Skunks

[imjin138]

Last Friday I was in the garage and one of my nieghbors came over and told me i had skunks underneath my tool shed. They sprayed his truck the night before 1 adult and 3 babies. So i had an animal removal guy come today and set traps, he said the state wants him to put skunks to sleep as 3 out of 5 carry rabies.


I am in my backyard almost everyday and have not seen one, but have smeeld them so tomorrow morning i guess if the skunks like the marshmellows we will have 2 full cages.

 

[winchester1]

Stan,
When I read your post I had to look at your location to see if you liveed in my neighborhood! We have the same situation here, mom and 3 little ones making the rounds through the neighborhood. They seem to appear just before dark and waddle around through the yards. No harm done at this point that I'm aware of. They sure are fun to watch! We're used to the squirrels, rabbits, and even the occasional deer, but these guys must have moved in from somewhere.

 

[dhallz71]

They like dry cat food too. Just caught one last week. Was trying for neighbors cat.

 

[LESMITH]

About 11 years ago a skunk found it's way under my house and for some reason it let loose with the spray. Inside the house it made my eyes water it was so strong and I thought we would have to burn the place down to get rid of the smell!

I called an exterminator and he caught the skunk in a trap and sprayed some kind of chemical under the house and inside and within an hour the smell was entirely gone.

 

[imjin138]

Checked the traps this morning, no skunks yet. I am just surprised my beagle hasn't found them, my neighbor was sprayed by them last week and th eothr next door neighbor smelled them on Friday.

 

[Bassamatic]

If that's the control shelters trap let them remove the skunk rather that you. Years ago a neighbor used one of those traps and got nailed as he tried to remove it. That guy stunk for days.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

If that's the control shelters trap let them remove the skunk rather that you. Years ago a neighbor used one of those traps and got nailed as he tried to remove it. That guy stunk for days.

Old story-We were out driving around after dark with a keg in the back of the truck. Don't worry we didn't have guns but we did have bows. One of us saw a skunk in the field and suggested that one of the drunker ones shoot it with his bow. Well the guy shot it not with a field point but with an expensive broadhead. Then he decided he wanted the arrow back. Well he went to get it and when he pulled it out he apparantly snagged the musk gland and got it all over him. Talk about a miserable ride back to the camp
For all you smart asses out there-this was back in college and NOT last week

 

[41]

Use a Havahart trap and sardines. Once the skunk is caught, cover the trap with a sheet which will calm him down and then you can move the trap to your pickup and take him to animal control. Around here they have to put them down due to the rabies problem.

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[Titan]

Why not put them down, whenever they're caught?

Is there a useful purpose that skunks fill in the food chain?

 

[woodsltc]

Use a Havahart trap and sardines. Once the skunk is caught, cover the trap with a sheet which will calm him down
41

Not to be a smart ***, but who would be dumb enough to walk close enough to the trap to cover it with a sheet .................. that's sure as hell gonna get you sprayed!!!!!!!!

 

[LESMITH]

After the exterminator caught the skunk in the trap, I called Animal control. When the Animal Control officer came she had a long, thin pole with a hypo at the end. She carefully stuck the pole into the trap and injected the skunk. It didn't flinch or anything as she injected it. In a few seconds it was dead. She said they never let the skunks go free because they are a carrier of rabies.

 

[westcoast362]

There are several skunks in my neighborhood. They tend to come out in the evening when I am sitting outside reading. I have had them walk past my feet, under my legs, and under my chair. I don't think they see very well. The baby ones are as cute as can be. I think they are used to me and I can walk within a few feet, to go into the house. If I get sprayed I'll let you all know in three or four days when my wife lets me back in the house.

 

[Toyman]

This little critter was nosing around during the day at the end of winter last year. I shot with Ruger 10/22 22 mag and a lucky hit severed the spine and no spray. It snowed hard that night so he was in snow bank for a week until my wife retrieved and took to burn pile.

 

[Tom M]

Animal Control in my city won't touch them. I was trying to trap a whistle pig one time, and the AC guys told me if I caught a skunk, I'm on my own. We don't have a lot of them, but I smell them a few times a year.

 

[Racegunner]

My dad has them over at his house eating the bird seed. I was going to bring my .22 rifle over to get them, but he likes them. He also gets possums, foxes and last week spotted a coyote and a doe near his house. Strange thing is he lives only a few miles from Detroit in a fairly populated area. I've warned him about walking around and tracking in possum and skunk scat on his shoes.

 

[BrianE]

Not to be a smart ***, but who would be dumb enough to walk close enough to the trap to cover it with a sheet .................. that's sure as hell gonna get you sprayed!!!!!!!!

Im with ya on this one......... Just asking for trouble!

 

[41]

Not to be a smart ***, but who would be dumb enough to walk close enough to the trap to cover it with a sheet .................. that's sure as hell gonna get you sprayed!!!!!!!!

The good Havahart traps have a solid metal top and metal doors at both ends. Some of the cheap ones now are screen wire. In this case you would need a shield to hide behind.

Skunks carry rabies and can do a number on your yard. Also you do not want to relocate them and cause a problem for someone else. I have moved many this way and have never been sprayed.

In Fairfax County, the animal control will come and get the skunk but you have to go to their facility and get your trap back. Just be sure to mark your trap on the underside so you get the your trap back and not some beat up piece of junk.


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[TXSWFAN]

My Lab got nailed point blank in the face about a month ago. He for sure had a W T F look on his face. The spray is oil. The wife and I mixed up a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and liquid soap. Scrubbed him real good and it took the smell away.

Never did see the skunk.

 

[Faulkner]

I have found the best thing to shoot them with and have the least chance of a death spray is a .410 with #6 shot. I've killed a couple of dozen off my property and you have about a 50/50 chance of a death spray using a .22. If you use a shotgun bigger than a .410 you risk busting the gland/stink bag. I've had about a 90% success rate killing them with a .410.

 

[PRC74]

Sorry, I thought this was a thread about Washington.