Skunk in the yard at supper time

[oosik]

Kentuckyfarmer - you might be bada$$ as Luke indicates - but FOR SURE you are playing with fire. I had one skunk that turned and came right at me - was he chasing me - who knows. I jumped into one of my outbuildings and slammed the door shut. Waited about ten minutes - cracked the door open - he was, fortunately, gone.

I don't know if that skunk was rabid, just pissed or confused in his directions. I felt fortunate to get in the building so we did not have to make contact.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

My skunks quickly got to know me and my voice. I have five or so that come into the yard every afternoon to forage. Skunks have poor vision so I always speak so they know I'm there. They aren't afraid and never spray.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

My skunks quickly got to know me and my voice. I have five or so that come into the yard every afternoon to forage. Skunks have poor vision so I always speak so they know I'm there. They aren't afraid and never spray.

Careful. It's bad enough being known as the 'cat lady'!

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Careful. It's bad enough being known as the 'cat lady'!

:laughing: :dance1: :confused2: LOL

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

:laughing: :dance1: :confused2: LOL

Whew. Glad you laghed. :drink:
I think there may have been a Simpsons episode with a crazy old lady who thought she had pet cats!

 

[Sigarms]

My skunks quickly got to know me and my voice. I have five or so that come into the yard every afternoon to forage. Skunks have poor vision so I always speak so they know I'm there. They aren't afraid and never spray.

Well, from your screen name, your a good woman.

I've heard that skunks actually make good pets.

I'm at the age that killing anything that I'm not going to eat isn't worth the feeling after the fact. That said, perhaps I'm blessed that I don't have any nuisance wild animals.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Well, from your screen name, your a good woman.

I've heard that skunks actually make good pets.

I'm at the age that killing anything that I'm not going to eat isn't worth the feeling after the fact. That said, perhaps I'm blessed that I don't have any nuisance wild animals.

Thank you.

Me too.

We fear nature, whether we'll admit or not. And some of that is justified, but a skunk isn't going to hurt me. Sometimes there are hard decisions, like taking a feral cat to a shelter where I knew he would be euthanized because he was killing birds and other wildlife on a daily basis. I caught him red-handed. This was at my former home. He was a very nice feral cat. But wildlife (esp some bird species) is becoming scarcer and feral cats (a creation of man's stupidity and laziness) are not. I still second-guess that decision, and frankly, if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't do it. Postscript: Coyotes and at least one panther have completely wiped out the feral cat population in that neighborhood. And my favorite kitty (not a hunter) died of a coral snake bite. Nature.

 

[Sigarms]

Thank you.

Me too.

We fear nature, whether we'll admit or not. And some of that is justified, but a skunk isn't going to hurt me. Sometimes there are hard decisions, like taking a feral cat to a shelter where I knew he would be euthanized because he was killing birds and other wildlife on a daily basis. I caught him red-handed. This was at my former home. He was a very nice feral cat. But wildlife (esp some bird species) is becoming scarcer and feral cats (a creation of man's stupidity and laziness) are not. I still second-guess that decision, and frankly, if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't do it. Postscript: Coyotes and at least one panther have completely wiped out the feral cat population in that neighborhood. And my favorite kitty (not a hunter) died of a coral snake bite. Nature.

When on the river, I always thought of nature as being God (was my church). Then as I got older, I realized that nature is cruel. Made me do a lot of rethinking.

I think a better line of thinking is that we don't fear nature, but we fear what we don't know. The skunk "issue" is that it can leave a pretty bad smell. Other than that, exactly how can a skunk harm you?

That said, if I found a copper head around the house, I'd probably kill it and make my peace after that fact. Almost had a dog die due to a venomous snake bit (God forbid it was one of the boys). That said, been out behind the house and accidently killed some copperheads by mowing, and felt like crap after the fact. No where near the house.

If you believe in the Bible, I get the fact that man is the master of this world, just don't see where it's my right to kill one of God's creatures (who He made) if I don't intend to eat it.

Opens for a very large philosophical debate, particularly on repopulation and the difference between two and 4 legged animals

At least for the most part, 4 legged (or those that crawl) animals don't kill for money.

Bottom line, as I've gotten older, killing is a lot harder to do when it comes to 4 legged animals.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

When on the river, I always thought of nature as being God (was my church). Then as I got older, I realized that nature is cruel. Made me do a lot of rethinking.

I think a better line of thinking is that we don't fear nature, but we fear what we don't know. The skunk "issue" is that it can leave a pretty bad smell. Other than that, exactly how can a skunk harm you?

That said, if I found a copper head around the house, I'd probably kill it and make my peace after that fact. Almost had a dog die due to a venomous snake bit (God forbid it was one of the boys). That said, been out behind the house and accidently killed some copperheads by mowing, and felt like crap after the fact. No where near the house.

If you believe in the Bible, I get the fact that man is the master of this world, just don't see where it's my right to kill one of God's creatures (who He made) if I don't intend to eat it.

Opens for a very large philosophical debate, particularly on repopulation and the difference between two and 4 legged animals

At least for the most part, 4 legged (or those that crawl) animals don't kill for money.

Bottom line, as I've gotten older, killing is a lot harder to do when it comes to 4 legged animals.

Yes, take a good hard look at nature and you face some tough questions. I actually do animal rescue. People call me from all over the country and the world who have found an injured or orphaned critter. I'm pretty much available by phone 24/7 so often I'm the only person they can reach. I deal with some horrors, for sure, almost every day, and a lot of human pain as well. It's hard to figure out how some of this is "allowed" to happen.

I think....nature is just nature, and spirit is spirit, and the two are mixed everywhere you look. I sometimes call nature a b**tch, but the truth is she is merely impartial IMO. Spirit on the other hand can love and try to help, can sometimes move mountains. That is the divine, and all we can really do is try. Nature is still my church but only because I also see the divine there. Apparently the creator needed to have both operating at the same time. I have seen God in a squirrel's eyes, in a person willing to spend their last dollar to save an animal. And then of course there's the hawk-torn dove, the spinal cord of a fawn (coyote), and the hunter's gun (survival; often here, they need the food). The cruelty of man surpasses anything in nature IMO, but we are speaking of nature.

I will never figure it all out, but like you said you have to make your peace with it. I try to keep an open heart, stay strong, learn the tough lessons, do as little harm as possible, and help whenever I can. And not let it drag me down because there is still so much beauty, after all. I'm at peace with that.

 

[CalG]

The cruelty of man surpasses anything in nature IMO, but we are speaking of nature.

Thinking that "man" is outside of nature misses a lot of history.