Skunk problem

[Sniper66]

My brother was trapping critters live and relocating them until a skunk got caught in his trap. The guy who got rid of the skunk for him suggested moth balls. Now when I go visit him, the porch and deck stink of moth balls. I hate it; I'd rather have the skunk!!

 

[LT.Diver]

We've had skunks in our yard for years. They never bothered me and I never bothered them. I never understood people's fear of these harmless critters.

 

[OYE]

I never understood people's fear of these harmless critters.

We like skunks too. Unfortunately skunks are one of the primary carriers of rabies. They are known to transmit the virus before showing any symptoms.
Symptoms may include traveling in the daytime, repeated vocalizing, stumbling,
erratic behavior, aggressiveness, attempting to spray but can't, wanting water but unable to drink, and others.

I guess that may have something to do with it.

So if one is acting funny it's
best not to take chances. Oh, we've seen two in our lifetime that tested positive. And a couple others that were likely positive but there was no "known" reason to test them. Go with the lung shot as someone has already mentioned. Used to need the brain intact for testing, not sure now. Quarantining possible animal exposures isn't a lot of fun, especially if it involves milk cows or other marketable farm animals, not to mention dogs, cats etc...
If you get sprayed, no worry, you will not smell it anyway as funny as that may sound, but everyone else will. We often handle skunk scent, open the bottle of pure skunk, can't smell a thing. Gasoline gets rid of it. OYE

 

[rcmodel]

+1

If you see one out in daylight wandering around?

Suspect rabies, and act accordingly with disposal.

You don't want it around gnawing on your dogs & cats, or anything else you value.

 

[Panfisher]

I have removed many skunks from yards, campgrounds, even a few buildings. The covered live trap and water source is cleanest. Second for spur of the moment is .22 rifle, and CBs. Aim right behind shoulder from a few feet away, put the bullet through the lungs not the shoulder, then walk away and come back in 10 minutes with a couple plastic trash bags. The quiet low velocity impact and noise doesn't spook them, they will hump up and waddle around then die without spraying. Have head shot several out in pastures and sometime they spray sometimes they dont. But haven't had one spray with the gentle lung shot yet. Old trapper taught me that trick, didnt believe it till I started using it. A cheap beater bolt action .22 rifle excels in the task.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

We had infestations at one of the camps I worked at, and the skunks would sometimes spray underneath the cabins for some reason and stink out all the kids.

There was a myth about one of the counselors exterminating a skunk with his bare hands (sorta). Legend has it, "counselor screwup" came back from a night off after having a few too many to drink, and saw the skunk milling around his cabin. Legend says, he took a maglight off of one of the night watch people and ran up on the skunk from behind, and when the surprised skunk lifted its tail, "counselor screwup" shoved the flashlight into its netherregions, therefore blocking the spray. At this time, he supposedly used foot strikes to experminate the beast, therefore saving the children.

He was fired on the spot.

 

[d2wing]

I am surprised that anyone would shot a skunk with a .177 air rifle. I have used a .22 cal air rifle on squirrels and at that it takes a good hit to kill them. I would never want to get that close to a skunk. If I couldn't use a .22lr or better I would try repellents or trapping.

 

[thewillweeks]

Please please please be aware that a headshot, if done properly, cause a complete release. If he hasn't sprayed yet, he will. And it will come out in a solid stream which will soak nicely in to anything it touches.

 

[armedwalleye]

Following on RC's trapping post, once covered, take said striped kitty to a local lake for a swimming lesson, trap a d all. One 30 minute lesson per each has cured every skunk problem w/o smelling up me, the dog or the house/yard.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Following on RC's trapping post, once covered, take said striped kitty to a local lake for a swimming lesson, trap a d all. One 30 minute lesson per each has cured every skunk problem w/o smelling up me, the dog or the house/yard.

That is the thinking behind drowning sets in Field trapping.

 

[mole]

I patiently waited til almost midnight after she had taken the little ones out foraging; then I quickly rigged up a pair of extension cords and put two 100 watt light bulbs under the porch and left them on; when the skunks returned and found that their nice dark "daytime hang-out" was now brightly lighted, they promptly departed in search of another dark place to spend the daylight hours.

I had a similar problem and used pretty much the same solution. I have trapped and relocated several skunks using a simple steel cage type trap. The key is getting one that is short so that the skunk can't bow it's back/lift its tail to spray. I also moved the entrapped animal and manipulated the trap's door using a tree pruning pole with a hook on it. Drowning is not humane and is no way to dispatch an animal.

I have no problem killing invasives like rats, starlings (I hate those with a passion), aggressive dogs, or hogs; but skunks to me are a natural part of the landscape to be avoided/managed instead of eradicated.

 

[NCWanderer]

Mole, I agree whole hardheartedly with you.

 

[OYE]

I have trapped and relocated several skunks using a simple steel cage type trap.

