Back when I was a freshman and sophomore in high schools, the timber people in the Medford and Ashland area would pay $1 each for each porcupine killed on their lands. The porcupines tended to girdle the trees while eating bark, and the economic impact of each animal was really incredible.

Neither my best friend nor I had possession of a gun. What I had access to was in Portland, and Ray had no access. We took off anyway, thinking we could find some on the ground and beat 'em to death.

Had a great time, exhausted ourselves, had long talks about what we'd get with our new fortunes and smugly declared to each other that "nouveau riche" was better than no riche at all.

Saw nothing.