Didn't know they could climb trees. Hmmm, learn something new every day. I've never lived anywhere that they where prevelant.
We've seen one in the wild. In the late 80's, wandering around the mile²+ of wooded artisanal granite quarries behind our house we spotted one up a tree. "OMG! It's a porcupine!". Lots of pointing and gesticulating.
It fell out of the tree, few dozen feet.
Thump!
It ambled slowly off, grumbling to itself...
Would love to know if the're as fond of the taste of lead?
Our scout troop leaders commented that there were porcupines in the area of our upcoming camping trip, and warned that we would probably try and attract one to look at by designating a single tree for everyone to pee on. Because they crave teh salt, and would commute over to chew on it at night.
We didn't do any of that, but it's a good story.
Oh, and they also told us about porcupines flipping their tail to shoot quills.
But I never thought I'd live to see the day where there are
all these epic quill flipping videos on YoutUbe.
It's odd that they take so much to kill with a gun because in SERE school students are taught to kill them by rapping them on the nose with a stick.
Do they also tell the students that for missions flown over temperate zones,
their survival kit will include a small packet of dehydrated prop wash,
which is good for rinsing the porcupine meat after they skin them?