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Old 10-16-2011, 11:43 PM
jkc jkc is offline
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Yesterday, just before dusk, I launched my utility boat from the protected little cove in front of my campsite at AZ's Apache Lake, and proceeded to bait and set my crayfish traps, near the shore, but in water deep enough to warrant using the boat, rather than tossing the traps off the rocky shore. Dusk seems to be the witching hour for skunks, so, I left the .45 on the camp table, but tossed the 617 in its Safepacker Holster into the boat. After untangling a knot of poly line and getting the traps launched, out of the corner of my eye I saw a white stripe undulating over the shoreside boulders --- a hog-nosed skunk, likely rabid. Unfortunately, it vanished into the deepening shadows of the brush above high waterline. It was headed away from my camp, so I quit worrying about it. I switched out the mushroom anchor for a light Danforth, anticipating the forecast big blow in early morning, and walked up the shore to camp.

Whereupon, I noticed, a few feet from my tent, a striped skunk, rummaging in the mesquite bosque duff, and giving me a baleful, green-eyed glance. Jamming plugs into ear canals, I commenced firing, to unknown effect --- hit, I think, but not KO'd. Hoping this was the end of it, I lit a lantern, fixed an adult beverage (Jim Beam, rocks, in a Coleman stainless steel double wall mug --- thermally important when the ambient air temp is still cooling down from 100F), and thought my skunk problems were solved for the evening.

But, no. After a while, I heard a small scratching, and turned to find another skunk, only about 12 feet away. It responded to my high-intensity Surefire headlamp beam with disdain, and kept on doing what it had been doing, i.e., worryring me about its being rabid, and showing no fear of an ominously larger probable predator, me. So, once again donning earplugs, and with headlamp on and flashlight in hand (its not just skunks --you need to make sure you're not stepping on a rattlesnake, Gila Monster, etc.) I confronted the intruder, causing it to casually meander off, until, once it was sufficiently distant from my camp setup, and, out of the range of fire of my anchored boat (!), I shot it. Illuminating it for the killing shot, I noticed yet another skunk skulking along the shoreline in the distance. I used my garden rake to transport the deceased skunk's carcass to a boulder on the shoreline --- it was vanished in entirety when I checked shortly after dawn.

This wasn't the end of it --- an hour or so later, after I'd finished fixing and eating dinner, put the trash safely away, etc., and resumed reading Elmore Leonard, another "sixth sense" moment prompted me to turn around and find yet another skunk advancing into my camp's pool of lantern light, too late, too near, for gunfire. A sharp shout and handclap caused the skunk to turn tail and flee...

Anticipating further incursions, I slept fitfully all night, but without further incident...

Last edited by jkc; 10-17-2011 at 01:01 AM.
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Old 10-16-2011, 11:51 PM
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hiram2005 hiram2005 is offline
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Wondering, did they let go their scent when you shot 'em? I always had that problem when I was trapping many moons ago. I was told to shoot 'em in the spine so as to parylize them, supposedly no scent. Never worked for me.....think it was an old trappers tale.
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:42 AM
jkc jkc is offline
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This one, and others, have "gone off" after being shot, and it doesn't seem to matter where they're hit. Enduring the obnoxious odor is preferable to rabies shots, &tc.
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:46 AM
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Faulkner Faulkner is offline
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I shoot skunks around here all the time. Seems no matter how many I kill I never get to the eradication point. Old timers tell me if I'd get a cat I could solve my skunk infestation, only I detest cats as much as skunks.

I've found two ways to take out skunks without the dreaded death spray. One way is to shoot them in the head with a .410 full choke from about 10 to 15 yards. Seems if you use a larger shotgun you risk blowing them apart and punchering the scent sack. The downside is it's sometimes challenging to get this close without exciting them.

My current method is also not without risk as well, but I've had very good success at night. I have a S&W 15-22 with a 5mW green laser. I use a flashlight to locate the striped offender and once located I use the laser to pin point it's location and focus in on the head. Once I get a eye reflection from the laser I pull the trigger. So far I've had 100% success from these kills, but it's not always easy to get the reflection if they're moving very fast or if they're not facing you.
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:54 AM
TACC1 TACC1 is offline
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So, what kind of reflection do you get when the "Death Spray"
is approaching? I HAD to ask that.... TACC1
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Old 10-17-2011, 05:31 AM
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A few nights ago, I heard our dogs really barking in our back yard. We live out in the country, but have a privacy fence enclosing our back yard. Sure enough, there was a skunk in the corner of the yard...and two of our three dogs were about 15 feet away from him (or her, I don't know which.) I yelled at the dogs, and thankfully they turned to come back...but the skunk let loose anyway. They didn't get a direct hit, but apparently some of the "mist" drifted onto them...they hightailed it into the house through the pet door before I could stop them...and of course they immediately started rubbing themselves on the carpet. OMG that smell! I can't even imagine what a direct hit would be like.

