injured- aside from the tough life they already have.

roads, bridges, dams- all create potential hazards.

I'm not saying they don't get injured naturally too, but there's a lot of broken legs from cars and traps.


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## firefighterjake (Feb 22, 2011)

SKIN052 said:
			
		

> If you have as much snow as us, stay away from a moose in the woods. They are having a hard time getting around this time of yeaar and will not want to give up a packed trail. Good change they will hold ground and maybe even charge at you. Winters of heavy snow re rough on large animals like moose.



Seen a few while out riding on the sled . . . always give them a wide berth when they're using the groomed snowmobile trail . . . eventually they will go off trail and let me continue on my merry way . . .


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## WoodpileOCD (Feb 22, 2011)

daveswoodhauler said:
			
		

> .
> On another note, found a clearing where at least 5-6 moose must have beeded down for the night....anyone have any ideas on what to do if you run into a moose out in the woods? (Judging by the tracks and oval patterns, must have been about 5 or 6 of them)



Move slowly and keep a good sized tree between you and him till he leaves.


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## The Dude (Feb 25, 2011)

You murderer!  Just kidding.


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## hossthehermit (Mar 3, 2011)

I remember when I was a kid there was a $0.50 bounty on 'em, brother and I caught a lot of 'em. Destructive vermin.


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## daveswoodhauler (Mar 4, 2011)

hossthehermit said:
			
		

> I remember when I was a kid there was a $0.50 bounty on 'em, brother and I caught a lot of 'em. Destructive vermin.



Miss your avatar hoss


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## hossthehermit (Mar 4, 2011)

daveswoodhauler said:
			
		

> hossthehermit said:
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Huh, somebody musta stoled it.


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## bogydave (Mar 22, 2011)

Fable Of The Porcupine


It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. 

The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together. 

They were covered and protected, but the quills of each wounded the closest companion. After 
a while, they decided to distance themselves, and they began
to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their
 companions or disappear from the Earth. 

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds that were caused
by their close relationships because the most important part was the heat
that came from the others. They were able to survive.  


The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people,
but the one that forms when individuals learn to live with the imperfections,
and admire the good qualities of others.

The Moral Of The Story: 
LEARN TO LOVE THE PRICKS IN YOUR LIFE.


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## loon (Mar 22, 2011)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> SKIN052 said:
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 :cheese:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PJYene5EDQ

loon


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## Later (Mar 22, 2011)

"Tater", my former scoutmaster, called them "woodman's friends" - the only animal that you could catch and kill without a weapon. He never told us how to clean and cook one without a knife though!


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## firefighterjake (Mar 24, 2011)

loon said:
			
		

> firefighterjake said:
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Funny that you post this . . . went riding yesterday and we had a moose that would not get off the trail despite us waiting and even riding a bit with her running (well loping) in front of us . . . did not want to go off trail . . . finally we had to take advantage of a wide spot on the trail and go by . . . had her turn towards me when I made my first run . . . backed off . . . and then was able to scoot around her.


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