High Sierra Topix

I just have to ask because I haven't seen one in years, nor has anyone else I know. Has anyone seen a porcupine in the Eastern Sierras in say the last five years. If so where were you and when did you see it?

I haven't seen one, but have a look here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3348&p=19823&hilit=porcupine#p19823

Just barely the eastern Sierra, but about a week ago in Susanville. Roadkill, along Hwy 139 just south of Lassen College.

They use to be all over....what happened to them????

Hi Bad Man,
The porcupine siting Shawn referred to was definitely the first hint I had that these critters lurked in the Sierras. If there's a wildlife biologist who reads this site, maybe they can offer a better explanation for why they are so rare now (though, since this was a first for me in 30+ years, I'd call them rare regardless). I know that I see far fewer pika than in prior years, but I think that is because their habitat is shrinking.
CG

When I was a kid we use to see them all over. The last one I saw was when I was about 17 driving up to Lundy Lake. We use to see them all over, and you would always see evidence of them eating on the trees in the winter. I haven't seen one in over 10 years, nor have I heard of many sightings minus what has been posted on this thread so far. I think they are becoming more and more rare in the Eastern Sierra where they were very plentiful not that long ago. You dont see many ran over on 395 or 120 or other area highways. As for habitat loss, I think they live in and eat on trees. There hasn't been much logging except for the small amounts done in the Jeffery Pine Forest east of the Sierra. We haven't had many major fires destroying their habitat (knock on wood). I'm just stumped on what happened to these critters and no one seams to know or even care !

I heard a rumor from a very good source, Mountain Lions have figured out how to prey on them by flipping them over and getting to them through their soft belly. I wonder if there is any truth to that? I think there has been a large increase in cat numbers over the years.....any takers on this theory??

I have seen evidence of them chewing on trees, can't remember if it was just further north in the southern Cascades in the Caribou Wilderness or if I have seen chewed on trees on my trips in the JM Wilderness. Any way, I have seen trees damaged by them recently.

I saw a few pikas on my xc JM trip this summer, so I know those little guys are out and about.

Since Pooch passed away, I haven't seen any bears in the wilderness though.

Although I've never seen a big cat in the Sierras, all the reports suggest that they are on the upswing (and that "contacts" with humans are more common). So, if the cats have figured out how to roll porcupines, that could contribute to the decline (which would be fine because it would imply that once cat numbers decline, as animal populations tend to do, then their food sources would bounce back).
Yep, I definitely look for pika, because in addition to being so incredibly cute, I take their presence as a good sign that they have not been "cooked" out of an area. Even so, I seldom spot more than one or two on trips in pretty high places, and it definitely seems that their numbers have dwindled.
CG

I haven't seen any porcupines, but I have seen Porsches. The only difference: On a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.

One of my dogs encountered a porcupine near McCloud Lake (off-trail, along the outlet stream heading down to Horseshoe) near Mammoth. You can guess which creature fared better in that meeting! Porcupine 20, Border Collie 0. The vet in Bishop said this was an especially good year for porcupines, if you can judge their numbers by the number of dogs taken in to be de-quilled.
Same dog also found porcupines near Agnew Meadows two years ago.
Lots of tree trunk evidence of 'pines around Mammoth, too.