I'll have to monitor the damage to the trees as time goes on to determine if I wish to continue considering the porcupine my spirit animal.

I don't think they sleep in trees, Jesus. They go up there to eat the bark. They prefer leaves, herbs, twigs, etc., but this time of year bark does the trick.

They are chewing those trees to bits right now. I've seen at least one for five days in a row.

Still munching away after nine days.

On day 11, Porky finally was on a branch low enough for me to get a decent photo with my cheap camera.

Following up on this tree five months after porcupine occupancy, we see some of the branches still look thoroughly munched, but for the most part the tree is thriving.

An update on Porky: He finally took to hiding the day of the Leap Day 2012 Snowmageddon, but returned for a while before finally leaving the "hotel."

I've been seeing this woodchuck in the area of late, so we go from one rodent to the other.



Hopefully my rodent identification is solid here, and no one will have to pop on and tell me it's a marmot or gopher or something else.

My wife has your porcupine webcam right here, Les!

I haven't seen any West Duluth porcupines for a few months, but this one showed up at the cabin door in McGrath expecting it could strut in like the place was a porcupine tavern.

As it chews the side of the cabin, my wife moves in with the camera and the porpupine makes a little "tick, tick, tick" sound that apparently is supposed to mean, "back the hell off." She does.

This video is from Dallas, Texas, but it is the greatest porcupine video I have ever seen. It stars Teddy Bear the Talking Porcupine.

On schedule, Porky is back for 2016.