Grouse Hunting the U.P. of Michigan

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

Eric, I had a male Gordon that was first "introduced" to porcupines on the plains of Montana. He could not be deterred from attacking them, even after having to be sedated twice at the vet because the quills were so deep in his mouth. I believe that your case with Katie is not all that uncommon, and that when dogs develops what can only be called a hatred for porkies, it never leaves them

And skunks... don't even ask about that ! To her the only good porky or skunk was a dead one! It was a mission for her.

[Ed Norman]

Originally Posted by Gary Laudermilch

I trash break my dogs on porkys and I don't get soft about it. I have never pulled a quill.

Gary,
Could you explain trash break please. I am wondering if thats what the brittany breeder was talking about when trying to help me get my dog broke from porcupines.

[Reggie B]

When dogs pursue game/animals other than the intended, the unwanted game is often referred to as "trash". Here in the South coonhounds were apt to tree an occasional opossum or a foxhound might chase a rabbit rather than a fox. Owners tried hard but often failed to break their dogs from perusing the "trash". Today it is done with shock collars, when I was a kid it was done with a large stick. And I am not supporting either, just stating the facts as I know them.

[Gary Laudermilch]

I live in country where dogs will often encounter critters that I do not want them to be involved with, be it porkys, skunks, bear, deer, bobcats, coyotes etc. It is not at all uncommon to run into this stuff right outside my front door. If I did not teach the dogs to ignore this stuff I would have a constant circus on my hands as my dogs are never on a leash. I use the same technique to teach them to stay off the road. It is all for their own benefit. If done correctly and at a young enough age it should not take more than one training session for each. The objective is to have the dog think the offending critter was the source of their discomfort not you. I never associate any command with the correction. I usually begin trash breaking as soon as a pup is collar trained, about 5-6 months old. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[Ed Norman]

Gary,
Thanks, when we got our brittany cash, he was 2.5 years old. The old owner would often let him out of the house and run free. It has not been easy because he has so many bad habit engrained in him. The brittany breeder has been telling me what to do with the shock collar when he encounters and unwanted animal. The last time (a couple of weeks ago) he went on point under a large pine tree, he didn't look quite as intense, something seemed off, I hurried over, as soon as I saw the porcupine, I put my finger on the shock button, and waited, usually he pounces as soon as the porcupine moves. The porcupine started walking off, cash moved forward a half step, looked at me, I just shook my head no, and waited. After about 20 seconds he would not move forward any further, so I called him off. My breeder said he would of shocked him, I told my breeder he wouldn't go forward so I didn't shock him. He said maybe he has learned after all. The breeder says he is a "porcupine hunter" jokingly. He has found 5 in the 2.5 years we have had him. Hopefully he has learned his lesson.

[C.O.B.]

Daisy never met a porky she couldn't whip. We stopped hunting a good place for woodcock because it was also a good place for porky's. Ike got into one last year pretty bad. One quill was a real pain. His face swelled up and he was on antibiotics for months. The vet tried to take it out surgically twice. This year he got into one again but it mostly on his leg. I always carry a pair of hemostats in my vest.

While going to a cover to hunt I came on a big porky in the road. I stopped the truck got the Kimber 45 from the center counsel and gave the offending rodent two hollow points. He will never injure a bird dog.

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

Daisy never met a porky she couldn't whip. We stopped hunting a good place for woodcock because it was also a good place for porky's. Ike got into one last year pretty bad. One quill was a real pain. His face swelled up and he was on antibiotics for months. The vet tried to take it out surgically twice. This year he got into one again but it mostly on his leg. I always carry a pair of hemostats in my vest.

While going to a cover to hunt I came on a big porky in the road. I stopped the truck got the Kimber 45 from the center counsel and gave the offending rodent two hollow points. He will never injure a bird dog.

Yep that one kill of Daisy's, cost Magic the season (over 200 quills) and I was with Rich when he dispatched that porky this fall I didn't see the sucker but he did and the truck came to a immediate halt, grab the 45 two shots and throw it into a tree, and nothing was said as we drove down the road after I hate those suckers!

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

While going to a cover to hunt I came on a big porky in the road. I stopped the truck got the Kimber 45 from the center counsel and gave the offending rodent two hollow points. He will never injure a bird dog.

Unless or until another bird dog decides to roll in the putrefied carcass which still has all those nasty quills.
I don't disagree with dispatching the critter but I think we should be careful how we dispose of the carcass.





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[Ed Norman]

I passed on dispatching the last porcupine that my brittany pointed recently under a pine tree. I am afraid if I shoot the porcupine with my dog anywhere nearby, he may associate the gunfire (which he likes) with a new sport shooting porcupines. I keep a shovel in my pickup truck, it was way to far to walk back, leave the dog in the truck, and try to find the porcupine again. Last year cash ran up to a tree with porcupine droppings, I zapped him as soon as he smelled the droppings. We were pretty close to the truck, so I took him back, went back and dispatched the porcupine, then I put him up in the crotch of a tree just out of reach of the dog. I bought the dog back to the area, when he jumped towards the porcupine, I shocked him. We finished our hunt, then I went back and buried the porcupine. My brittany breeder thinks that anytime you shoot anything that the dog might get the wrong idea if its a porcupine. When I shoot and miss a grouse or woodcock (which I do often) he seems to pick up the pace immediately. If I can't bury the porcupine, I won't shoot it.

[Ed Norman]

I should also clarify that one of the 5 or so porcupines that my brittany found, one was dead. He was dead for quite a while, but when he got downwind, he made a beeline for the carcass. I knew something wasn't right, (he quit quartering) when I got close I could smell the carcass too. Cash went up quickly, I was to far back to see what it was, (it was in a clearing with mature trees around the clearing) but I could see cash start to put his head down, I yelled no, hit my shock button, but he already had gotten a few quills in his muzzle and a few in one front leg. I was able to pull all those out. I don't know if he would of even smelled that dead porcupine if it had not been dead so long. I asked my brittany breeder, and he said a lot of dogs will make a beeline for dead porkies easier than live ones because the smell is stronger. Thats when I decided to bury anything I shot without my dog around to watch. Hope this makes better sense. Thanks, Ed