A couple years ago I was out hunting with a friend and we saw a porcupine. My dad had always told me they were delicious and it was in season so I took my shot. Once we had the meat I thought I would take the hide home and harvest the quills.
Good. Lord. Porcupines are filthy creatures. I had a Rubbermaid full of soapy water and I was pulling the quills and guard hairs out and then trying to wash them free of literal shit.
But basically all I was doing was shit-needle acupuncture all over my hands. I was sure I was gonna end up with some sort of porcupine aids or something.
I spent a good 3-4 hours trying to clean the largest of the quills and guard hairs, and then I said fuck it. Took my fistfull of “clean” quills and put the rest in a few old paper bags and into the green bin.
I found quills in my clothes almost a year later. While visiting a friends house in jeans I had NOT been wearing, while out ice fishing (in the bibs I wore), in my sock one day.
I’m sure there aren’t that many people on here that have been considering taking a porcupine and trying to weave/craft with its quills. But please, don’t do it.
Very sadly, it was not. I’m not sure if it was my fault, the prep or what. I do eat all sorts of wild game that I’ve hunted or salvaged. I love squirrel and pigeon, I’ve eaten road kill deer, bear, moose, goose… Cotton tail and snowshoe hare… Wild Turkey… Basically if it’s made of meat I’ll give it a go. Still waiting to try raccoon and beaver, which I do wonder if they won’t share some similarities…
But I found it very unpleasant. Raw the meat was so… gelatinous? Delicate? Like pressing with a finger would leave a sad dent. It spread out on the cutting board like gravity was too much for it.
We did it as taco meat so I just threw it in the instant pot with onions and maybe some chili spices I can’t recall… it had that skunky gameyness that I’ve started to associate with older animals and poorly handled meat. She may have been a great Grammama but the meat was well cared for and eaten fresh.
We shredded and ate it on tortillas with onions and homemade salsas. My sister and brother in law didn’t mind it and my partner said it was ok but I’ve sworn them off for now. They are very charming creatures so it’s not all bad.
I had porcupine when I was a kid. I found it gross, the meat smells gross and it’s super gamey. Was cooked by my grandparents who are native and hunted all their lives so it wasn’t cooked wrong or not cleaned, I just thought it was gross.
Unrelated but moose meat is the best meat in existence IMO. I could eat that every day for the rest of my life and die with a smile on my face.
Moose meat is so good. I’ve had a few supplies over the years. A neighbour got a roadkill once, and a friend’s dad hunted one, but he doesn’t hunt anymore.
I’d love to go get a moose, but I don’t have anyone in my social circles who hunt, and you basically have to have a party to hunt moose in Ontario.
I gotta say I love deer and moose, but black bear is surprisingly good. I smoked some honey black bear hams from my last bear and ma.gawd. Only downside to bear is it’s like pork, can’t have it rare.
I need to go right now and wash the few quills I received from a porcupine zoo experience. They keep quills that are shed and hand a few out to folks. Poop acupuncture, omg. Since you appear to have survived, your poop antibodies must be off the charts now. 😅
I should have just gone to your zoo… I ended up with maybe 40 quills or something, my friends collection from pulling them out of her horse and dog is bigger…
A couple years ago I was out hunting with a friend and we saw a porcupine. My dad had always told me they were delicious and it was in season so I took my shot. Once we had the meat I thought I would take the hide home and harvest the quills.
Good. Lord. Porcupines are filthy creatures. I had a Rubbermaid full of soapy water and I was pulling the quills and guard hairs out and then trying to wash them free of literal shit.
But basically all I was doing was shit-needle acupuncture all over my hands. I was sure I was gonna end up with some sort of porcupine aids or something.
I spent a good 3-4 hours trying to clean the largest of the quills and guard hairs, and then I said fuck it. Took my fistfull of “clean” quills and put the rest in a few old paper bags and into the green bin.
I found quills in my clothes almost a year later. While visiting a friends house in jeans I had NOT been wearing, while out ice fishing (in the bibs I wore), in my sock one day.
I’m sure there aren’t that many people on here that have been considering taking a porcupine and trying to weave/craft with its quills. But please, don’t do it.
But was the porcupine delicious?
Very sadly, it was not. I’m not sure if it was my fault, the prep or what. I do eat all sorts of wild game that I’ve hunted or salvaged. I love squirrel and pigeon, I’ve eaten road kill deer, bear, moose, goose… Cotton tail and snowshoe hare… Wild Turkey… Basically if it’s made of meat I’ll give it a go. Still waiting to try raccoon and beaver, which I do wonder if they won’t share some similarities…
But I found it very unpleasant. Raw the meat was so… gelatinous? Delicate? Like pressing with a finger would leave a sad dent. It spread out on the cutting board like gravity was too much for it.
We did it as taco meat so I just threw it in the instant pot with onions and maybe some chili spices I can’t recall… it had that skunky gameyness that I’ve started to associate with older animals and poorly handled meat. She may have been a great Grammama but the meat was well cared for and eaten fresh.
We shredded and ate it on tortillas with onions and homemade salsas. My sister and brother in law didn’t mind it and my partner said it was ok but I’ve sworn them off for now. They are very charming creatures so it’s not all bad.
I had porcupine when I was a kid. I found it gross, the meat smells gross and it’s super gamey. Was cooked by my grandparents who are native and hunted all their lives so it wasn’t cooked wrong or not cleaned, I just thought it was gross.
Unrelated but moose meat is the best meat in existence IMO. I could eat that every day for the rest of my life and die with a smile on my face.
Moose meat is so good. I’ve had a few supplies over the years. A neighbour got a roadkill once, and a friend’s dad hunted one, but he doesn’t hunt anymore.
I’d love to go get a moose, but I don’t have anyone in my social circles who hunt, and you basically have to have a party to hunt moose in Ontario.
I gotta say I love deer and moose, but black bear is surprisingly good. I smoked some honey black bear hams from my last bear and ma.gawd. Only downside to bear is it’s like pork, can’t have it rare.
I need to go right now and wash the few quills I received from a porcupine zoo experience. They keep quills that are shed and hand a few out to folks. Poop acupuncture, omg. Since you appear to have survived, your poop antibodies must be off the charts now. 😅
I’m basically invisible.
I should have just gone to your zoo… I ended up with maybe 40 quills or something, my friends collection from pulling them out of her horse and dog is bigger…