I took a couple of photos on Saturday morning and again just now.
So here's the difference in 48 hours...
Saturday morning.
Monday morning.
Saturday morning.
Monday morning.
Still a long ways to go. I think it has to rise another four feet or so.
I got a phone call yesterday evening from one of the seasonal campers. "Have you got a gun?!" she asked, in a kind of excited voice.
"No", I said... "why do we need a gun?"
"Well there's a porcupine in the campground".
I explained that he lives here and he hasn't been bothering anyone.
Unfortunately, I don't think this whole scenario is going to end well for the porcupine. This is the second time that someone in the park has seen it, and the second time that I've been asked if I will shoot it.
Of course dogs will chase a porcupine if they see it, and we all know the end result of that possibility. But dogs have to be tied up or otherwise under control at the park, so if campers are following the rules then the danger to a dog is eliminated.
So the other possibility is that a child is running down the path we built in the forested area and trips over him. Unlikely, but I guess it could happen.
I'm not going to be the one to shoot it, so I've passed the buck to the board of directors. I'm also going to make a phone call today to see if it can be live trapped and moved. I guess we'll see what happens, but with the park being full of people next weekend I guess we'll have to try and do something with him quickly.
Today's header photo brings us to the KOA campground in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. We were parked there during the summer of 2009 when Ruth was working in exchange for our site and I went to work in the parts department at an RV dealership.
This is the ONLY photo we took during the entire month of May 2009...
Sherman and the little blue car parked up at the Kingston KOA.
I like your solution much better.
ReplyDeleteGrace (in Tucson)
We think so too!
DeleteI think you should trap and remove the complainer... ;c)
ReplyDeleteLol, don't think that will be happening! They were the second people to say that since we first heard of the porcupine and I guess people here in the prairies and lots of them being farmers just think differently than us.
DeleteI like your answer, the porcupine lives here.
ReplyDeleteEveryone else are visitors that he did not invite.
Many of these people were probably here before it was but I am sure that we can all live together without any issues. Once it starts getting busy I am sure that it will run off and find itself some peace and quiet somewhere else.
DeleteIf the porcupine has to be removed then please trap in and move it.
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely our preferred method.
DeleteI agree with everyone!
ReplyDeleteSo do we!
DeleteHm, I sure wouldn't want to shoot a porcupine. They're one of the least aggressive creatures out there. Just don't get too close and keep your stupid dog tied up. I say "stupid dog", because I've pulled more than one quill out of the nose of an otherwise "smart" dog, who managed to get too close to a porcupine, with the resulting painful discovery.
ReplyDeleteMaybe all new campers have to read and sign a waiver when they pay for their site, that they acknowledge that there's a porcupine in the park, and they'll not cause it any harm?
Or, just trap the little bugger and move him away, but it would have to be quite the distance I would think, or he'll be back.
As long as people follow the rules, their dogs should be tied up so there shouldn't be any "stupid dogs". And, no we aren't going to get people to sign waivers. Hopefully we can get this porcupine trapped and moved far away but it isn't looking like it will be shot in any case.
DeleteI'm with Paul and Marti.
ReplyDeleteLol, as I said that isn't going to happen but it does look like the porcupine will not be shot!
DeleteBummer for the porcupine. I'm hoping for the best solution for him. Don't suppose the Board of Directors would allow you to tell these people that he lived here first and no one intends to get rid of him. They can then do what they want. Do you have a gun. What a question.
ReplyDeleteLuckily it is illegal to fire a gun in the park so it looks like the porcupine has at least won that war and for the moment it will stay where he is but Kevin is still hoping to hear from the wildlife people to see if it can be trapped and removed from the park. I have a feeling that once the park is busy this guy/gal will hightail it out of here for somewhere peaceful.
DeleteThe critter might be nursing a youngster---this is the time of year for it---and if so, it should not be trapped. Tell all visitors to report where they saw it . If there are multiple reports in one area, do what responsible recreational managers do all the time: close that area to human visitation.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen it a number of times and it doesn't see to have any young ones. We know more or less where it seems to stay but that doesn't mean that it won't move around elsewhere at night. We are pretty sure that it will move on as everyone moves into the park, I am sure there will be way too much activity and noise for it to want to stick around. I think it has been enjoying the peace and quiet here and that's why it has been spotted a few times.
DeleteIf they don't like the native wildlife, please invite them to leave. Dugg has a good point. It might be a mother nursing a baby. I hope they will leave the thing alone and enjoy seeing it.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned it the comment to Dugg, we do not believe that it is nursing any young and for the moment it is looking like it will just be left alone. I think that once the campground fills up this weekend it will quietly go off on it's own to find some peace and quiet.
DeleteA lot of friends and family members are from farming backgrounds. One hundred years ago it was about competing for food. Change comes slowly on the farm. Today, they still want to shoot everything. Chipmunks, squirrels, birds, the neighbour's dog, and the ever present wascally wabbits.
ReplyDeleteYep, I think you just hit the nail on the head with that common. And it is a real farming community here and I think that is just what they do.
DeleteHopefully we are able to prevent anything bad happening to the porcupine who is just minding his/her own business.
Can't you just post a sign saying "porcupine in area, please be careful". Honestly we are invading their home, not the other way around. Humans just have no idea how invasive they can be sometimes.
ReplyDeleteA gun. Really. Poor thing. I hope he gets a chance to be relocated if it seems to be an issue.
I would for one, love to see more wildlife out there, rather than complain about it :)
Putting up a sign at the beginning and end of the path way is an idea but we find most people don't really read signs or if it is at night they just wouldn't see the sign.
DeleteWe are hoping that the porcupine will relocate him/herself once the campground is busy and noisy. We too like to see the wildlife here at the park. When Cameron was here he loved going down the trail to see if the porcupine was in the tree.