Porcupine hunting in PA

[Austin]

Anybody here hunted for porcupines before? I'm looking for some tips/ stories and suggestions where to hunt? My brother had some porcupine meat in Africa and he said it was excellent. That got us thinking about hunting them here.  Seems like it would be fun, and would give me something to hunt when squirrel season ends

[jsweka]

I see quite a few where I hunt in Clearfield County - State Gamelands 87.  I could have shot a few last fall from my treestand, but wondered what the heck I would do with it and I don't care to kill something just to kill it.  I don't know of anybody who's eaten it.

[Shedrock]

 

I look in the trees for feeding areas. They really like the willows and pine trees here in Wyo. The hardest thing about hunting them can be finding them.

Ranchers here really don't like them. Porkys kill alot of trees and are hard on dogs. One rancher I know had his dog killed by a porky. It was a slow death as a quill slowly worked it's way into the dogs heart. Dog was sick for 2 weeks. That is the only reason I kill quillpigs.

[Roadkill]

I am interested in a few quills if any might be available

[Skipmaster1]

I shot and killed one once  in NY and it based like I was eating a greasy pine tree. Around here they really like pine trees. Just find an area where they have been feeding and look for them nestled yp in the crotches of trees. Make sure and use broadheads, they are tough. A friend of mine shot one with her bow and it just kept walking until the 3rd shot through the chest and my buddy shot one twice with a 44mag before it stopped walking away. I'm sure the first shot was deadly in both cases but they didn't act hurt.

[Austin]

Very nice pictures, I've talked to several people who had their hunting camps torn up by porcupine. My brother spent a week looking for them in Oct. at my buddies cabin and didn't see any, seems they're always around when you're not looking    
Jsweka, if we do have the opportunity to hunt them we will eat them. Thanks for the tip on sgl 87.

[Mike Vines]

I have shot one with my longbow, and it was honestly the worst thing I ever ate.  My oldest son (then 5) tried some and asked if I "Just gave him a piece of the butt".  Kids say it the way it is.

   

[Jerry Jeffer]

Got this one just after the season opened. They don't taste so good, yup greasy pine tree.

 

 

[Izzy]

I have heard that they were the worst eating critter to walk the earth. I can tell you that you will smell them before you see them, they smell kinda like a hobo in summer. Look for the in hemlock trees and thorny areas. I have seen them eating rose shoot leaves and bark. I see them quite often but dont ever kill them, they get a pass with dillas.  

[PSUBowhunter]

I killed a few this year. I only killed them because they were in the areas that I often walk my dog.  Look for beech trees. If there is one in the area, there will be chewed up areas on the beech tree. They often have dens inside of beech trees.

[Killdeer]

"It was a slow death as a quill slowly worked it's way into the dogs heart. Dog was sick for 2 weeks."

I would think that two weeks is ample time for a vet to surgically extract a quill.

I have heard of a legendary bowhunter by the handle of Bowspirit, or Swamp Thing, who has intimate experience with the gustatory pleasures of the Erethizon dorsatum.

Killdeer

[Catskill Longbow]

They are very destructive, like to chew rubber and wood. When I was a kid we woke in the middle of the night to a crunching sound. Went outside to find it coming from under the hood of our truck.  My dad popped the latch and there sat a porky chewing on the spark plug wires! they love to chew the T1-11 siding on weekend places here.

I never thought of hunting them to eat, and sounds like I don't want to!

[acadian archer]

very good eating. I like them in an Acadian style potato dish called rapure or rappie pie.

lots of protein, no fat and tasty.
i'm sure they would make a good subsitute in a rabbit dish.

[4Blade]

Austin,  In the SW section of PA I always find them near rocky areas where they can find shelter in severe weather.  It could be in valleys or on ridges.  Look for trees that have the bark stripped usually in the upper branches.  I have noticed over the years whenever we get a break in the weather in February it seems the best time to find them out.  Look for tracks and dens in these spots to zero in.  Good Luck

[elknutz]

I would think they would make a good hat.  People would most likely keep their hands off of it. Mean spirited people who call themselves your friend, yet think its fun to grab your hat, throw it a few feet away and shoot it while it lies defenseless on the ground.  I loved that hat.  Yes, I think a porky hat would stop that.

[wildgame]

Originally posted by elknutz:
I would think they would make a good hat.  People would most likely keep their hands off of it. Mean spirited people who call themselves your friend, yet think its fun to grab your hat, throw it a few feet away and shoot it while it lies defenseless on the ground.  I loved that hat.  Yes, I think a porky hat would stop that.

[Austin]

Hey guys, thanks for all the info/ pics. Hopefully I can get free to hunt in a few weeks.

[killinstuff]

The bigger the tree the better they like it. If your weather is bad or the snow is fairly deep they will stay in the same tree for a week or more. You'll know the tree cause there will be plenty of poop around and small branches and bark ringing the tree. I think porkies are one of the neatest critters in the woods and love to see them. Hope you eat what you kill cause killing one just to kill one isn't right and there isn't much of a challenge in it. One of the guys posted he has killed a few cause dog gets into them?  Train your dog better.

[adkmountainken]

where or where is B.S.??????

[Seeking Trad Deer]

Wow...two shots of a .44 mag to put one down!