Author Topic: What gun for porcupines? (Read 5275 times)

Tallpine · « **on:** January 02, 2009, 08:53:48 PM »

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475426,00.html

Quote

TELLURIDE, Colo. — Porcupines are becoming a prickly pest for Telluride-area residents.

Residents say the rodents are chomping on the bark of spruce trees, yard trees, and have killed 50-foot-high native trees. The damage is estimated at more than $100,000 in the Mountain Village above Telluride.

Porcupines also favor salty and sweaty items, so plywood treated with a sodium-based substance has become attractive to them. They've also munched on shoes, vehicle tires, and tool handles.

Mountain Village resident Vicki Irwin says she's never seen the porcupines be so aggressive.

Some possible reasons cited for the porcupine's behavior are a harsh winter last year that ramped-up their appetites and the rodents can roam freely because many of the town's 4,100 resident's live elsewhere most of the year.

I'm not sure where "Mountain Village" is located - I assume up on the ridge near the ski slope. There wasn't much up there back in 1979 when I was logging the new ski runs. There's probably multi-million dollar houses where I parked my camper trailer.

Around here, a .22 rifle or a .357 revolver takes care of the sticker-pigs. Our Sheltie will actually corner them for me so I can shoot them. One time she cornered one in our garage :rolleyes:

Grandpa Shooter · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2009, 08:59:51 PM »

Growing up all we had were .22 rifles so we would shoot them in the head. If they are able to curl up into their defensive ball, it is hard to tell where the head is.

Boomhauer · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:06:52 PM »

Quote from: Grandpa Shooter on January 02, 2009, 08:59:51 PM

Growing up all we had were .22 rifles so we would shoot them in the head. If they are able to curl up into their defensive ball, it is hard to tell where the head is.

Then shoot them 'till you find the head.

Glad we don't have 'em around here. My dog is smart, but probably not smart enough to leave one alone before she would get slapped by one (and it is bad when that happens...very bad)

Bigjake · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:14:02 PM »

Is that a dog covered in porcupine quills??

Boomhauer · « **Reply #4 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:15:54 PM »

Uh-huh. Dog survived...but probably wishes it didn't...

S. Williamson · « **Reply #5 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:41:13 PM »

"Flechette" was the first thing that came to mind... then again, oddly enough, after the picture of the poor pup.

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:43:50 PM »

Many, many years ago (good Lord, I believe nearly 30 years now...) in northern Wisconsin, my father and I were deer hunting at our favorite stand when we were getting "rained upon" from overhead by these curious little green pellets.

An invective was issued by my father, whereupon he raised his trusty sporterized Czech VZ-24 Brno, and promptly dispatched the offending porcupine with a single round of 8mm Mauser. The porcupine landed near us with a solid "thump", and I was duly impressed. To this day he has a single porcupine quill in his blaze orange hunting cap.

Scout26 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:46:17 PM »

Quote

Some possible reasons cited for the porcupine's behavior are a harsh winter last year that ramped-up their appetites and the rodents can roam freely because many of the town's 4,100 resident's live elsewhere most of the year.

Unpossible due to global warming......

RE: The dog photo. Bet he never chased a Porcupine again...... Time to call the vet and let him earn his pay....

280plus · « **Reply #8 on:** January 02, 2009, 10:35:05 PM »

Poor doggie!

Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas · « **Reply #9 on:** January 02, 2009, 10:42:56 PM »

Ouch. Hope the critter didn't lose an eye.

#4 Buck is the preferred round here. Especially useful during nighttime shooting.

stevelyn · « **Reply #10 on:** January 02, 2009, 10:54:01 PM »

Quote

What gun for porcupines?

Pffffffft..........What gun?

I know old Athabascan women that whack them with sticks on a regular basis.

txgho1911 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 02, 2009, 11:39:01 PM »

Needle gun?

geronimotwo · « **Reply #12 on:** January 03, 2009, 07:57:50 AM »

not 50 cal? no? a .22 will get 'em. either a head shot, or with infection.

41magsnub · « **Reply #13 on:** January 03, 2009, 10:19:18 AM »

Most I have killed have been with #4 or #6 shot out of my upland game shotgun as the dog sees something interesting and runs towards it.

Tallpine · « **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2009, 10:31:30 AM »

Quote from: stevelyn on January 02, 2009, 10:54:01 PM

Pffffffft..........What gun?

I know old Athabascan women that whack them with sticks on a regular basis.

