I have a porcupine that likes to mill around in the yard.  I've seen him a few times over in the grass by my dog's shit area and I've seen him several times up in a tree by the house.  I only see him late at night.

I put out a leg-hold trap along with a piece of saltwater-soaked plywood because that's what the internet said would work.  Instead of the porky, I caught a feral cat and released it so it could continue catching mice and such.  The piece of plywood was gone...


So I moved the trap to the tree that he loves to climb and set it up in a spot where I was confident he had to step in order to get up there.  Well, that night he was in the damn tree and got back down without getting trapped.  He did spring the trap and there was hair plus a few quills in there so I'm thinking I got the tip of his tail.


I decided to create a funnel at the base of the tree using some pallets so there was only one way he could approach the trunk.  Then, I put the trap at the base covered up with some grass and I've had that out for a week with no luck.  I haven't seen the little bastard again but I'm sure he's still milling around at night.


What's the secret for catching porcupines?  I could easily shoot him but I don't want to kill a thing just for being there if he's not doing any harm and now it's a challenge for me to get him alive.  Killing him would be admitting defeat and I'll be damned if I'm going to be beaten by a walking cactus.

I am a porcupine killing machine.

What you need to do is look for a spruce or other softwood tree that has fresh needles and small branches sprinkled around underneath it.  Porkies like to sleep in trees during the day.

He isn't far- do a search in a five acre radius.  Bring binoculars.  You will see a fuzzy lump up against the trunk of a tree.

When you locate him either use a shotgun with a turkey load or- only if you are certain about your accuracy- a .22lr in which you drill the porky in a manner that the bullet goes into the trunk behind him.  Obviously you have to consider the potential impact if you miss.

The porky will fall from the tree when they are shot.  Take care of business on the ground.

I am not a fan of killing for killing sake but I put a value on a porcupine at $275 each.  That is the cost my last vet bill was when my dork of a German Shorthair got into one.  Some dogs get quilled once and learn.  Others....not so much.  

Over the last two years I have shot 9 porcupines, and all within a 3 acre radius of my house.  In other words I am in Porcupine Central.

ETA: I don't know about porcupine bait but they do have a taste for salt.  They will eat the handles off of wood tools because of the salty taste.

 
I'm pretty sure I already know where he sleeps because trees are limited around here.


I still think killing is taking the easy way out, though.

Used to go out at night and use a flashlight with a big stick.



Will use a .22 if they get up the tree or climb up after them.



They ones up here in AK do not taste like turpentine.

if you have a 'porky tree", a big old dead snag, porkies will continue to utilize it.  Trap or kill one, and another moves in.  

Porkies do a lot of damage to my trees and camp.  I kill everyone I can.  When guests hunt deer here, there are only three rules:  Keep it legal.  No shooting little spike bucks and fork horns.  And you are obligated to immediately kill any damned porkies you see, even if it messes up your hunt.

A .22 is a good solution.  I can also attest, however, that 200 grains of jacketed soft point out of a .35 Rem is darned near ideal porky medicine.

Whatever you do, keep an eye on the porky tree.  It'll end up as a quill-pig magnet.