Wimberley farmer catches two porcupines that were eating his crop

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Sky Cutler is the owner and lead farmer at the Dirty Candy Farm in Wimberley. At the beginning of spring, Cutler noticed large bite marks in much of his produce, particularly in some of his heirloom tomatoes. 

He thought the culprits were raccoons or opossums, which he’s seen before, and set up a trap – which wouldn't harm the animals – to catch them. 

“I moved [the trap] closer to the tomatoes and put some old tomatoes in there,” Cutler said. 

A couple of weeks went by until one day he was riding his motorcycle past the traps, “and I just like, skid to a stop,” he said. Inside the traps were two porcupines. 

“I wasn't really expecting porcupines. I've seen their footprints around the property but never really in the garden,” Culter said. “Just super surprising to catch two of them at the same time.” 

“I don't blame them. It's hot out… so them going after the tomatoes is totally understandable,” Cutler said. 

He said the fact they are porcupines and “really cute” quelled some of his frustration, but still, he felt it necessary to rehome them and preserve the crop. 

“We drove about 10 miles away and released them next to a river on a wide open piece of land,” Cutler said. “I felt like it was a good place to release them, and they're probably a lot happier in their new home.”