# Utah Porcupine?



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

At one time long ago I used to see a few porcupine in Utah where I live. Are there any left in Utah? or are they extinct. I have seen any in the past decade just wondering if they are even still around.


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## troutslayer (Apr 1, 2008)

We hit one last thursday night ,right before you get to the wanship turnoff on i-80 on our way to the gorge. The first one Ive seen in about 5 years just happened to wander across the road in front of us!!! :shock:


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## Rabbit_slayer16 (Oct 18, 2007)

My pup star got hit by one up bountiful on the grouse opener this year


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## royta (Sep 26, 2007)

I saw crossing the dirt road when I was coming off of Monte one evening during the muzzleloader season.


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

I've had two in my backyard this year....the dog kept finding them. Had to take matters into my own hands...if ya know what I mean :wink:


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## hunter_orange13 (Oct 11, 2008)

we saw some 6 years ago on the deer hunt. they would come into our tent. lol haven't seen any since tho. but there was 3 of them in one night! :twisted:


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

I about stepped on one hiding under a bush a few years ago.


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## pickaspot (Sep 19, 2007)

About 2-3 weeks ago we were out hiking around looking for elk it was just dark enough that I couldn't see really well, I saw what looked like a stump but in the back of my mind I knew that it wasn't. Sure enough when I stopped to look at it the porcupine started walking away. It literally was only 3-4 feet away. I have seen a couple others within the last year. They're out there just very nocturnal.


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## Lycan (Sep 22, 2008)

I've seen a couple roadkill on I-80 between SLC and Jeremy Ranch.


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## deadicated1 (Mar 17, 2008)

we saw a bunch up on the roads around huntington and electric lake. last spring as the snow was melting off, we saw 4-5 in the headlights and hit one


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

I have yet to see one this year, I saw 3 or 4 when I was out and about last year. Some up by logan, some down by mammoth res.


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## girlsfishtoo (Feb 5, 2008)

Speaking of Porcupine, we saw one dead in the middle of the road going up to East Canyon last Saturday.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

I've seen too many this year. First one...dog decided to jump on and get a face full. After that, we seem to have learned and now only point them...

Here's one from last week.


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## girlsfishtoo (Feb 5, 2008)

WTH!!!????!!!! they climb trees?


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

girlsfishtoo said:


> WTH!!!????!!!! they climb trees?


You seriously didn't know? They eat a ton of bark and other vegitation and if you leave gloves or leather boots out, they'll eat that too. :lol: Anything salty/sweaty, they'll nibble on. We had one eat a pair of my dads leather work gloves out by our wood pile in California.... it chewed up a lot of wood chips too that we had sitting around after splitting wood all day. Couldn't figure out what it was until we talked to some folks. Would have been cool to see it but apparently it was visiting in the middle of the night.... apparently they're all over the place but don't get out and move around a whole lot so most folks never see em. I remember last fall there was one that got hit on the I-80 to 215 overpass out by Redwood and North Temple.


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## Poo Pie (Nov 23, 2007)

Funny story- when I was about 9 or 10 I walked up on one sitting in a tree. It was a young little ****, more furry than pokey- I thought it was a bear cub and about crapped my pants thinking mama was in the scrub oak somewhere waiting to eat my bunger! :shock: Froze for what felt like an entire day to a ten year old until I figured out bears don't typically eat bark


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## BigD (Sep 25, 2007)

We usually see 10 to 20 of them per year while out hunting.
Here are some pictures that my brother took of one last year.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

I could use the guard hairs for fly tying. If you find a fresh dead one put on some gloves and pull a bunch of the long guard hairs out for me. Thanks.


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## Poo Pie (Nov 23, 2007)

Look at those pics.... no wonder I thought it was a bear! :|


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Surprised you've seen that many, I used to see quite a few during the hunts to but it must be a decade or more since I've seen any in my neck of the woods, they aren't good for dogs to run into but there's no reason to do away with them in Utah even though they can be a nuisance to run into. I think all around my area have been shot but guess theres still a few in the state.


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## TOP-PIN (Sep 18, 2007)

I would love to make a porcupine fur hat. with the quills in back like a mullet. Too bad they are so stinky.


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

There are still a few around. Not extinct. I will say I haven't seen them as often as I did, say 20 years ago. I don't do as much tramping in the woods now as I did then either. 

In the winter the porcupine often climbs trees and eats bark. Willow and hawthorn are definitely on his menu. As you go, look for trees that have had the bark stripped off the limbs, then look for the critter. 

Some say you should never kill a porcupine, unless you are lost and hungry. It is the only critter you can easily overtake and kill with a stick. Hmmmmm lunch!

As strange as it may seem, Bobcats will kill porcupines and eat them. Many of the cats I got years ago had quills in them. They will eat the critter from the belly and leave a round skin flesh side up lying on the ground. The first time I saw that I was amazed. 

Hound dogs never fared well when they attacked a porky though. Most dogs will leave them alone after getting hit once, but I had one hound that would kill every porcupine he saw. Then I had the job of removing the quills.


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## girlsfishtoo (Feb 5, 2008)

Thats cause hound dogs are stubborn and wont give up!


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

We shot one a while back when we were teenagers (after it had messed up my friends dog). I didn't recall it being stinky at all. But to make a point, my friends mom made us cook it and eat it, because she felt that you shouldn't go shooting animals willy nilly. We pressure cooked it in beer, and I have to admit, it was one of the best tasting things I've had. It tasted exactly like the dark meat on a turkey. I don't think I'd hesitate to cook another one after that.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

My dog got into a porcupine a couple of years ago in downtown Lehi! It was late at night and I had let her out for a stretch before bed. She ran out into the neighborhood and came whimpering back with a face full of quills.


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

Last year my dog also got a face full of quills out near blue creek.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

Rather tangle with skunk, , *****, yotes, bear or anything but the things that a dog just can beat!!!!
Out of 4 dogs 3 got it! The white dog with the most had a momma that loved to fight them... Never did learn! Looks like the daughter aint much smarter!


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