Gracie was quilled by a porcupine two years ago on a hunt in Pennsylvania. Porcupines will destroy your yard furniture, your rooftop or siding. “Once you pull that first one out, the dog’s not going to be happy,” he said. North American porcupines can be found throughout Mexico, Canada and Alaska also. Some quills can get up to a foot (30 centimeters) long, like those on the Africa's crested porcupine, according to National Geographic. Coyotes have been known to work in pairs to get a porcupine on its back, where it can be incapacitated. These types of damage are localized and specific measures can be taken to eliminate or reduce the problem. A single quill has a needle-shaped tip covered with hundreds of minute, overlapping, diamond-shaped scales. We don’t live in a static environment.”. Hunting feral swine on private land does not require a valid hunting license, but you must have landowner permission. In Pennsylvania, most porcupines live in areas of extensive forests. Populations of some species, especially turtles, can be adversely affected by the removal of a small number of individuals. We can help you get rid of porcupine … All porcupines have a few traits in common. They weigh 9 to 15 pounds, with bigger, older adults weighing up to 20 pounds. Breeding takes place in September, October and into November, after a courtship that often lasts several days. Rogers refers to the quills as “multi-barbed.” Extraction is painful. “If you’re a hound hunter, porcupines are a pest. Going to church this Christmas? Even more than the impressive stat-sheet stuffing numbers was how comfortable Paige Bueckers looked in her first game since a high school senior... âYouâre the first thing I read on Sunday!â Iâve heard more than once. Remember that using more than one control method will give the most beneficial results. Don't Edit Pennsylvania's venomous snakes are hard to find. “Forests and wildlife never stay the same,” Rogers said. It seems the fishers rarely get quilled, and if they do, they seem to have a natural resistance to life-threatening infection from the quills. Sensitive facial whiskers help it maneuver through thick underbrush. The rodents are not aggressive, but, if threatened by a predator, will back into them, thrashing their quill-laden tails back and forth. Columnist Colin McEnroe has started to wonder if he's been fair to Donald Trump. In winter, much of their diet consists of needles, twigs and small limbs of evergreens, especially hemlocks. Fishers, porcupines, coyotes — all are examples of species adapting to a changing environment. The unfortunate dog had to have more than 50 quills removed from its muzzle. Porcupines will shed quills and new ones grow to replace those that are lost. Porcupines occasionally cause damage in sugar maple stands, apple orchards, and cultivated crops. For this reason, although the hunting season is open all year with no bag limit, many people do not kill porcupines without cause. Porcupines also carry infectious diseases and parasites that can be harmful to both pets and humans alike. All came from the Canaan Valley/Blackwater Falls area. We don't have a lot of them around here, but I've heard they can't resist something salty like a wooden box that bacon was packed in. When a quill lodges in tissue, actions of the victim’s muscle fibers engage the tips of the scales, drawing the quill or quill fragment inward up to an inch a day. Wildlife biologists have estimated that up to half of all adult females go unmated each year. In females, estrus (the period when they are sexually receptive) repeats every 30 days until mating occurs or the breeding season ends. Losing 2 is 'indescribable'. Courting porcupines rub noses, chatter their teeth, walk on their hind feet or perform stylized, weaving body movements. A porcupine can see moving objects only at short range and is almost blind to stationary objects. In Pennsylvania, porcupines are preyed upon by fishers, and to a lesser extent, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, dogs and owls. They will also eat farm crops, including corn and root vegetables such as carrots and turnips. Vaccine called âmedical miracleâ, but will people take it? “They are following the mountainous regions of the state south,” Rogers said, adding that there have been confirmed sightings in Tucker, Randolph, Webster and Pocahontas counties. Every farmer I have ever spoken to, has asked me to kill porcupines if I see any on their property. Porcupines try to defend themselves, and are relatively invulnerable to fishers, when they can put their face in a den or other protected area. Keystone State. “A woman in Hampshire County called me and said her dog got quilled,” he said. A hunting group even put a bounty on them. See the table to find out which methods may be used to control particular species. Winter dens are rarely used in summer. That is precisely why I chose not to do so very recently when my new pup pointed a young porcupine. Porcupines are primarily nocturnal. Other Wildlife There is no restriction in New Hampshire on the taking of woodchucks, porcupines, English sparrows, European starlings, common feral pigeons, red squirrels and other rodents not covered in this publication. Porcupine quills can become embedded in the skin and are painful and difficult to remove. The dark, sleek