Caught a SKUNK

[Chuck52]

A coon has been getting into the cats food, and while I don't mind that much, coons last year did in my peach harvest. I trapped about 15 last year, mainly too late to save the peaches, so I figure to get an earlier start this year in controlling the population. What has always worked for me is making sure the cat eats his food up and putting out traps with the food the coons are used to. Cat food baiting gets me coons. I put out two traps Saturday night, one right beside the patio on the way to the cat's bowl, and one out by the garden. No luck until this morning. I stepped out on the patio to feed the cat and my morning blurry eyes beheld a beautiful black and white coon in the trap about ten feet away. Even without my morning coffee I was bright enough to calmly put food in the cat's bowl and slowly retreat beck inside. My cat is smart enough not to bother the skunk, but now I have to figure out how to deal with a skunk in a trap ten feet from my back door.

The trap is beside the corner of the house, and I think I can throw a tarp over the cage from around that corner without giving the skunk a chance to spray. Then what? It's a cheap trap I can afford to lose, so perhaps I can bundle it all up, take it way off from the house, and blow heck out of it with my 22....from a safe distance?

I think future traps will be located a bit farther from the house!

Chuck

 

[PILOON]

My grandfather used to toss a tarp over the trapped skunk and then toss the trap c/w skunk into the pond and drowned them.
No sprays that way.

 

[polo1665]

If you do a search you may find quite a bit of information. I believe it has been said here that they will not spray if you shoot them. Best to confirm this though

Mark

 

[jayste]

I was just going to say that the tarp trick works but PILOON beat me to it. The tarp is great for two reasons: he won't spray and it gives you a sense of security knowing that it won't get on you if he did. Both the drowning and "lead poisoning" thing (.22) will work but if you're the kind that likes to "relocate" wild critters then you could drive a few miles away & open the door and wait for him to come out. If you do that I'd appreciate it if you would not come around NE Seminole county Oklahoma and do it! I will say that after a battle with them a few years ago it's either them or me! Good luck!

 

[nmu98]

I would not use a tarp. i would use a blanket, or something that is not loud when you move it. I have had great luck in moving skunks this way. I put the blanket over them and let them sit in the dark for about 5 to 10 minutes. They seem to calm down. I then carry the trap where I need to and kill it with a 22.

Some people say gut shoot it, others say shoot it in the head. I think that it matters that you hit it on the fist shot. but either way, once shot, I would try to get 2 or 3 more into it to be humane.

I have not had one spray yet, even after being shot. So don;t stand back 50 feet and shoot. They need to have their tail up and aimed at you, and it is not going to happen inside the trap.


LOL.. Last week I has playing with the kids outside and I turned around and there was a black thing hobbling down the road. It turned out to be a skunk with a small muskrat trap on its head. It could walk no problem but its head was heavy from the trap. The skunk walked up my driveway twords us and forced us to get the 22 and shoot it. One shot in the head and it was dead. Never sprayed. We even had to persuade it to get off the cement driveway so we could shoot it....

Just be calm around it and you will be fine.

 

[dooleysm]

I have a long length of rope attached to my feral cat trap for this exact reason.

 

[JB4310]

Yeah, I never had a problem relocating them, would just walk up slowly to the trap, pick it up, no tarp, and put it in the trunk and drive a couple of miles to release them.

Skunks will give you all kinds of warning before they spray.

They must be blind as bats, we have them walk right through our picnic area like they don't know we're there. my brother jumped up on top of the picnic table like a little girl! I just sat there and the skunk practically rubbed right by on my leg.

I had some pics of me holding a skunk in a catch alive trap but can't find them.

JB.

 

[RobS]

Was on a fishing trip years back and there was a skunk hanging out by the fish house. The camp owner shot it with a shotgun. Couldn't go near that fish house for at least a day for the smell. I think as long as you don't puncture the scent gland you'll be OK. I trapped one when we lived in a subdivision. Humane society guy came, covered it with a blanket, took the whole thing away and returned my empty trap in about a half hour. Smell free, so it can be done.

 

[WantedWolf]

If you do a search you may find quite a bit of information. I believe it has been said here that they will not spray if you shoot them. Best to confirm this though

Mark

yep it really matters where you shoot, make it count if you use a 22 have extra rounds handy. they might not spray when dead but sure do when dying. This is as in detail as I will go into one of the worst animal experiences of my life.

 

[MossRoad]

See, I always thought catch and release fishing was for weenies. Now, catch and release skunk trapping... that's for real Sportsmen!!!