Skunk Advice

[Garandman]

How do you kill a live-trapped skunk if you can’t shoot it?

 

[aczlan]

How do you kill a live-trapped skunk if you can’t shoot it?

Shoot it in the base of the tail or drown it would be my guess.

Aaron Z

 

[k0ua]

How do you kill a live-trapped skunk if you can’t shoot it?

You can take them swimming. But I would prefer to shoot them as a more humane way of disposing of them.

 

[Bird]

How do you kill a live-trapped skunk if you can’t shoot it?

I don't know if they still do it or not, but many years ago, I borrowed a trap from the City of Dallas. It was much like the traps everyone has seen except it was a solid metal top, bottom, and sides. So you could see through it from either end. When I had a skunk caught in it, I called and they came and got it. They said it was no problem to approach from the side, so the captured animal, in this case as skunk, couldn't see the guy approach. He had a slightly larger solid metal box; just picked up the trap, set it in the other box, and closed the lid. The lid on the larger box had a small, capped pipe sticking up, so he could just take the cap off, pour chloroform in, and screw the cap back on. He said when he got back to the animal shelter all he had to do was dispose of the dead skunk.

 

[aczlan]

I don't know if they still do it or not, but many years ago, I borrowed a trap from the City of Dallas. It was much like the traps everyone has seen except it was a solid metal top, bottom, and sides. So you could see through it from either end. When I had a skunk caught in it, I called and they came and got it. They said it was no problem to approach from the side, so the captured animal, in this case as skunk, couldn't see the guy approach. He had a slightly larger solid metal box; just picked up the trap, set it in the other box, and closed the lid. The lid on the larger box had a small, capped pipe sticking up, so he could just take the cap off, pour chloroform in, and screw the cap back on. He said when he got back to the animal shelter all he had to do was dispose of the dead skunk.

Another option would probably be to put the live trap into a larger container and spray ether (starting fluid) into it to knock the critter out then drown them.

Aaron Z

 

[brokenknee]

220 connie in a box set works well, baited with cat food. That being said we didn't have any cats in the area we needed to worry about. Only set it out at night and made sure the dog was on a leash until I checked the trap in the morning. They do release a little before they die but not to bad, the smell was usually gone by the morning.

22s are also effective, that is mainly my only option now since we moved and our neighbor has cats that are on our property on a pretty regular bases. Not really a cat lover but I lucked out and the neighbor is a pretty decent guy so I will put up with the cats.

For the most part I do not mind skunks and coons being on the property, it was only after they started killing the chickens it became a problem. I eventually build a more secure coop and the problems went away. fortunately our dog never had an encounter with either.

 

[KYErik]

How do you kill a live-trapped skunk if you can稚 shoot it?

That's why I used clear plastic as a "shield" as I approached the trapped skunk and then wrapped the whole live trap in it. I could see the skunk inside and push the gun barrel through the clear plastic for accurate shot placement/instant humane kill. My skunk didn't spray (it was more of a dribble than a spray) until about 20 seconds after his noggen got a lead infusion. By that time, I had already opened the trap door and dumped it onto the ground (I always empty the trap out immediately to minimize the amount of blood that gets on the trap).

 

[RSKY]

I have never had one spray or dribble after shooting them in the hindquarters. But I was using a 12-guage with Buckshot. I also mixed and poured 300-lb. of Quickcrete around the return air vent so no more could get under the house.

RSKY

 

[Deere Dude]

Mace posted the best formula. As to how it got past the fence... an average skunk can get through a 2x4 fence. Their skull and bodies are much smaller than they look with the fluffed fur.

My wife saw a momma skunk and 4 babies waddling across our lawn and she came running for me to get my gut. I hatted to shoot them because they were so cute but I did drill the momma and 2 babies. A few hours went by and I went and looked, they looked almost flat. I believe they could squeeze through a small.

 

[Erik M]

Drowning works fine but so does putting the trap in a cardboard box and connect it to the exhaust of your idling vehicle. Humane and quick. No mess to clean up.