Porcupines: how do I bait a nuisance porcupine and what caliber?

Salt is the best answer as far as bait goes. Porcupines eat tree bark and tender young branches and leaves. Baiting them with their food source would not be likely to work.

Hopefully, your dog will learn from the encounter and avoid porcupines in the future.

Porcupines are tough, I would go bigger than a .22 long rifle if you can. Shotguns loaded with bird shot are kind of useless, I shot one out of a tree with a 20 gauge using 6 shot. From about 25 - 30 yards away it took 4 or 5 shots to knock it out of the tree and it was still alive when it hit the ground. It was facing up and away from me when I shot it and the pellets didn't penetrate the skin and quills well. I finished it with a close range shot in the head. Porcupines can't outrun you. The only other one I've ever shot died with a single hit from a .45ACP.

A good choice for killing porcupines around the house is a long, club. A hard blow to the head seems to kill them more quickly than a bullet.

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Porcupines: how do I bait a nuisance porcupine and what caliber?

We have a porcupine that has been around our house for a while... last night my dogs (on leash) went outside to go pee and the little bugger was right there at our steps, so the dogs lunged at him and got a face and mouth full of quills! Blood, painful crying, yelping etc and a trip to the late...

Trap them and take them to Louisiana. If you can catch them, they will eat them here! No kidding! A bit too greasy for my taste, but I think they are served up with sweet potatoes?( Or is that possum? I do recall a dish called "Porcupine Meatballs") You could sell them to this restaurant I know in south Louisiana. They have a road kill special that is really popular on friday nights! The good thing about porcupine is that they come with their own toothpicks! I have kin who make a living hunting porcupine and other "exotic" game! (possum, snake, gators. etc) Had a granny who could really make possum! :-) Peace!

The .22 should take it down but, if you want to take him down and make sure it won't live a 12 ga slug will take him out the 700 should work to. But the .22 doesn't always work I shot a cat with a .17 HMR which is more powerful than a .22 and it's still alive and it's been weeks sence I shot it.

use the 22 but don't use hollow point and don't use target ammo go to your nearest sporting goods store and ask for the trapping section and find a lure or bait 5-7 bucks

I've heard they love salt.

I would get a cage trap and then dispatch him with a .22 to the head. Beats sitting on the porch all night waiting.

if the animal was as close as you said, a .22lr, should be fine. otherwise, find out what they normally eat & use that for bait

I have also heard about the salt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupine