The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) currently occupies a wide range of terrestrial habitats across the United States and is expanding its range to include much of the North American continent (Ilse and Hellgren, 2001). It is the only porcupine in North America, and its habitat includes hemlock and deciduous forests, which often brings it into close contact with humans who have monopolized such areas for development and agriculture (Roze, 1989).

The purpose of this project was to determine the nonwinter and winter home ranges of porcupines in a mixed hardwood forest in northern New York and to monitor den activity to determine daily and seasonal changes in den use. Primarily, I a) measured the home range of three radio collared porcupines to determine seasonal and yearly variability; b) monitored den usage to determine time of day of peak activity, seasonal activity differences, and instances of den sharing; and c) observed sexual differences in home range and den usage.