As long as you are not on the receiving end of the relocation. Relocating a skunk that's use to being around buildings or is habituated to people may not be the best idea. Especially a species that is known to carry rabies often without showing symptoms. Relocating wildlife is illegal in many states. And there is a reason for it. The problem just becomes someone elses problem.
OYE

 

[mole]

As long as you are not on the receiving end of the relocation. Relocating a skunk that's use to being around buildings or is habituated to people may not be the best idea. Especially a species that is known to carry rabies often without showing symptoms. Relocating wildlife is illegal in many states. And there is a reason for it. The problem just becomes someone elses problem.

I've always taken them to a state Wildlife Management Area. I've never considered whether it was legal or not.

 

[Cornhusker77]

I've shot dozens, all in the head, most with a 9mm.
None sprayed, but one leaked a little.
The hard part is the disposal

 

[jmorris]

This is a video of me letting the last one I caught go. Trying to catch the Armadillo(s) tearing up the grass (they are like mini hogs), I have caught every thing except one. Rabbits, squrrils and skunks. Once they spend the night in the trap they don't seem to come up to the house again.

Around :45 in is when he walks out of the trap he didn't mess around after he rounded the corner though almost all the way back to the woods by the time I made it around the corner.

http://vid664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/VID_20141013_091223_210_zpsh4jybqxr.mp4

 

[Rangersedge]

Fur trapped for 30+ years. Oversaw county animal control program for 20+ years. Find myself strongly agreeing with Oye on this issue. Don't dump dogs or cats. Don't "relocate" wildlife. I've trapped, shot, drowned and otherwised dispatched number of skunks. Best way is to catch in live trap of some type (whether specialized trap for skunks or regular cage trap), and inject with overdose of sedative in syringe mounted on end of pole. Done slowly and calmly, skunk won't often spray. For average person without access to that, covered trap, dumped in water does work well. Make sure trap fully submerged for extended time. Also, be careful what use to cover trap as skunk will attempt to pull it into cage and chew it up if left covered for long.

As an aside, one of our animal control officers got an urgent call to remove a skunk from a grave. Funeral was supposed to take place in about half an hour. Crew getting gravesite ready noticed skunk had fallen into grave overnight. A/c officer was able to climb down into grave, catch skunk with catchpole, and carry to back of his truck without it spraying. Grave crew seriously impressed. Of course, skunk sprayed as soon as he tried to close back door of shell but was contsined to truck so funeral could proceed.

 

[Sniper66]

OK, last skunk story. I grew up in a small town (pop. 200) and never had indoor plumbing. For those of you not aware of it, the way it used to work is you dig a hole, sit the outhouse over the hole. When it's about 3/4 full you dig a new hole, move the outhouse and use the dirt from the new hole to cover the old one. Once an obviously stupid skunk burrowed under the outhouse and fell in the pit. This of course really pissed him off and he sprayed everywhere. The smell was beyond description. So, with flash light and .22 in hand, one brave soul tied a bandana around his nose, located the skunk, and shot him. We dug a new hole, moved the outhouse, and buried the whole sorry mess. I've never liked skunks since then. I think I have PSSD, (post skunk stress disorder).

 

[chicharrones]

Good story, sniper. LOL!

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Please please please be aware that a headshot, if done properly, cause a complete release. If he hasn't sprayed yet, he will. And it will come out in a solid stream which will soak nicely in to anything it touches.

The range a 22 rifle gives you negates your concerns. I always been over 30 feet away except for the time I walked around the house and nearly stepped on one.

 

[Iggy]

I've shot a lot of skunks and every one of them returned fire... I always waited until they were far enough away from living area as to not suffer the inevitable stink.

 

[BSA1]

Another person that has killed a lot of skunks over the years. Everyone save the last sprayed.

The last time I had a skunk in my pasture in the daytime. I sneaked up on him by using trees for cover and shot him through the spinal column when standing directly behind him using a 32-20 carbine. He was DRT and didn't spray. I let him lay overnight and deposed of him the following morning and there was not any scent.

 

[JohnKSa]

I sneaked up on him by using trees for cover and shot him through the spinal column when standing directly behind him...

If you can clip the spinal cord, especially very near the brain, the result should be a no-reflex kill. There may be some relaxation of muscles which could result in seepage but there can be no actual spray.

A straight brain shot is probably the worst option. Usually there's a significant "dirt dance" from a brain shot which results from the muscles and nerves trying to respond to the scrambled signals coming from a scrambled brain. I would say that spraying is nearly a sure thing with a normal brain shot.

 

[joem1945]

I live in a rural area and once in a while skunks are a problem. I have a large live trap for pests. First skunk trapped was not a problem. Shot with .223 62 gr SS109 behind the head. Took out the spine and no stink. Second one big problem!! Dog go out and headed for "THE TRAP". Stired up the skunk plenty, got sprayed and stinking. Wife Pi$$ed. Got the .223 again. Skunk racing around the trap. Took my best try, removed front leg. Second shot; Nicked other front leg. Third shot; Him him in the a$$ end which removed the entire a$$ end. Stink was unbearable. Took the trap and dumped out the remains in the creek. The house is 75 yards from the creek but in summer stink was strong enough to smell the little booger anyway.