We spent the rest of the night bathing those two dogs in everything we could think of...BTW, the old tomato juice remedy doesn't do squat. When morning came and the pet store opened, I went and got some "Nature's Miracle" and that stuff truly is a miracle. It cut the smell down to just a very faint aroma on the first application, and on the second, the smell was gone completely. It took a couple of days for our house to air out completely, but it finally did.

I thought about trying to shoot the skunk...but I don't have a shotgun and I was afraid that if I hit it with either a 9mm or a .45, it would just let loose. Even though we do live out in the country, we do have a few neighbors, and I was a little concerned about possibly missing and having a stray round hit their homes.

So, we closed pet doors and by morning it was gone. I am going over every inch of the fence to make sure that there is no way in...low spots, open boards, etc. (Our fence encloses about 1 acre.) We've lived out here 8 years, and this is the first time we've had a direct encounter...although we have smelled them plenty of times along the highway.

I think I need to get a small bore shotgun, perhaps a .410, just in case.
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Old 10-17-2011, 10:33 AM
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SKUNK SPRAY = USE FDS (female deodorant spray).
This is the only product that we have found that takes the smell away.
In skunk land it is a good idea to keep several containers on hand.
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Old 10-17-2011, 11:36 AM
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At out permanent campsite, we control skunks, coons and possums with a mixture of sardines, anti-freeze and cat food. Yeah, it sounds cruel, but it does the job - haven't had a problem in eons.
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:12 PM
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Skunks have learned to use the cat door, to get into my garage. Had to move the cat food into the house, but if I happen to leave the door between the garage and house open for any length of time, there will be a skunk in the kitchen having a snack! Surprised one in the kitchen a while back, and he shot at me. Luckily it was a little one, and he missed and hit the refrigerator.

Last week, I surprised one in the garage. He was sleeping in the corner, and was so startled that he pooped himself....well no, he pooped all over my garage floor. Didn't spray thankfully.....
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:33 PM
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Marshwheeling Marshwheeling is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmyj View Post
SKUNK SPRAY = USE FDS (female deodorant spray).
This is the only product that we have found that takes the smell away.
In skunk land it is a good idea to keep several containers on hand.
That reminds me of a joke...
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:38 PM
AKtinman AKtinman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cass View Post
At out permanent campsite, we control skunks, coons and possums with a mixture of sardines, anti-freeze and cat food. Yeah, it sounds cruel, but it does the job - haven't had a problem in eons.
Hmmm, wonder if that would work on hogs?

As for skunks, I prefer the 22-250, which works well and allows some "smell-safe" distance. Of course that wouldn't have worked on the skunk I almost ran over with the ATV the other day.

It is a wonder skunks are not an endangered species with so many that are smashed flat on the roads.
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Old 10-17-2011, 03:43 PM
John Eilertson John Eilertson is offline
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I watched an episode of "Mythbusters" awhile back that addressed the whole problem of eliminating skunk smell. Tomato juice was the first thing tested and it did little. I think they also tried shampoos, douches, marketed skunk smell killing products and the thing woked best was a mixture of shampoo, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. I KNOW this works well, cuz my Lab and I were hiking the same deer and pheasant field we have for nearly 5 years, when finally, one of my worst fears took place: skunk encounter. I used that recipe and it worked as well as could be hoped. A few hours later he smelled good as new.
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Old 10-17-2011, 09:03 PM
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I once had a 94 year old neighbor lady that trapped a skunk under an old railroad car that was coverted to a garage. She called me and asked if I would come down and shoot it for her. I took my 12 guage and got the skunk right in head, instant dead. But it let go anyway, oh my. That little old 94 year old lady took a potato fork, dug that skunk out from under that shed and went and buried it. I told her "Belle, I'm not so sure I could do that." She replied "I tell you what, you shoot my skunks and I'll bury yours." She was one tough old gal.
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Old 10-17-2011, 10:30 PM
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I will have to remember FDS. I only use it to get rid of the fishy smell after cleaning them.
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Old 10-17-2011, 10:39 PM
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Best place to shoot a skunk is from a distance.
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