Persistent hunting and shooting of porcupines can be effective in reducing the population in areas that require protection. Night hunting, where legal, is effective. During winter months, porcupines are active and can be tracked in the snow and shot with a .22-caliber rifle or pistol. Porcupines often congregate around good denning sites and extensively girdle trees in the area. In such places, large numbers may be taken by shooting.
Porcupines are mobile and continually reinvade control areas. Complete control is not desirable since it would require complete removal of porcupines. Try to limit lethal porcupine control to individual animals causing damage by fencing and management of the plant species. In areas of high porcupine populations, plant ornamentals that are not preferred foods. Intensive predator control may encourage porcupine population increases.
Resources: (online)
Porcupine Control
