Any advice on how to go about it? What type of habitat do they like, bait for them, etc.???? Any help would be great thanks!

In my area they like to eat evergreen needles and small branches in not dense/but not open woods. I'm along a river with a good mix of both hardwood and softwood trees. Every time I've seen one it has been in a smallish pine/hemlock/balsam tree eating away. I've also heard neighbors who say they've seen them climb into apple trees to eat. They're not very fast, they don't run when you see them, and they are quite docile unless messed with.

The one I recently caught (first one!) was caught in a dirt hole set baited with tuna for fox/coyote. So it was either an incidental catch or they are attracted to fish also.

I'd say do some scouting. If you see fresh evergreen needles and/or small branches under a tree that look like they've been chewed on, set up a flat set near the base of the tree in the spot they would most likely climb up.

Do you know if you have them in your area?

TrapperME

I caught a porky this morning in a dirt hole baited with June's widowmaker and lured with kishels croosbreed, go figure!!!! Had to let him go here in Pa

Heady sprice is what they like here and boy we got alot of them. I got a ton of pictures of them eating the grain on my bear baiting stand 3 and 4 at once. We have had them hit about all types of trapping baits from hole sets for coyotes with chunk bait to cubbys for coons with fish. If I were going to target them I would look for a big rock pile where they can hide and look for scat and set up a cubby set.

If you can see their travel route, blind sets work well. You don't have to cover the trap.

I'd sure hate to try to make a living as a long line porcupine trapper. LOL! Just from my experience with them, old well used axe handles and bacon would probably be your best bet.

I did have a friend that hunted them and made pretty good money. I told him one time that I didn't ever see very many when I was out in the brush, he said, "Look up." Then I started looking in the trees when I was out and it was nothing to shoot at least 3 or 4 every time I was out, usually more.

Are pines a good idea? Swamps? Or just what you guys have said in the oaks???

We see them in Hackmatack or tamerack alot. What are you doing with porkeypine? They are good cooked on a open fire icefishing.

We caught 23 last year in Ks,some really big ones, all were caught in Predator sets,they really seem to like the fresh dirt at the big hole sets,but we caught them most every type of set we made, I did notice that most of the catches were close to trails.....B....

If a guy wants to take the time there is a good market for the quills, guard hair, claws, and skulls. I mthink some guys will buy the whole hide.

There used to be a bounty on them in eastern Oregon.

i can't keep them out of my coyote/fox sets[dirt holes]. caught 12 last year in about a month

I just use a couple of squirts of coyote pee. They love old foundations and large brush piles. I'll find a mound of dirt and use some heavy logs to box it in on three sides. They are clumsy and not too strong as far as staking goes. I use 1.75's and haven't ever lost one. They are one of the mystery animals you'll never eradicate.

Do they den up for winter? Are you most likely to catch them during Fall or Spring?

My freind was building a cabin in northern wisconsin , as soon as they bleached it to get all the mildew off so they could seal the wood the porkies moved in and started chewing . we took a piece of pine and soaked it in bleach . caught 4 in live traps ! try it you will be impressed !

Quill pigs do den up in the winter, but they don't hibernate. They'll eat bark and such to get by until spring. I catch them whenever the ground isn't snow covered, altough thats the only time I try. They have only one quill piglet in the spring so I try to get them before then. 5cents, they love Osb, I think it's the glue. They darn near ate our outhouse in half!

Seems I caught them in every type of predator set in WY.

Just good ol'fashioned bleach? hmm...

the cabin was full logs, no glue used !

Years ago trapped porky for the forest service using rabbit salt blocks on 220 coni trap triggers, caught them in any set that the lure had urine in they love salt

What kind of salt are we talking?

Rabbit salt blocks or more properly spools are small wheels of salt with a hole in the center. They can be purchased at any feed store that carries supplies for rabbits.

And then you just add urine to it (coyote?)??

No experience this far south with porkys. From what I read on them the salt alone should turn the trick they are known to target tool handles due to sweat (salt).

How much odor does plain salt have? Wouldn't think it would be very loud.

got one today the 5'th one ever this wa sa huge female that stunk horribl i had my trap set and caught nuthing wile pulling it i herd a russele went 40 yard and there she was

we have been hit every year with alot of them they chew our mapples with a pathc of like 6" by 6" and move on kill alot of trees that way probly about 20 in last week or so so i got her it seemed like she had male parts and femal parts and a white pine like sap real big was coming pout of here vemale vent pm if know what happened i like salt as bait corn works APPLES and look up there in tree tops most of the day on ground at night you can make decent mony from them people buy the quills ,gaurd hairs and the skull idk about claws and other parts they are very loud walker also and scratch the tree wile climing

Not very hard to catch but they are tough to take out of a conibear !

two poor i can see how they would i had a hard time getting skull took a few squlls under the nrils and in the fingers ouch!!

For those of you who have trapped them what type of areas and what type of sets?

all mine were around hard wood ridges along big cedar swamps 4at my camp 1 at a buddys camp so this place thing is working for me

Do porkys avoid bucket sets with conibears or do they hit them just as much as box sets???

white salt blocks for rabbits you can find them in any feed store. They are about 3" round with a hole in middle

I catch a few,(+/- 70) per year. Any good canine/cat/coon lure works fine. To avioid other pesky critters go with salt. Not sure how much odor there is but theres enough for them to smell it.

No porky are not buckett or conibear shy at all

When you pack them out do you just grab them by the tail and throw them over your shoulder?

Hawkeye, you just gotta wear a special porky suit, like this one. A bit of a hazard around the water sets tho.

Caught three this week in dark hemlock woods. no runs. and just somethng strong and stinky. Paul if you read this your skunky Backbreaker took all three/ lol !