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OlFezziwig t1_j6yxvw9 wrote

That’s a hemlock, their favorite food!

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nobbyv OP t1_j6yyk6l wrote

I thought it might be hemlock based on the small cones but pics I saw online were a lot “bushier”. Thanks for the ID! I hope he doesn’t kill it…

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rspeed t1_j6zk86s wrote

Years ago I saw my cat standing in the yard and I wondered what had spooked her enough to make her fur stand up. As I got closer I realized that she looked like that because she was a porcupine.

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Quirky_Butterfly_946 t1_j6yfusq wrote

It looks more fluffy than spikey.

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nobbyv OP t1_j6yutx3 wrote

I’m not getting close enough to verify. Hopefully neither will my dogs.

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almamaters t1_j7004p7 wrote

Now you said it.

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nobbyv OP t1_j71yjny wrote

We keep them on leash when outside; they're both too dumb to stay away from the road. Every once in awhile one of them will dash out when someone opens the door and go romping through the woods for a half hour.

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nudgetravel t1_j6yctty wrote

a friend wants to know where you find porcupines

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nobbyv OP t1_j6yebsr wrote

North American porcupines like this are, as their name implies, all over North America. They're mainly nocturnal, but being active during the day isn't unknown. This guy's been hanging around our backyard in Chester for a few weeks now, and is out and about during the day quite a bit. He likes to eat the bark off that pine tree, and also sometimes will pull something out of our compost bin.

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IntelligentMeal40 t1_j6zom48 wrote

I saw one under a shed in Barrington, out in the woods on one of those private roads.

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MacTechG4 t1_j70k417 wrote

Porcupines also make the most adorable noises that trigger an instinctive “MUST HUG!” reaction, thus proving Mother Nature has a truly twisted sense of humor…

https://youtu.be/Y4wOBw82ExE

In the spirit of ‘god makes things’…

God; I’ve got ANOTHER great idea!

Angel; (groans in anticipation) what now, Sir….

G; you know those beavers I made yesterday?

A; make them venomous?

G; …no, but I like your creativity! Maybe I’ll use that idea in another mammal… no this time, take the beaver, and replace its flat paddle tail with a regular tail…

A; and a stinger? Right?

G; no, and I resent your implication that I’m becoming predictable, Jeremy… just make this one fuzzy, long fur this time…

A; this sounds too good to be true, where’s the evil twist?…

G; and make it make adorable noises that trigger a Hug reflex, kinda like those Mogwai I’m making next week….

A; this one actually sounds nice, a cuddly, friendly critter that makes you want to hug it… but let me guess, it sprays a stinky fluid from its butt?

G; GREAT IDEA, I’M STEALING IT!… but not for this one….

A; ….I’m waiting…. It’s inevitable, a cuddly, huggable critter just sounds too suspicious, knowing you…

G; COVER IT WITH BARBED SPINES UNDER THE FUR! AND THE SPINES ARE HARD AND PAINFUL TO REMOVE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY HUG IT!…

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mistydelle t1_j70tp06 wrote

I’m looking to shoot video of one if you can help with that.

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MornduNH t1_j720a15 wrote

Had a young porcupine absolutely destroy two hemlocks by my house last winter. At first we thought it was cute. Then the boughs began to fall. Then huge piles of boughs and bare trees. The trees survived but with a lot of damage and bare spots.

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ZoraC8 t1_j6zor6i wrote

I would have someone trap it if you can't shoot it. You really don't want them hanging around your house. They will eat anything wood, including your house. They like to eat the tops of trees where it's tender and will girdle the top, killing it. Also the risk of it meeting up with someones dog. Wildlife is cool, just not always in your backyard.

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nobbyv OP t1_j71ms5k wrote

I hope it doesn’t come to that, but that hemlock is right next to my orchard area. He already had a little nibble on one of my peach trees. I doused them all with deer repellent to see if that keeps him away from them and so far it has. Not worried about the house; I don’t have any exposed wood on it. But I’d hate to lose any trees in my orchard.

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