The other day, we seen 2 porcupines, strolling along the snowbanks. I couldn't believe it because I've never seen porcupines this time of the year. Not only that, but the skunks are out as well. Now I wonder what the old pioneers would say about that. They often went by the signs of animals as to what the weather would be like.

Have you seen animals your NOT suppose to see at this time of the year in your neck of the woods?

I haven't seen anything unusual here but I would have loved to have seen your porcupines. I've never seen them in the wild only at zoos/nature centers.

Pat, I never use to see them when we lived in the city and would go for rides in the country. But since moving to this part of the province, we've seen them lots, except never in the winter.

They are beautiful to watch, very slow moving. They almost look almost cumbersome with the size they are. They move very slowly, unless they are "running" and then its kinda funny to watch.

Many of them are getting killed though because they are very difficult to see at night and often they are in the middle of the road. Too bad actually, because they are a neat animal to see.

The kids and I were just talking about this. We were grocery shopping and on the way home saw 2 skunks on the side of the road! Why is it that even if you don't run over the skunk you can still smell it in your vehicle for miles...lol!

Heather, I always wondered why God made skunks. They are kinda cute though and those little babies are something else.

It's the warm weather that has the animals moving! I guess they were hungry! :D Skunks are natures vacuums, they go around cleaning up what others left, so that is why I think God made them.

Oh, that's why God made them! So true!! :)

They are cute aren't they CJ....just like my raccoons that I adopted last year...remember my drama then??? :eek: :mwhistle: Yup, me savin' the world again!!

I'm watching for the bears to start coming out....hungrey. They come pretty close to the houses just after coming out of their dens. I just hope that the dogs can make enough noise to keep them away. I haven't seen our "porkies" yet. We do have several that roam the outer edges of the woods.

Those skunks are also go for rooting around for those terrible grubs! UGH!

Susie in MN

Aaawww! Porcupines, skunks and racoons! I would love to see them!!

Oh maggie! I don't think that you'd want anyone to send you either one of these "critters"! Although they may seem cute, they can be very distructive.
I used to raise "Peking (?) Ducks" on my farm. I love ducks! I bought a breeding pair and waited hopefully for some babies. My very first hatch were all "beheaded" by a skunk that broke into my hen house.

I also had purchased a bunch of laying pullets. They were laying and meat hens. Very expensive because they had been sexed by the seller. My father bought me a bunch of hen cages for them so that they would be safe. In the middle of one night, there was a terrible racket coming from the barn where the hens were. I garbed my .22 rifle and ran out to see what was going on. There, in one of the cages, was a raccon. It had killed 3 of the hens and was beginning to eat them. I had to shot it, right there in the cage. I hated that! Not the raccon killing my chickens, but having to kill him. Not only did I feel badly about killing him, but on my way back up to the house I walked though some poison ivy. I suffered with that for a month!

They might be cute, but keep them in the woods.

Susie in MN

Oh dear! I see what you mean, Susie! I guess the racoon got his revenge.
Porcupines and skunks and racoons always look so cute in the photos I've seen though!! We have few wild predators in NZ, although the occasional ferret can be destructive in the hen house.
We don't have foxes, squirrels, bears, racoons, porcupines, skunks or snakes etc, so I guess we're fortunate in that way. :)