Porcupine - what is he doing?

[John-W-WI]

In a months time (October - November) I caught this guy going up and down the same ridge 9 or 10 times.

What in the world would he be doing? At the bottom of the ridge is swampy ash swamp, at the top is hardwood oak/maple forest.

I had no idea a porki "traveled" from point a to point b, but this guy sure seems to be doing so? Here are the pictures:

 

[chummer]

I had one traveling from somewhere this year to the apple tree I had my camera on. He climbed over that camera everyday for a few weeks. I finally caught him out in the field after a hunt. Bye bye porky. My guess is he is traveling from his nest tree to feed.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

We get pictures of them over and over in the same spot over and over. They like apples, salt and treated wood. $5 bounty per harvest with no bag limit at our place.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

What's he doing? Ruining a bunch of your trees would be my guess. The maples for sure and probably the oaks. We have many trees that will never be much good due to the damage done by porkies. I get rid of every one I can.

 

[John-W-WI]

What's he doing? Ruining a bunch of your trees would be my guess. The maples for sure and probably the oaks. We have many trees that will never be much good due to the damage done by porkies. I get rid of every one I can.

Not directed at you Da U.P. 'eh - but I always laugh to myself. Everyone kills every porkie they see, yet many of us hinge, clear cut, and select cut to make things 'better'.

Is it possible porkies create good habitat too? Cavity nesters need somewhere to live, maybe the porkies help them out? (Owls, wood ducks, bats, etc.).

I'm probably the only one, but the rule on my farm is if you aren't going to eat it, and it didn't do anything to you; leave it alone. Mother nature is likely smarter than we are.

Wood chucks get the same pass. Every farmer I have met will tell you to kill every one you see. I've yet to see a tractor stuck in a woodchuck hole.

//Tree hugger rant off//

-John

 

[UP Powers]

Not directed at you Da U.P. 'eh - but I always laugh to myself. Everyone kills every porkie they see, yet many of us hinge, clear cut, and select cut to make things 'better'.

Is it possible porkies create good habitat too? Cavity nesters need somewhere to live, maybe the porkies help them out? (Owls, wood ducks, bats, etc.).

I'm probably the only one, but the rule on my farm is if you aren't going to eat it, and it didn't do anything to you; leave it alone. Mother nature is likely smarter than we are.

Wood chucks get the same pass. Every farmer I have met will tell you to kill every one you see. I've yet to see a tractor stuck in a woodchuck hole.

//Tree hugger rant off//

-John

Oh don't worry... He is not killing that many. I don't think he could hit the broadside of a barn with a handful of rocks. Plus, you have to actually be in the woods in the winter, my guess is that where he is now there hasn't been snow in the past 100 years. :) HEHEHEHHE