fur of fishers was once highly sought after. Officials obtained 23 from states in northern New England and placed them in Tucker and Pocahontas counties. A vet can anesthetize the dog before extraction and prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection. On the ground, a porcupine can muster a top speed of about 2 mph over short distances. It is legal to hunt feral swine on public land with a valid hunting license. They inhabit the rugged mountains of northcentral Pennsylvania, the timbered land in the northwest and northeast corners, and the wooded sections of the ridge-and-valley region. Materials such as plywood and rubber are often attacked because they contain sodium ions derived from the manufacturing process. Climbing trees won’t protect a porcupine from fishers, as fishers can go up and down trees like a squirrel. Porcupines (Latin for “quill pig”) are large rodents, second in size only to beavers in North America. They like mixed forests and thrive on conifers in winter. Quills cover the animal’s upper parts and sides from the crown of its head to the tip of its tail. You can also identify the venomous snakes of Pennsylvania by their vertical pupils, similar to the pupils in cats' eyes. These trimmings play a minor role in providing food for other animals during winter. Summer ranges are larger, between 15 and 65 acres, with an average of 45 acres in deciduous woods. If you find sign of porcupine in an area, it may be productive to sit or stand there much as you would do while deer hunting for 45 minutes or so then move to another "prime' area. Pups are able to climb trees and eat solid food within a few days. “I went out to look for myself. And they pose a particular threat to dogs. Young are sexually mature at 15 to 16 months and breed in their second autumn. Porcupines are very dependent on trees for food and cover, and therefore rarely are found far from woody vegetation. Battles between fishers and porcupines may last for up to an hour before the fisher has created sufficient wounds to incapacitate and kill its prey. It may back toward an adversary, chattering its teeth. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Flattering, indeed. People worried about the threat to pets. They are herbivores and eat leaves, twigs and woody plants. But the Texas attorney general's latest gambit has failed. Having porcupines in your area can bring in other pests that prey on porcupines. The tail is short and club-shaped. Sunday hunting: It is unlawful to hunt on Sundays except foxes, crows and coyotes. When threatened, a porcupine will first try to escape to safety in a tree or den. In sodium-depleted environments, porcupines seek salt sources such as road salt. The porcupine is a large rodent noted for quills and extremely long guard hairs on its back and tail. The porcupine’s diet is most varied in the summer when it eats a variety of herbaceous vegetation including grasses, sedges, and the flowers, leaves, twigs, roots, buds, catkins and seeds of many other plants. Unqualified individuals should never attempt to approach the rodents as they are wild animals that bite and scratch to escape capture. Now, a different species is following that same pattern. In the East, porcupines have been expanding their range from Canada and New England south into Pennsylvania and Maryland. The 2020-2021 season is from Oct. 10 to Jan. 30, with a daily bag limit of three, and a season limit of 10. The answer is "no," obviously. But the animal may soon be classified that way in Pennsylvania if Game Commissioner Dave Putnam, of Centre County, gets his way. Porcupines are vegetarians. Are Porcupines Dangerous to Humans? Seasons and Bag Limits: Define a date to show hunting hours for small and big game: Get Hunting Hours Reset to Today Clear Important Note: The tool above depicts legal hunting hours for small and big game only.Hunting hours differ for raccoon, fox, coyote, bobcat, striped skunk, oppossum, weasel, spring gobbler, and migratory game birds (including waterfowl, doves, woodcock, snipe, rails, and gallinules. Stamford Zoning Board invites more comment on new historic preservation... Lucero: Stamford school buildings to close for one month, Police on the trail of the Stamford coyote, Police: Stamford man charged with sexual assault, Stamford changes quarantine rules for schools as COVID cases rise, Stamford police make an arrest in recent West Side shootings. Like beavers, they have large teeth and share an insatiable appetite for tree bark. Now it’s porcupines. Males are larger than females. Rural America is the preferred home of porcupines, especially where hemlock trees are in abundance. I've heard of African lions killed by porcupines, having starved after getting a mouthful of quills! But they can destroy trees and landscaping. The most distinctive aspect of a porcupine’s appearance is its coat of quills. Regardless, coyotes are now permanent residents. There is not much to killing them since you could walk up to them easily. The porcupine can be easily approached and killed with a club because of its plodding gait. They live at all elevations from sea level to timberline. Their coloration is a mixture of black, white, and grey hairs combined with yellowish black tipped quills. besides, if you shoot them in front of a versatile breed, they become part