Best Cast Bullet For Porcupine

[shrapnel]

I have been developing all sorts of loads for all sorts of critters. I found that to get penetration through the quills of a porcupine, you need a heavy bullet. A winchester 1895 and a 380 grain grease groove bullet will give you complete penetration...

http://i.imgur.com/xTz2GDY.jpg (https://imgur.com/xTz2GDY)

[dverna]

A car works too. LOL

[quilbilly]

Interesting bit of porcupine trivia. Another is that a porcupine has a 4 foot vertical leap (couldn't believe it when I watched it leaving me giggling). Merry Christmas to all!!

[shrapnel]

Interesting bit of porcupine trivia. Another is that a porcupine has a 4 foot vertical leap (couldn't believe it when I watched it leaving me giggling). Merry Christmas to all!!

I wouldn't believe that myself until I shot one that was wearing Air Jordan tennis shoes...

[turtlezx]

50 bmg dont want to wound 1 might attack

[ACC]

Well since they are protected in Texas, they are making a quick recover, I could not say for sure, but if I was to go hunt one today, I would use my Ruger 7.62X39 rifle if I was gunna use a rifle with a 130 grain plain base bullet going about 1700 FPS. If I was using a hand gun a .357 loaded with a 125 grain cast Lee flat point going about 1450FPS would be my choice. But like I said right now they are protected in Texas. BTW, I have seen 5 or 6 out at my wife's property. They were chewing on Hackberry trees so even if I could shoot them I wouldn't since they want to help get rid of those nasty hackberry trees.

ACC

[arlon]

Well since they are protected in Texas, they are making a quick recover, I could not say for sure, but if I was to go hunt one today, I would use my Ruger 7.62X39 rifle if I was gunna use a rifle with a 130 grain plain base bullet going about 1700 FPS. If I was using a hand gun a .357 loaded with a 125 grain cast Lee flat point going about 1450FPS would be my choice. But like I said right now they are protected in Texas. BTW, I have seen 5 or 6 out at my wife's property. They were chewing on Hackberry trees so even if I could shoot them I wouldn't since they want to help get rid of those nasty hackberry trees.

ACC

Protected? Are you sure about that? That's a new one on me.

[shrapnel]

Protected? Are you sure about that? That's a new one on me.

This is from the Texas Parks and Wildlife ...

Non-game animals include (but are not limited to) the following: armadillos, bobcats coyotes, flying squirrels, frogs, ground squirrels, mountain lions, porcupines, prairie dogs, rabbits, and turtles. There is no closed season on these animals and a valid hunting license is required. They may be hunted at any time by any lawful means on private property. Public hunting lands may have restrictions. The take of any nongame species for commercial purposes (sale, offer for sale, barter, or exchange) from public lands or waters is unlawful. Note: Take precautions when handling Armadillos, as they could possibly be carrying leprosy.


Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans...John Steinbeck

[richhodg66]

Curious as to why you'd shoot one, can you eat them? Are they a nuisance animal? Truthfully, I don't know much about them.

[shrapnel]

Curious as to why you'd shoot one, can you eat them? Are they a nuisance animal? Truthfully, I don't know much about them.

If you ever get permission to hunt on private land, you will soon find out how destructive they are. Trees and cows are the worst enemy of the porcupine...

[sixshot]

Porcupines can be surprisingly hard to kill, they are tough buggers! We find them along streams where there are lots of willows & trees. A good cast HP running 1200-1300 fps from my six guns usually quiets them right down! Years ago I worked with a old timer that the Forest Service would hire in the winter to snow shoe in the back country & kill Porcupines that were killing trees.

Dick

[GregLaROCHE]

Curious as to why you'd shoot one, can you eat them? Are they a nuisance animal? Truthfully, I don't know much about them.

You sure can eat them.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

As a kid I used to shoot them out of the pine trees with a .22 rifle. Seldom took more than one head shot to bring them tumbling down out of the tree, DOI (dead on impact).

