Porcupine Problem.....

[Junkman]

How do you deal with porcupines that you find around the house and in the garden? My old Weimeraner would kill them and then I would spend hours removing quills from his mouth along with the veterinarian. After the second time, he suggested that I find another veterinarian. Luckily for both of us, the dog never went after another one. Back then, whenever I saw one, a neighbor would come over with his 22 and kill them before the dog found it. Seems that they were gone for a few years, but this year, I have found that they are coming back. Unfortunately the neighbor moved about 10 years ago, so I have to deal with the problem myself. Tonight, I saw two in the garden and was able to capture the smaller one and relocate him to another part of town that is all wooded. My veterinarian suggested that it is better to just kill them. What are others doing with this pest that dogs think are fun to play with?? So far, this Weimeraner hasn't done anything more than just bark at them, but I know that it is just a matter of time. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[r0GuE]

Is it legal to trap them? You could trap them and then dispatch them as you see fit. I think a .22 is the ticket for that sort of work.

 

[Junkman]

Since their food source is grubs, I don't know how you would trap them. Any suggestions?????

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Junk. . . there is a product called GrubX, it is supposed to kill grubs. Why not attack the food source? No easy meal and my guess is they will move to greener pastures.

 

[Junkman]

I have used GrubX in the past, but there is just too much area to make it economically feasible. I am surrounded by woods and the woods are full of animals that are attracted to homes and dogs. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I have an ongoing battle with the squirrel's, mice, deer, etc. The good side is there have never been any skunks around here that I have seen. Lots of beaver and mink though.....

 

[billbill1]

Junk, lucky for me there are no porcupines in Kansas, that I know of. We have moles though and they eat grub worms too. Remove the grubs and the moles go away. I understand that the armadillos are moving into Kansas, I haven't seen any but I guess they are around. I have never seen a porcupine in the wild, only in the zoo. Are they a rodent?

 

[LMTC]

Here's a link to a site that claims a porcupine deterrent- Porcupine Deterrent but I have my doubts. It says the basis is fox scent, a porcupine's "most feared predator". It was my understanding there is only one effective predator of porcupines, and that is the fisher. Given the fisher's temperment and abilities, I think I'd rather deal with a porcupine problem.

If fox scent really works, fox urine can be had from any trapper supply.

 

[Jagmandave]

Hate to disabuse you of the notion Billbill, but there are too porcupines in Kansas, and right up in your neighborhood, too!. I lived at Lake Perry (ran the service dept at the Marina by the dam a lifetime ago) back in the late 60's and early 70's and saw them from time to time, but always way up in the trees. Never knew they ate grubs, since I always saw them up high. Plus, the ones I saw were pretty good sized..............
They say the armadillo's are moving north, and they're into southern Kansas now, but I read that they eat mice and rats, so I don't know whether that' so bad.
Speaking of rats, flushed a pretty big one (well, I think it was a rat anyway) out of the weeds by my pond yesterday while mowing. Can't tell the wife tho, she'll never let us build a house there now!

Here's some porcupine info billbill...........

The porcupine is a powerful rodent unique to North America; the only other place in the world where porcupines are found is in Africa, but that porcupine has enormous quills nearly a foot long and a 1/4 inch in diameter (not very suitable for quill embroidery decoration). The northern range of the common porcupine covers most of Canada, the western U.S., northern parts of New England and the Great Lakes region. Porcupines favor a wooded habitat, but some subspecies (7 in all) live in deserts and grasslands. The porcupine is one of the largest rodents in North America, second only to the beaver, and porcupines grow to a length of 2 to 31/2 feet, tail included. They usually weigh between 8 and 14 pounds, although they have been known to weigh upwards of 35 pounds. The Porcupine, with a body shape like other rodents, has over 30,000 quills on its body.
Porcupines are nocturnal and have poor vision but a very good sense of smell. Porcupines generally like to eat the evergreen tree inner bark and needles, but they do find some hardwoods palatable. They also eat aquatic plants, berries, seeds, flowers, nuts, and grasses. (No mention of them eating grubs here) <font color="blue"> </font>
During the day, porcupines can usually be found sleeping peacefully in the high crook of a tree, or like other rodents, taking care of their newborns in underground burrows. Because of the porcupine's eating habits, which often damages trees, weasels have been introduced in some regions to reduce porcupine populations.

 

[billbill1]

Dave, I stand corrected. Thank you. We used to fish at the marina at Perry all of the time. Our daughter Rhonda and her X -James both worked there as well.

 

[DrRod]

We had a tough time with them chewing on painted wood. They ate the side off our porch swing and gouged deep ruts in our porch. Also see there damage on cedars and some small pines. Never succeeded in getting rid of them myself but they seemed to run in cycles. Haven't had them on the porch in about 10 years but can't say why.