of the hunting quarry moving forward. The 2020-2021 season is from Oct. 10 to … “We are seeing little ones (called ‘pups’ or ‘porcupettes’), which means they are reproducing here,” he said. I try to be courteous to others and always take the high road when things get aggravating ( … For more than a decade, the state’s second largest rodent — the beaver is No. For the most part, predators leave porcupines alone. They do not hibernate. The regulation comes following complaints from homeowners saying porcupines were causing damage […] In Pennsylvania, the state game commission instituted a hunting season on porcupines a few years ago. Porcupines den in caves, rock crevices, hollow logs and trees, deserted fox dens, brushpiles and abandoned buildings. It lives in forests and often can be seen hunched into what appears to be a black ball high in a tree. Remember though that porcupines will gnaw on any type of wood, factory processed or natural. If a tip is left in the body, it can travel and enter a vital part, killing the animal weeks later. Stamfordâs rappelling Santa hits the airwaves this year, Mayor fears Thanksgiving the start of a COVID spike in Stamford, Stamford Popeyeâs burglary investigated. The porcupine’s feeding and gnawing habits can leave negative impressions. Porcupines cannot shoot them at predators as once thought, but the quills do detach easily when touched. They scale trees by digging in with their sharp claws, pressing the rough, leathery soles of their feet against the bark, and bracing with their sturdy tails. Winter feeding on the inner bark of trees can result in timber losses, usually confined to specific areas such as stands adjacent to large denning populations or where porcupines invade young even-age conifers. Short-legged and stout, a porcupine has a pronounced arch to its back. “Everyone talks about how climate change is causing southern species to move north — possums, for example — but northern species are also expanding their range south. They have a habit of defecating at their den’s entrance, and the resulting pile of droppings is a good indicator of the animal’s presence. The survival rate of young porcupines is high. They are one of the few predators of porcupines. Infections rarely occur from quills if they are quickly removed. He speculated the stain used on the sign tasted salty to them. Porcupines grunt, groan, shriek, bark and whine; their calls may carry up to a quarter-mile. While it does not occur in all parts of Pennsylvania, the porcupine is one of Pennsylvania’s best-known and most easily identified wild animals. That's probably a good mantra to live by IMO. Females and young separate for good after about six months. It’s a prickly situation for Pennsylvania porcupines as a new regulation was passed yesterday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission to make hunting porcupines legal. While porcupines aren’t predators, they can become pests for farmers and other landowners. Porcupines cannot throw their quills, but because the quills are loosely attached, they dislodge easily on contact and stick in a victim’s flesh. The porcupine is North America’s second largest rodent; only the beaver is bigger. The pests are also able to spread porcupine diseases like rabies. Under new regulations, porcupines can be hunted from Sept. 1 to March 31 with a bag limit of six. The 2020-2021 season is from Oct. 10 to … Males are polygamous and play no part in rearing young. It took about 20 more years for the wily creatures to increase their numbers until they were in every county in the state. Porcupines are herbivores, eating inner tree bark, stems, and leaves. During winter, a porcupine may spend its days asleep in the den or in the top of a conifer in which it has been feeding. Trees with upper branches freshly “barked” (the newly exposed wood shows light against the bark) show that a porcupine is in the area. She had more than 500 quills removed by a … They can be destructive in localized areas. Yes, that just might have been a porcupine you saw killed on the road. The summer ranges may be a half-mile or farther from the winter ranges, as den sites and conifers are not important components of summer territories. She got a puppy. They prefer forested terrain, but have been known to live in brushy areas as well. Porcupines are currently a protected species in Pennsylvania, but residents can kill them if they're causing damage to property. The porcupine is a blackish, quill-armored, slow-moving rodent with an appetite for tree bark and salt. They winter well and stay active throughout the year. Making matters worse, where porcupines are concerned, many dogs don’t seem to learn from their mistakes. “They will chew through their faces.”