Porcupine hunting in South Africa

Porcupines are the largest rodent in the region and much larger than their North American counterpart. They are armed with very large (12 inch/30cm) black and white quills making them look very fearsome which they use for protection against predators. If approached by a predator they will rattle their quills and attempt to back into the animal hoping to spike the animal with its quills, all the while protecting their underbelly. Porcupines occur right across the country except for the extreme western desert regions. They feed mostly on vegetation, digging for bulbs, roots, tubers and gnaw on fresh tree bark. They can do noticeable damage to vegetable crops where they are often hunted at night. They are mostly hunted in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Porcupines are usually solitary and hunted at night while shining a spotlight. Sometimes encountered as a trophy of opportunity when found scuttling back to their den to sleep off the daylight hours. Porcupines are considered as a species of least concern by the IUCN. However if trophies are imported to the United States, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has special rodent import regulations that concern the importation of these trophies.