Skunk problem

[whistlepig]

We had a pretty serious skunk problem when we moved here 5 years ago. Our dogs were getting sprayed at least twice a year our first two years here. These are indoor dogs mind you. I shot a couple skunks. The dogs killed four more (the least desirable of all options). Come to find out that they were having babies every spring in our horse barn. From what I have researched baby skunks will come back to the same place when they grow up when they are ready to have their own babies. The biggest problem was that we were storing hay on pallets of the floor of the horse barn. The skunks were raising babies under the pallets. So out comes all the hay and pallets and we stored the hay a different way. They had also had dug holes under the sides of the barn. I filled the holes in. This seemed to work. We haven't a had a dog sprayed for over two years now. We still have skunks around. We have a very large yard and this time of year they are digging up rabbit nests and eating baby rabbits. But they seem to be gone from around our outbuildings.

 

[fbson395]

Also had a skunk under my sons shed. Sprayed his dog and scratched his eye. My wife went to home depot and purchased a spray bottle for $18 bucks called Critter Ritter. Just sprayed the area that they were in and they left. :thumbsup:

 

[Mud Mechanik]

Whistlepig, I have found several dead skunks underneath the hay that was stacked on pallets as well, I can only put 120 roll in my barn so I have to stack some outside and put poly over it, when you roll the plastic back to get a roll and get a whiff of that

 

[whistlepig]

Whistlepig, I have found several dead skunks underneath the hay that was stacked on pallets as well, I can only put 120 roll in my barn so I have to stack some outside and put poly over it, when you roll the plastic back to get a roll and get a whiff of that

The biggest improvement for us was taking the pallets out of the barn. Used to be that if hay was stacked on plastic all the hay on the bottom would mold. We found a plastic that we could lay directly on the ground and then the hay stacked on top. This hay stays fresh on this plastic and doesn't mold. Wife is pretty particular about her hay.

 

[joshuabardwell]

The biggest problem was that we were storing hay on pallets of the floor of the horse barn. The skunks were raising babies under the pallets.

I had the exact same thing happen.

 

[Mud Mechanik]

I have also found a dead skunk floating in my swimming pool, evidently they are not good swimmers.

 

[whistlepig]

I have also found a dead skunk floating in my swimming pool, evidently they are not good swimmers.

My goodness! And I thought I was having skunk problems. Sounds like you are infested.

 

[Mud Mechanik]

On an average year I will kill about 9 or 10, I have seen all sorts of color schemes with black and white and some solid black and some solid white, they all smell the same though. We had a bad drought last summer and I did not kill but 2, but they are back in full force this year.

 

[whistlepig]

I think our neighbors are helping. They are shot on sight here.

 

[Mud Mechanik]

I do the same thing but with all of the cattle around I have to be careful what direction I shoot and sometimes they get away.