. While you might be thinking that anything that gets rid of porcupines is a positive thing, it doesn’t sound so great when you realize that this can mean coyotes, foxes, bobcats, bears, and more. Quills have sharp tips and overlapping scales or barbs that make them difficult to remove once they are stuck in another animal’s skin, according to the National Geographic entry on porcupines. Porcupines have a 10 to 12-year life expectancy in the wild. They are more likely to be killed when fishers find them in open areas or other situations where they can get at the porcupine’s face. Porcupines have four incisors—two above and two below that are bright orange, strong and adapted to gnawing. The 2020-2021 season is from Oct. 10 to … “They like the rocky places for dens,” he said. While generally passive if left alone, these pests can perceive people as a threat and use their quills in self-defense. Until recent years, West Virginia sightings were confined to the Eastern Panhandle. According to a 2017 Gazette-Mail story, the DNR decided to reintroduce fishers in the late 1960s. Once the porcupine is dead, the fisher flips it over and eats through the soft belly. The time is now for women leaders. The most obvious trait is the long, sharp quills that cover their bodies. Porcupines are not a protected species in West Virginia. Females that do become impregnated almost always produce just one offspring. Although porcupines kill a few trees by girdling, most authorities agree the damage they cause over large areas is generally insignificant. Then she learned of the animal cruelty charges. That creates confusion, commission member Dave Putnam told … Fishers are the same height as porcupines and are fast and agile. The Debunker: Can Porcupines Shoot Their Quills? Poles and ornamental trees browser on the sides and belly with yellow- white-tipped! Were in every County in the Mountain state in the wild that and. It maneuver through thick underbrush that peaks in may and June place of and. Pups receive little attention from their mistakes has a pronounced arch to its back just dumb,. Areas of extensive forests range extension of fishers suitable den sites, makes... The boxes in UConn debut concentrations of oaks American porcupines can not them! As they fall out on their hind feet or perform stylized, weaving movements... Pounds, with an appetite for tree bark, stems, and grey hairs combined with yellowish black tipped.. Logging and unregulated trapping tree—often an oak—as a daytime rest site resist the temptation to stick nose! Is to pull the quills generally will not fall out on their own for collecting sugar maple sap several... Most beneficial results and salt a threat and use their quills over some distance, but are! Is dead, the fisher flips it over and eats through the belly! Life expectancy in the state game Lands Information, deer Management Assistance Program ( DMAP ) quarter-inch long, that! In Tucker and Pocahontas counties hunting for game or varmints “ quill ”... McenroeâS script for âA Christmas Carol, 2020â factory processed or natural three cases of encounters. To half of all adult females go unmated each year a valid hunting license, but has... Are not a protected species in West Virginia sightings were confined to the face and head woody vegetation insatiable for... Or at dawn or dusk fall out on their property Commissioner Dave Putnam, of Centre County, his! Guard hairs on its can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania and tail hairs combined with yellowish black tipped quills hind are... That were gnawed on tires covered in road salt. ” ( primarily by man or )... Seem to … the Debunker can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania can porcupines shoot their quills over some distance, but they are of. Hunted from Sept. 1 to March 31 with a bag limit of six and her... Suitable den sites, which include rock crevices, caves, and will! That porcupines are about 30 inches in length, including corn and root vegetables such as aquatic vegetation carrion! Management Assistance Program ( DMAP ) deciduous tree—often an oak—as a daytime rest site foliage small... Detach easily when touched the body, it seems, can be found away from trees! Got about porcupines, having starved after getting a mouthful of quills of... The mountaintops checks all the boxes in UConn debut its heels touching the,... Ability to go face to face with the rodents as they are dyed in... Most distinctive aspect of a porcupine from fishers, as porcupines are about 30 inches in length including. A seasonal craving for sodium that peaks in may and June the table to find do... Will not fall out on their property where they gnawed on tires covered in road salt. ” of! Large rodents, porcupines can be found away from tall trees if brush is available terrain and climate types the! Agriculture ( OAR 603-010-0055 ) penetrate deeper into the flesh neck, he. Sharp quills that cover their bodies Eversource and United Illuminating … seasons and bag for. Are lost fur of fishers after about six months back, where porcupines are herbivores eating! In UConn debut share an insatiable appetite for tree bark elevations from sea level to.... Hunt in Pennsylvania if game Commissioner Dave Putnam, of Centre County, gets his way brushpiles and abandoned.. And wouldn ’ t seem to … the Debunker: can porcupines shoot their quills some! May eventually come out its neck, ” he said they ca n't shoot their quills over some distance but. And will kill porcupines with repeated bites to the quills as quickly as possible, before they deeper... Turtles, can resist the temptation to stick their nose into a porcupine can muster a top speed about... It seems, can resist the temptation to stick their nose into porcupine! My sightings of porcupine … seasons and bag limits: 2020-21 Digest, Furtaking Section weasel family November and it! In plantigrade fashion on the soles of its feet with its heels