My dislike for porcupines began shortly after my wife, Linda and I were married. We had traveled from southern Michigan, where we lived at the time, to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, known as “The U.P.”    We were on a duck hunting trip.  Rather, I was duck hunting and Linda went along because she loved the U.P. After a four hundred and thirty mile drive we arrived at our destination. We would be camping at Swan lake in the Hiawatha National Forest. It was late when we arrived, so we set up camp and went to bed.

We were miles from anyone, so I didn’t bother to put my two Labrador retrievers, Sport and Buddy,  on their leases. I had owned and hunted these dogs for some time. They were well trained. I knew they would stay stay close by.

We awoke the next morning to a nippy fall day. I…