This porcupine has been coming around my cabin every summer for about four years. I typically see her in the evenings not long before the sun goes down.
This evening was my first time seeing her since last summer. She started to waddle away from me and showed me her quills, but she got sidetracked by some willows and instead of making her escape, she decided to eat! I used her distraction as an opportunity to show her I wasn't a predator.
I kept taking photos and talking to her. She would start to wander away, but I would back off just enough for her to feel safe and she would start eating grass and leaves again. Eventually, she let me stay very close to her and she stopped showing her quills. She confidently allowed me to be near her while she ate. Several times she stopped to scratch. I spent a half an hour with her and left her munching on leaves.
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