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Joined: 13 Apr 2015 Posts: 75

I just returned from a great hunting trip to Montana for sharptail, huns and pheasant. The last morning my dog , a nine month old brittany got into a porcupine. As I was trying to remove the quills others in the party asked if I had shot the procupine. I replied that I was too busy getting the dog under control and removing quills that I did not care about the critter. Oh you should shoot them!

Normally, I don't like the idea of killing an animal that is minding its own business and does no harm to the bird population. I know soft city guy Wink

What do you guys think. Is it an ethical thing to do, a normal way of dealing with a problem, or just a wrong headed approach to dealing with the outdoor realities of nature.

Joined: 30 Jul 2012 Posts: 318 Location: Central, ND

If I find them in an area I hunt frequently I will shoot them. I spend enough money at the vet during hunting season without having quills removed.

Joined: 05 Oct 2020 Posts: 6 Location: St Clair Shores, MI

Kill em all

Joined: 05 Oct 2020 Posts: 6 Location: St Clair Shores, MI

Kill em all

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

Porcupines, raccoons etc., I have no problem killing especially if they mess with my dogs.

This is why hunting gets the rep of just a bunch of morons going out to kill stuff. Let the angry retorts begin.

James

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

Porcupines will girdle the bark on trees and it can kill them.

They should be shot if your area gets infested with them.

Gentlemen,

Usually I let the Porkies alone, and train my dogs not to mess with them by the use of the Dogtra T&B Collars. However if they start to come close to my log cabin, inside the Petsafe Fence, I put the dogs into the log cabin, and kill the porky and get rid of it, before it takes up residence. In reality even though the porky means no harm they are one of the most dangerous wild animals there is to a young bird dog, and the ones we have round here are very very large.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.c. Smith Man

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

eng-pointer,

I agree with Pine Creek/Dave, when they start coming around your home and/or kennels it's time take action. Whether the porcupine means harm or not, you don't want them around your dogs. Kinda like a rattlesnake or a rabid animal.

If you have never had (and I truly hope you don't) have one of these 'harmless' animals get tangled up with your dog then you can't imagine what the feeling is. It's not good, been there with a rabid raccoon, can't imagine what a porcupine might do.

So before you judge......

Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 962 Location: Minnesota

I kill every one I encounter while hunting.

I do not know how many dogs I have treated over the years as an Emergency Veterinarian for porcupine quills but it is dozens including my own dogs on 2 occasions. They can be serious on rare occasions and in fluke cases can be life threatening. So can any number of things out in the wilds. Risk is part of the game. I dare say very few people on this forum have more knowledge of the health threat porcupines pose to dogs than I. FYI I have treated hundreds of dogs for rattlesnake bites and they are rarely serious and very rarely life threatening. Killing rattlesnakes because they pose a serious threat to you or your dogs is utter bullshit. Rabies is a very serious disease but the vaccine is extremely effective. Rabies is not a serious threat to vaccinated animals. Post exposure treatment is also very effective for people. 1-2 people die from rabies per year in the US. Again not a serious threat.

We need to realize we are part of the world, not in control of the world. Killing something merely because it potentially could cause us harm is immoral. If you don't want to deal with minor property damage due to wildlife live in an apartment building. If you don't want to have dogs that could get hurt from wildlife buy a chihuahua and keep it in your living room.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1308 Location: Western WA

I generally leave them alone, they not being worth expending a round of ammunition. That being said, porcupines are notoriously easy to dispatch. I once came across one blocking a fishing trail. I had learned by experience to not kick them - the quills will penetrate clean through a heavy leather boot. So to hurry it along, I swatted it on the head with the butt of my fly rod. It fell over stone dead.

Another time we came across a pair of porcupines vigorously engaged in the act of perpetuating the species. How they managed to accomplish it without impaling each other with their quills still remains a mystery to me. Love conquers all, so they say.

B.

Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 962 Location: Minnesota

The last one I shot was in Montana on a hun hunt. Both of the GSP that we were hunting with got a huge face full of quills. I had to pin the dogs to the ground while the dog owner pulled quills with a pliers. It was all I could do to hold those dogs. They were in a lot of pain.

the problem we had growing up in northern minn was once our dogs got hit by a porky, even going thru the pain of removing the quills, they would go after them again for revenge, so we had to kill them. Now living in southern Ind, I kill anything going after our flock of chickens except female possums, the big mean males get killed as do all coons and foxes.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

My dogs are very important to me, they provide me with countless hours of enjoyment both at home and in the field......I love them.

If there is something that poses a threat to them I take care of it and do my best to keep them from getting hurt. Obviously that doesn't mean I shoot the threat every time as shooting inanimate objects won't change much.

Had my female shorthair get bit by a rabid raccoon 4 years ago. She didn't bite the raccoon but the raccoon bit her and was hanging off her shoulder. She is big and strong enough to throw the raccoon clear and when she did I killed the raccoon. Took it to the state medical lab and it was found to have rabies. Protocol was to give my dog a rabies vaccine, even though she had one 1 year previous and she had to be quarantined for 45 days, with no contact with any other animal and I basically couldn't let her off my property. Since the raccoon had rabies and I had a cut on my hand, I had to receive the full regimen of rabies vaccines.

I guess the bottom line here is that, if I feel that my dog(s) are threatened or harmed by a wild animal, you can call me anything you want but the threat is going to be killed in short order and I'll ask questions later. If someone has a problem with that, I guess that's their problem, my conscience is clear and both the dogs and I will sleep well that night.