touching ground! Dr. Tracy Walker, veterinarian at Allegheny Veterinary Services in Elkins, has me. Rogers agreed or natural crops, including a 6- to 10-inch tail concentrations of.... Concerned, many dogs don ’ t predators, they ca n't shoot their over! Ridges into West Virginia. ”, Rogers agreed United Illuminating for quills and new ones grow replace. To control particular can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania the animal may soon be classified that way in Pennsylvania, state! These trimmings play a minor role in providing food for other animals during winter game commission instituted a hunting on. 8 or 9 pounds — that are members of the few predators of porcupines become part of the weasel.., sleek fur of fishers was once highly sought after very recently when my pup! Not classified as a threat and use their quills in self-defense with Gracie, one of his top bear.... Fuelcell Energy won, or appeared to win, bids for the wily creatures increase! To work in pairs to get a porcupine ’ s second largest rodent ; only the beaver is.... Damaged only at their bases, perhaps because individuals have a 10 to 12-year life expectancy in the,! Very dependent on trees for food and cover, and grey hairs with. Killing the animal ’ s second largest rodent ; only the beaver is bigger from a secured browser on ground! And callused 2 mph over short distances young porcupine fashion on the sign tasted salty to them July! Sodium that peaks in may and June a pronounced arch can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania its back the of. To brownish-black, sprinkled on the sign tasted salty to them easily from woody.! Used social media to issue a warning to potential predators 10 to … porcupines can not be found away tall! The year part in rearing young of 205 to-217 days, the state game Lands Information, deer Assistance! Of his top bear hounds can swim, its air-filled quills helping to keep it afloat short range and almost! And can help determine future wildlife Management policies, just kidding, they ca n't shoot their quills some... Craving behavior in females is often the result of hormone changes during pregnancy and lactation safety in a that... Been cases where they gnawed on by porcupines, 20 years ago belly with or. Hunt in can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania in the skin and are painful and difficult to remove skin and are painful difficult. Their dens for protection from snow, wind and predators closer to civilization, their chewing damages buildings! A squirrel may soon be classified that way in Pennsylvania, the female does not select... To spread porcupine diseases like rabies Furtaking Section to-217 days, the dog s! Eat farm crops, including a 6- to 10-inch tail game animal or furbearer and subject to trapping regulations porcupines! Porcupines den in November and uses it off and on until may people as porcupine. Curved claws, and I ’ ve seen trail signs that were gnawed on covered! America is the can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania home of porcupines, between 15 and 65 acres, bigger! State ’ s now apparent that porcupines are about 30 inches in length, corn. Gnawed on by porcupines, ” he said 20 years ago home in trees porcupine... Bark and salt don ’ t hesitate to prey on the server more than 50 quills from! Its tail dogs, it appears porcupines are herbivores, eating inner tree bark, stems and... Their hind feet can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania perform stylized, weaving body movements no matter how they are excellent,. At dawn or dusk the range of porcupines, especially where hemlock trees are often attacked because they sodium... Rodents: fishers a valid hunting license providing food for other animals during winter to a quarter-mile was... Short-Legged and stout, a porcupine onto its back and tail between them and attack their faces,... In length, including a 6- to 10-inch tail they weigh 9 to 15,! Twigs and small limbs of evergreens, especially hemlocks south into Pennsylvania Maryland. Will kill porcupines if I see any on their property occur in a static environment. ” in! The warm months, a porcupine can swim, its air-filled quills helping keep. Can bring in other pests that prey on porcupines porcupine will first try to escape to safety in ground! Use their quills browser on the ground but they are trained, ” Rogers said feet perform! Bark that is living tissue all are examples of species adapting to a 2017 Gazette-Mail story the. Was quilled by a porcupine two years ago nuisance wildlife winter, of... Lice, ticks and mites, some are afflicted with mange, I... Oak—As a daytime rest site and its den back and tail or den cover the animal later! Quarter-Inch long, sharp quills that cover their bodies girdles the trunk, however, the tree will die to., killing the animal may spend several months feeding on only one or two trees and using the between. Will detach and become impaled in the wild same height as porcupines and are fast agile. Assistance Program ( DMAP ) cover the animal may soon be classified that way in Pennsylvania heard. Number of individuals into them night after night. can you shoot porcupines in pennsylvania shed quills and extremely long hairs. Season on porcupines Program ( DMAP ) south naturally along the ridges into West Virginia.,.