Porcupines?

[bigbore442001]

I am going to open myself up on this one. Right now, pretty much of everything is closed where I am. There is no closed season on porcupines. I remember seeing them in the Berkshire Hills while chaperoning a group of 6th graders on a winter nature camp. It was during the winter and it was contently munching on tree bark. I figure that it would be a lot of fun hunting them with a .22 magnum TC .

Any suggestions?

[Daveinthebush]

A .22 is plenty for these critters.  We had a deer camp in the Adirondak mountians of NY once and they damn near ate it.  In three weekends at the camp we killed 13.  Best night was 5.  A .223 Contender is aslo a good choice.  Some people do eat them and recipies are avaiable in some books.  The quills are sought after by some crafts people and the Native Americans use them to make jewlery. Don't let the dog near them.

Don't get under one when they fall either!!!!!!

[Daveinthebush]

m

[Hud]

They do tasted good!  When my oldest son, Nick, now 24, was about 6 he was tagging along with me out in the woods while I was hunting squirrels.  We came upon a porcupine and I shot it, as I didn't want it ruining the oak trees.

So we looked it over, nick took some quills, and then I started to leave.
Nick says "Dad aren't you going to clean it?
I said "What do you mean?
Nick says "Well don't we eat everything we kill?"
I replied "Yes we do." and then I skinned it out.

I guess I hadn't told him about varmits yet.

We brought it home and I told Marcia the story. Then told her to throw it out and put something else in the crock pot. She asked what they ate, and I told her just tree bark.  She said lets try cooking it up. So we did. We have eaten several more over the years. To me they taste like pork.

hud

[janehal]

Shoot these all the time in MI in the winter.....wait until after a fresh snow and the tracks from tree to tree are easy to find as wel l as the droppings.......Have found them a few times in Cedars but usually they are found in the large White Pines,,,,,,,what a sport......have shot them with every thing at one time or another to include a Bow and blunt arrows

[myronman3]

the story i am about to relate is absolutly true.    i came across a porky once while out hunting.   long story short,   he started to run off and i drilled him with a 45 colt at about 10 ft.   the quills flew and i hit him again with a second, then a third.  he reached a tree and started up.  about 5 ft up i gave him #4.  he was still climbing.   i let him have the 5th and final round at about 12 feet up.  he took two more steps up; then faltered.  all in all he took  5 rounds through the vitals.   they are tough!

[freddogs]

:grin: I've eaten a few porkies and I think they taste good. We've got enough fishers so we don't have too many porkies anymore. I just roasted them like a venison roast. :blaster:

[Del]

I had a couple similar experiences as MYRONMAN3.  
A friend and I were exploring/scouting a new area one summer on 4 wheelers, planning to camp and such for a few days.  We took our .22lr & .44mag handguns, for plinking and bear protection.  Well one day we spotted a porcupine and took off after it with our .22's, well it took 11 hits before it expired.  So  a day or two later we spotted and took off after another one, this time with our [u].44 mags[/u], it only took 7 hits to finally end it.  These were close shots, I could see a handful of quills flying off it with each hit!  I'm just glad they do grow to the size of bears, I'd have to carry a Browning B.A.R. .338 Win.Mag. with extra magaines!

Use Enough Gun!
Del

[Del]

I meant to say, "I'm glad porcupines DON'T grow to be as big as bears"! :oops:

Good hunting, Del

[THE#1hunter]

Hunt porcupines :shock: , lol never heard of it : :oops:

[myronman3]

one of the few animals that i consider targets of opportunity.   ever see a tree killed because it's bark has been chewed off?

[Huntrap_MT]

If I see a Porkypine and I have the room in the freezer or fridge, I'll take them every time. They are very greasy, but are unique and tastey, they make a very good change up of meat when you get burnt out on deer etc. If I have plenty of meat I always let these guys go, as they are a meat source to me. Ranchers, exept my family, complain about these awosome animals that thier cows will get full of quills and they should all be shot! I say most of you other ranchers should be shot, as you have no respect for real food!  How many times have you seen a cow walking around with a mouth full of quills? Never! Cause cows don't like to lick Porkypines. Farmers and ranchers just love to hate wildlife, that's all.  :x   As for Porkys killing trees? Well they usually don't kill the trees. A lot of times it looks as the the tree will die after getting that much bark ate off of it, but usualy the tree or bush will heal again. I have one of these critters in the freezer as we speak and am reminded to get it out and cook it up soon! Try bakeing these guys on the top rack of your oven. Place a cake pan underneath to catch all the grease drippings.  You can put strips of bacon over top of the roast as well, mmm...  As for the the toughness of these little guys? Yes sir! Pound for pound these guys have to be as tough as a grizzly! Obviuosly thier quills are the main reason they are so tough to kill. Penetration is very hard on these guys. I have many, many stories on slow deaths of these guys, even with a 30.06.  I live minutes from a huge indian reservation and I obviously save the hide, scrape it, salt it, and stretch and dry it. I usually don't have to pluck quills as most of the people who buy them from me do this themselves. You can get pretty good money for a large porky. Don't forget the skull and claws. Please respect these guys and take them if you need them or let them hang around till you do...

Huntrap