Southwest Sierra Then & Now - #24

Even birds of prey eat porcupines! Kenneth Rodriguez (age 17) with Red Tailed Hawk Caesar at the Mott Cabin summer 1976.

One of my distinct memories from living at the Mott Cabin was the sound of porcupines gnawing on the beams that support the cabin in the middle of the night. The first time that it happened Dad investigated to see what it was. Once he knew the source of the noise, he didn’t worry about it. It wasn’t an all-night thing, just long enough to wake us up then it would move on. It was surprisingly loud! We had to keep the dogs (Ruby and Thunder) locked in the front porch at night because they liked to go after porcupines.

Some dogs (like Thunder) would get a snout full of quills once and that was enough, but at least half of the dogs that I knew (like Ruby) had the opposite reaction! They would go after a porcupine given the chance and get a snout full of quills again and again. The way to pull the quills was to clip off the white end (pointing out) and yank with a pair of plyers. Occasionally a trip to the vet would be required if one was missed, or hard to get.

The last time that I saw a porcupine was about 35 years ago. By that time, I had my own family, and we were living in the little cabin next to the Golden Bear Mine Bunkhouse where my parents and younger brothers still resided. It was during the day. This is the only time that I ever saw one in daylight. I think our dog (Mocha) must have found it asleep and flushed it out. It was in full defensive mode! It charged Mocha by running backwards with its head tucked under its body and its tail swinging! It could run faster than one would expect but not faster than us.

I never thought that I would feel melancholy over a lack of porcupines. They were a real nuisance, but where did they go? What caused the decline in our local population? I have long suspected that the increase in the mountain lion population might be the cause. Today I learned that besides mountain lions, bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes and even large birds of prey eat porcupines. Birds of prey get them by grabbing them by the head where they have less quills. Our local bear population has definitely increased since the 1970s. Perhaps it is the increase in both the bear and mountain lion populations that has decimated the porcupines in our area? I see a lot less birds of prey in our area, except for ravens. I don’t think a raven could take out a porcupine. I would be interested to hear from others. When was the last time that you saw a porcupine?

Porcupines are herbivores. They have a varied diet that includes tree bark (both inner and outer), leaves, twigs, fruits and roots. A while ago I came across a timber industry document that mentioned the devastating damage that porcupines could cause to plantations of saplings. This makes me think that porcupines may have played a role in thinning the forests! Who would’ve thunk it?

About the author: As a kid in 1975, Rae Bell (aka Pauline) moved with her family to the Ruby Mine area located between Alleghany and Downieville. She and her husband have lived in Alleghany proper since 1992. If you have news or suggestions to share, please send an email to: raebell44@gmail.com