[adcoch1]

122 grn hollowpoint from an sks is a great porky stopping round. Just don't get too close, when the quills get blown off you may pick up a few. 200grn 44 mag works too.

[Geezer in NH]

Son and I doing ADC work kill them easily with a silenced 22lr pistol and rifle. Hit them in the head with a stick they die right then.

[ole_270]

Several years ago my sister in law shipped her palomino gelding to her nephew east of Sheridan Wy to train for roping. Didn't take long for him to find out porcupines were trouble. Had quills in his nose and front legs. Fianlly got him healed up and turned him out again. Next morning found him with quills driven clear into the bone of his front legs. He was in bad shape and had to be put down. Not sure if there was a war on porcupines or not after that.

[nun2kute]

Haven't seen one here in a bunch of years so I haven't tried stewing one. But my Grampa told me they're greasy.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

To speak to a couple of posts: Yes, they are edible. I participated in eating several of them as a youngster, as shot and skinned by me, and as prepared by my mother. They taste similar, but not exactly, like roast beef. You wouldn't want to shoot them with any of the proposed larger calibers, as they're bound to end up looking like the O.P.'s specimen in the photo, and they're hard enough to skin anyway. It must be done.......carefully! They are protected in many areas because they are considered "survivor" food. If you catch them on the ground it's possible for a starving person to run them down and club them. But, where I lived at the time, they were considered to be destructive pests by the U.S. Forest Service as they destroyed many trees by eating the tender tops out of them. There was no season and no bag limit. I see them occasionally where I live now, but am not certain what their status is, and don't really plan on finding out, as I like those beef rib steaks that come in plastic trays and wrap at the supermarket. Because, "kinda like roast beef" isn't exactly like roast beef, and certainly not like steak!

253522
Click to enlarge.

Here's one standing on his hind legs out by the salt lick.

DG

[reloader28]

[QUOTE=shrapnel;4790446]This is from the Texas Parks and Wildlife ...

Non-game animals include (but are not limited to) the following: armadillos, bobcats coyotes, flying squirrels, frogs, ground squirrels, mountain lions, porcupines, prairie dogs, rabbits, and turtles. There is no closed season on these animals and a valid hunting license is required. They may be hunted at any time by any lawful means on private property. Public hunting lands may have restrictions. The take of any nongame species for commercial purposes (sale, offer for sale, barter, or exchange) from public lands or waters is unlawful. Note: Take precautions when handling Armadillos, as they could possibly be carrying leprosy.


Correct me if I'm wrong but that does not say they are protected. Thats saying that if you have a license you can shoot them at any time of the year on private property

Around here we kill every one we find as they are hard on animals and wreck the trees.

[ACC]

Protected? Are you sure about that? That's a new one on me.

Yep, the game warden who was so nice to visit our place Monday, remined me about it. It is in the 12.01.19 issue off the statutes.

That is December 1, 2019 version which I have not been able to find yet.

ACC

[skeettx]

Sorry, I must throw the white flag on this one,

I can find NO reference in our Fish and Game Statutes to support this
Please help me to believe in my un-belief.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/

Mike

[TCLouis]

I can tell you that releasing one out of a #3 leg hold trap takes some concentration.

[sixshot]

I know that the really fine guard hair on their belly is worth a lot of money but it takes a lot of guard hair to weigh an ounce. I have a young friend who lives close by that has a technique worked out where he catches them alive & get's that valuable hair off of them & then releases them all in the same canyon every year. Makes quite a bit of money doing it but I have no idea how he does it without getting "quilled"

Dick

[Texas by God]

Legal to kill in Texas on private property.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[ACC]

OK, I made a mistake. I am sorry about that. On private property you can hunt them. If you get chosen for a hunt on Wild Life refuge, like the Chaparral, close to Devine, when they release you to hunt varmits, you cannot hunt porcupine. Just looked that up in the new book. I guess they want to really confuse me.