Watch out that one of them old women doesn't come after you with a stick

Amazingly those things (the sticker-pigs, not the old women) can run (waddle) pretty fast. I shot one seven times with a .22 before it finally stopped.

DJJ · « **Reply #15 on:** January 03, 2009, 06:46:33 PM »

Well, if you're Bear Grylls, a size 12 boot works pretty well (Namibia).

seeker_two · « **Reply #16 on:** January 03, 2009, 10:21:18 PM »

If they're in my yard.....375H&H....and two shots to be sure....

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #17 on:** January 03, 2009, 10:45:27 PM »

heard a story once about a dog that would go after porcupines all the time. he always got stuck and yet he still would go after them.

so yeah, i can see that dog pulling that stunt more then once. maybe. that guy would be lucky to survive. if you look under the quills you can tell its head is swollen up like a ballon. poor thing.

Tuco · « **Reply #18 on:** January 03, 2009, 10:49:12 PM »

Used a 7x57 on my one and only porky. 175gr at about 15 feet.

He was charging and one shot to the face rolled him.

Fat bull, about 20 lb.

stevelyn · « **Reply #19 on:** January 03, 2009, 11:17:45 PM »

Quote from: Tallpine on January 03, 2009, 10:31:30 AM

Watch out that one of them old women doesn't come after you with a stick

Amazingly those things (the sticker-pigs, not the old women) can run (waddle) pretty fast. I shot one seven times with a .22 before it finally stopped.

Nah.........It'd never happen. They like me.

I used to chase porcupines down and flog them with a towel or flannel shirt to get the quills and give them to them for their bead and artwork. Never dared kill one because they'd insist on cooking it for me for dinner.

Now their daughters on the other hand won't hesitate to use sticks, rocks, cookware, etc..............

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 04, 2009, 12:47:20 AM »

Quote from: bluestarlizzard on January 03, 2009, 10:45:27 PM

heard a story once about a dog that would go after porcupines all the time. he always got stuck and yet he still would go after them.

so yeah, i can see that dog pulling that stunt more then once. maybe. that guy would be lucky to survive. if you look under the quills you can tell its head is swollen up like a ballon. poor thing.

My stupid guy hasn't found a porcupine yet, but he has found scorpions, tarantulas and heavy infestations of cholla. I had to de-cholla him in the middle of a hike about 6 months ago... he was so badly covered that he couldn't even walk and wouldn't hold still to be carried either. He squeeked like a little baby the whole time while I worked on him, made me worry that some coyote or bobcat would take interest in the wounded rabbit I was torturing by the sounds.

I don't take him in the desert anymore. He's too good at finding cactus and doesn't seem to learn.

Didn't even think about porkypines.... gonna have to see if we even have those in AZ. Cuz he'd be the dumbass dog completely covered and likely to lose an eye or something dreadful like that.

Tallpine · « **Reply #21 on:** January 04, 2009, 11:17:40 AM »

We had a husky-wolf mix that would keep going back after porkies again and again

The st bernard-lab mix we had a few years ago pretty much learned to beware, but she got some quills in her feet. She kept jumping over one trying to get at it's face, I guess. My daughter's Malin-what got into that same one real bad. After that I started dispatching them - no more Mr. Live-and-let-live. Clearing the thickets of "dog-hair" trees around the house seemed to cut down on the number of porcupines that we see annually.

I don't think our golden has gotten into a porkie yet, though he has seen them. Like I said, the sheltie has cornered a few for me to shoot. She even cornered a badger one time, but I let it go since it was pretty deep in the woods. The badgers are a mixed blessing - they dig up the gophers but leave big holes behind

NickySantoro · « **Reply #22 on:** January 04, 2009, 07:00:43 PM »

The buggers go after wiring and rubber brake lines on cars at the cabin. I have a couple of boxes of Federal 40gr Blitz .223 set aside for that purpose. Does the job.

Bogie · « **Reply #23 on:** January 05, 2009, 01:55:22 AM »

Save the big long quills. They make great fishing bobbers. I take a piece of wire, loop it, and wrap it on one end with some light thread and varnish (like one would tie a fly or wrap a fishing rod guide). Very sensitive little buggers...

If you don't want to do that, save up a bunch...

taurusowner · « **Reply #24 on:** January 05, 2009, 02:09:37 AM »

What gun for porcupines?

News:

Author Topic: What gun for porcupines? (Read 5275 times)

taurusowner