if i knew this i would have shot the one that walked across my field on Saturday. 20lber approx just sauntered across and i figured I would let him be. was cool to watch him navigate the snow.

Well if u see anymore get em and drop me a line bud!

ya i will. be out coyote hunting so who knows. i dont see em very often though
the one from saturday

http://s9.postimg.org/7m755owz3/Untitled.png

Life is full of contradictions.

I am a hunter and a trapper, yet I am a nature not. Some would say nature lover. I disagree with that characterization.
I don't believe there really is such a beast.

I'd bet that people like Mr Paul Watson does not think twice about killing a mouse or a rat found on his ship or in his home.

My stance is that if it's classed as a pest species, I'm not going to call anyone out for killing one, or more. Sort of, don't tell me to invite mice into my house and I won't tell you to love on a Porcupine.

Personally I have no desire to kill one, but I don't fault anyone who wants them all dead. Even though I think that sentiment is unreasonable, I do understand and even sympathize with many people who do feel that.

I guess the things that puzzle me most about this conversation is, why do some people feel the need to try to control others.
And why do we care so much about what other people think?

I state my opinion, but it is only my opinion and really, I'm just one in 7 billion.

A wise man once said, fear not he who flaps his lips, rather fear he who has handcuffs and a pistol on his hip.

Wow that's a big boy. If u see again grab him lol. Usually they come out at dusk or during the day you'll see em sitting in the red willows eating.

serious ?:thinking-006:

Cant you buy them somewhere?

Not that I'm aware of but I'd love to find this place if it exists.

This is exactly what I wanted to say, thanks you Keg. Sorry to everyone for being unclear and I hope I did not come across as obnoxious or judgmental to anyone. :( Once again, have fun and stay safe out there! :)

Well in all fairness, this is no different than trapping or hunting any other animal. We all hunt n trap for hides and I'm doing the same. I'm just adding an animal to the list that most people never had a use for previously. Ppl would trap them and discard of them as waste.

FlyTrapper,

You seem like a fine young Sir and shall hopefully develop a life long passion for/enjoyment of the outdoors shortly. There is no shame in speaking your mind, free speach is certainly a fine part of what makes our Country great. You come across as a respectful and humble person, impressive traits in any Human being.

LuvTheOutdoors,

Well said in this thread!

I am always glad to hear of another who appreciates the Porcupine as a game animal of real value. It would be very interesting to see some of your work and the crafts you create from the Porcupine, if possible.

Admittedly, this threads develoment has been quite unexpected. I apreciate the contributions of the vast majority of Members who have come forth with their personal takes on the matter.

I'm pretty sure that Halfords Hides sells the quills, not sure about the guard hair though.

Oh yes quills are easily available through them as well as online and just a couple dollars an oz. You'll pay more for shipping than you will the product. Lol but the gaurd hair is a different story. Its not sold by many as its not seen as a reputable resource. Its easier just to hunt em. Or salvage another trappers accidental catch lol

While in a ground blind this year, I had a booner porky sneak up and scare the bejeezus out of me right at dark-thirty. Huge he was, and very light coloured. Thought he was a grizz for a moment - big enough to make a dancing roach for Oprah!
How do you score them? What exactly are you looking for in the guard hairs - thickness? length? colour?

Nice !!! Those old porkys are huge like that. The hair is best in winter cause it darkens n looks good. Then its priced by the oz. Usually 30-35 is the top dollar price. If u do any hunting in the winter I take porkies right up until april even road kill.

Here is another reason to respect porcupines.This thread was just posted and it sort of relates to the hazards of porcupines.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=201521

Lol that was just pure idiocy at its finest! Lol in all my years I've never been quilled. All I can wonder is how and why did he get his face close enough to a porcupine to get hit????

The caption said he looked 'into a tree' without a flashlight so I am presuming a fallen hollow log or a hole in a dead tree.

I've put this up before but it's always worth another view. It's one of those see it to believe it things.

http://www.wimp.com/porcupinepuppy/

When I was a kid there was a science center near our house that had an orphaned porky. After a few years he became the same way that this guy is. I don't ever remember wearing gloves though ? :)
I could never shoot one of these guys, unless it got my dog or something like that. But certainly not just to waste it.

Save a tree LOL
 

Here Here, I agree the dog got it twice done it took two times but he learned. And i let old porky live till i went for a hunt on the back quarter and found a bunch of my good old spruce trees dead with 3 good old porkys looking pretty content killing my trees. Dog learned to say clear porcupines: DIDN'T!!:budo:

So what is the average porcupine worth in the round?

Nube, I saw the guard hair for sale at Halfords and it was not cheap. I'm talking around $40. Maybe it's in their catalogue.

Still looking for porcupines. If u get em let me know.

It depends if you pluck the porky and on hair length, thickness and color, prices can range from 10$/oz up to 50/oz. The thicker, longer and darker, the better price.
If its a carcass or skin, then your looking at 10-15$ a piece.

celebrity porky
 

for the last 3 weeks iv'e been checking up on this big fellow. he hasn't moved from the trees near the road and the first time i saw him i was tempted to harvest him to try the meat, get the gaurd hair and bleach the skull. decided not to. a local lady stopped on the road when i was taking the pic. and said he's been around for awhile. 2 days ago as i was driving by to check on him i saw a school bus stop on the road and i'm sure the kids were waving at him.
the amount of bark he's eaten of the large trees around him is mind boggling. he is a tree stripping machine. i'm going to miss him when someone does decide to shoot him. seen a lot of porkys this year coyote hunting but really don't have the urge to shoot one.
another thing i noticed about this guy is that he is very light colored (almost golden) and he is not missing many quills off his back like you ussually see. so far he's living a charmed life. (knock on wood).

had a thought. i wonder if anyone has tried to breed/ranch them. i know it's probably illegal to keep wild animals in captivity, but if you had the space (large farm?) whats to stop you from catching them and letting them go on your property? after a few years you'd probably have quite a few. there easy to catch and i don't think they range all that far.

Still buying guard hair. Wholesale or oz. Reply or text 780-646-2369

Porcupine
 

I have a friend who plucks the hair but not the quills. Would you still want them and what would you pay.

That's exactly what I'm looking for. I usually pay 30$ an oz plucked and banded, for longer higher grade hair I'd be willing to pay a bit more too. 10-12"