I will not be hunting them on my wife's property as they are clearing Hackberry trees for us.

ACC

[MT Chambers]

Illegal to hunt in Saskatchewan, but are very hard on dogs, you have to sedate them to remove quills, if you're lucky..... and the next day they will do it again. The reason given for protection is that they can be killed with a stick and eaten if you are lost and starving in the Saskatchewan wilderness.

[georgerkahn]

Congrats vis your porky kill! Bion, there is but one legged critter I have absolutely no use for and it IS the porcupine. I had to put aluminum flashing around an entire shed at camp to keep them from eating it. I have another shed I just built this year -- pressure treated 4 x 4's buried in ground vertically, with an old pickup truck cap atop them as a roof. New in October, they're about 1/3rd of the way through one of them. One of the valued timber at camp, too, is hemlock -- and that is believed and proven to be one of their favourite delicacies! What really works well at ranges up to ~30 yards is a .22 air rifle using hollow point field 14.3gn pellets -- each with a Zippo cigarette lighter flint pushed in the front of the pellet. At greater ranges -- 'specially when porky's up high up in a tree (usually a hemlock), all is needed is a plain-Jane .22 long rifle -- generally I use a CZ Varmint with CCI Stinger ammo. With either scenario, I either miss -- or, they drop... quite dead.
geo

[Three44s]

Just get a 12” crescent out and smack’em between the running lights!

No joking!

Three44s

[shrapnel]

They aren't as hard to handle as many think. My brother and I were catching them alive when we were kids. All you need to do is roll them over on their back and grab the rear leg with your hand. I have done it many times with a live porcupine...

http://i.imgur.com/dBNOuCh.jpg (https://imgur.com/dBNOuCh)

[sixshot]

Yes, but Shrapnel there were a lot of things you & your brother did when you were kids that WEREN'T normal, admit it buddy!!!! You probably did it with Bobcats too!

Dick

[veeman]

Yes, but Shrapnel there were a lot of things you & your brother did when you were kids that WEREN'T normal, admit it buddy!!!! You probably did it with Bobcats too!

Dick

LOL That I can believe!

[fatnhappy]

A car works too. LOL

true story, my Uncle Earl swerved to nail a porcupine and got more than he expected. He had to replace all his coolant hoses.
This is the same uncle that put chains on his tires to get the last 1/2 mile to camp but was too lazy to lock them down, which removed all his brake lines.

Moral of the story: don't drive with Uncle Earl

[ACC]

I thought that crazy stuff he did when he was a kid was with Skunks!

ACC

[Jedman]

It seems strange but I have never seen a porcupine in Ohio. They are suppose to live in the NE part of our state but never even heard of them mentioned. I have seen them several times in Northern Michigan and many western states but by some of the replies to this thread they must not be " everywhere ".

Jedman

[M-Tecs]

Killed many with a hammer or a shovel. Drive their nose into their brain. For shooting mostly used 22LR but they are a kill on sight animal if you live in ranch or horse country so I have killed them with centerfire rifles, shotguns and a couple with the bow.

[chaos]

OK, I made a mistake. I am sorry about that. On private property you can hunt them. If you get chosen for a hunt on Wild Life refuge, like the Chaparral, close to Devine, when they release you to hunt varmits, you cannot hunt porcupine. Just looked that up in the new book. I guess they want to really confuse me.

I will not be hunting them on my wife's property as they are clearing Hackberry trees for us.

ACC

If you ever had a dog get a hold of one, you'd rethink that.

[Loudy13]

Tree terrorists fall easily with 150gr HP cast bullet with GC at 950 FPS outta my single shot 300 BO.

[lostsixgunner]

They may like hemlock trees, but the ones I have met prefer plywood!
We had a camp in the Adirondacks sided with plywood. I think it's the glue.
Had to wrap the bottom four feet with sheet aluminum to keep them off!