Porcupine damage to vehicles

[reach]

I just found out that some people carry chicken wire to put around their truck if leaving it in the bush. Apparently porcupines can cause a lot of damage, chewing tires, hoses, wires etc.

How many of you do this?

What areas do you have to worry about porcupines?

How much time away from the truck before you would put up the chicken wire?

[Marc]

No porcupines on the island and I don't ever recall hearing of any problems out east. You sure you're not talking about pack rats? Porcupines feed on tree bark I can't see them going after tires or rubber hoses.

[springpin]

Yup, the porcupines love to eat wires. So the chicken wire gets wrapped around the vehicle, down to the ground. Which stops them getting to the electrical. It is common practice and recommended in certain areas.

[Fisher-Dude]

The damage comes from chickens, that's why you need to use chicken wire. If you're worried about porcupines, be sure to use porcupine wire. I've heard that a bantam rooster can render an F350 undrivable in 20 minutes.

[peterrum3]

This happens a bit in the WK, Nelson area, not sure of anywhere else.

[OOBuck]

I had a buddy that told me the problem was so bad at a Provincial Park that sign were posted & chicken wire was supplied (mainland of course).

[The 'Hummer']

I believe I've heard of logging truck drivers in the McKenzie area having a problem with porcupines.

[budismyhorse]

Recently, I left my sheep horns next to my tent (and rifle) at night and a GD porky chewed on them!

I woke up to hear him crunching on the base. Looks natural though so no big deal. Next time, they get hung in a tree next to the meat.

[tikkat3]

you think this happens in 8-15? that's kind of close to the WK

[Avalanche123]

I had this happen to me when I lived in Chetwynd. It happend at night while I was sleeping in the box canopy and heard this gnawing sound. Low and behold he was chewing on my rad hose. I have also seen this occur while away on a climbing trip in the Bugaboos Prov. Park. The answer is to surround your vehicle with chicken wire and make sure it is very secure.

If you do leave your vehicle, crawl underneath and have a look before you leave. Especially check your brake lines too!

[trencher]

Ya porcupines like rubber usually. Never had any trouble myself but i've heard of it from a couple loggers. Bears love gas cans and plastic gas tanks too. My buddy had his CR tank chewed by a bear when we were camping once

[muleychaser]

I have heard of it happening up hear before. Alot of times I think it is the calcium and road salt that is on your vehicle in the late season that attracts them.

[wolverine]

Hell, carry a salt block and put it down some distance from the truck. No self respecting porky will chew wire if there's salt around. I'm told that's actually what they are going for when they are chewing tires etc. It's the salt off the road that they like so much. Had one chew the handle of a brand new splitting mall out at the wood pile. Only used it once but the sweat off my hands was enough to get it chewing. Bloody nuisense. Shoot all you see.

[RMG]

Porcupines can be a beach of a problem with rad hoses, brake lines, and other tasty rubber components of your vehicle. This goes along with hydraulic hose attached to skidders and other equipment. They are not so much of a problem if you leave your vehicle unattended for a day, but over night they can render it totally unsafe to drive. Here in the Koots, many people use the chicken wire approach at keeping them away, other use rocks, logs, branches or whatever is handy. Salt blocks are (IMO) better, faster, and easier. A few meters away from the truck works. Prince George, Bear Lake and area is perhaps the worst area ever for these critters. Like most of our vehicles, a few leaks here a few leaks there, I am sure the antifreeze is tasty to them, along with brake fluid too. Believe me its not fun finding your truck with a puddle of green water under it.

[mpotzold]

Interesting thread!
Never had a problem yet!! ALL rodents are capable of disabling or damaging your vehicle.(from brake lines to major wiring). This happens in the city as well as in the woods. Will be checking the vehicle before starting (when parked for more than a couple days in the woods).

When in Europe (3 years ago) we were told of a widespread problem in
Switzerland(mostly in the Alps) of WEASELS chewing on vehicle wirings.

From a typical article(in Europe)
-we had mechanical problems twice (weasels bit through our ABS brake and engine injection lines while our car was parked in the Swiss Alps),

[hunter1947]

There are porcupines in whee I hunt in the EK and in all years hunting in there I have never had a problem with them.

[reach]

Thanks for all the input. I like the salt block idea - chicken wire sounds like a PITA. And with the salt block, who knows what other critters you might find on it in the morning :D

[bigwhiteys]

I will forever have memories of porcupine sightings at my grandparents outfit... It didn't matter what time of day it was, if you spotted one no, sooner had you yelled it out and someone would be running it down with an AXE and before you knew it, you'd witnessed a decapitation! Poor little buggers.

Carl

[Avalanche123]

Thanks for all the input. I like the salt block idea - chicken wire sounds like a PITA. And with the salt block, who knows what other critters you might find on it in the morning :D

Might sound like a PITA but it works.

Now finding yourself without brakes on a steep logging road you might find yourself thinking about how much a PITA that chicken wire is.....

Salt block is great if it works.....Chicken wire does work and ya it takes a bit of time to secure but IMHO the peace of mind is worth it.

From my experience, the chicken wire is my choice in dealing with problem porcupine.

[bighornbob]

Worked a couple of summers north of PG (Bear lake area), one of the work ATV's got chewed on pretty bad. Everything had a few bites on from the seat to the fenders. The handlebar grips and the seat got the worst of it.

BHB

[Fisher-Dude]

Bloody nuisense. Shoot all you see.

Not really. They are Schedule B animals, which can only be killed if they are damaging your property or if there is a lawful season for them. You'd be breaking the law if you shot any porky that was walking down the road minding his own business.

[Chuck]

Way back when....deliberately killing porkies was frowned upon, as I recall and primarily because they could provide an easily gotten food supply for people in the bush and all you needed was a stout club. They seemed to be more common back then than now, however I've never tasted one. They certainly proved to be a big bother to the dogs as well as a pita when we had to pull quills from our bird dogs snout. What an experience! I haven't seen one in years now in the WK area, not that I get around in the bush a lot anymore. Who knows.....maybe they'll start a breeding program to bring them back to their former ranges. Lol.