North American porcupine

Scientific name: Erethizon dorsatum

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Dark brown to blackish coat with long, sharp quills covering the back, sides, and tail; quills are banded white and dark. Adults are stocky and robust; males typically larger than females.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 5–14 kg; body length 50–70 cm. Males average 8–10 kg; females 5–8 kg.

Habitat

Porcupines inhabit mixed deciduous-conifer forests, aspen groves, and woody areas from sea level to moderate alpine elevations. They prefer terrain with dense tree cover and accessible bark.

Distribution

Found across northern and central North America from Mexico through Canada to Alaska; occupy boreal and temperate forests, avoiding open grasslands and extreme deserts.

Diet

Herbivorous year-round, feeding on tree bark (especially aspen, birch, pine), inner bark, twigs, leaves, and herbaceous plants; diet shifts seasonally toward available woody browse in winter.

Behaviour

Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular; slow, deliberate climbers and ground walkers; solitary except during breeding season; den in rocky outcrops, hollow trees, or under brush; highly vocal when threatened.

Hunting tips

Look for sign: gnawed bark on tree trunks (fresh chew marks lighter in color), dark cylindrical droppings near feeding trees or den sites, and worn branches in crown. Approach quietly upwind in early morning or dusk through dense cover where trees show recent browsing. Move slowly along ridge lines and near aspen groves, glassing for animals in branches or on the ground; porcupines move deliberately and are vulnerable to patient stalking.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

Canada

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.