Skunk Advice

[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.

 

[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.

 

[RSKY]

When the skunk sprayed under our house and I asked around for advice everybody said to call the "skunk catcher" in our county.

Yes, Graves County Kentucky has an unofficial unpaid "skunk catcher"!

So I called the guy and he came out. Unfortunately we were not at home when he got there but he crawled under our house looking for more skunks, repositioned my four traps and covered the traps in heavy duty black trash bags. He would not accept pay when I finally met him. But said he would take donations so I gave him $20.

Said some weeks he would catch 20 skunks and haul them away.

He also owns a BBQ restaurant............

Say WHAT !!!!

He owns a local, very popular, BBQ restaurant!

Says he disposes of the skunks humanely.

We have never ate at his place but I've heard it's very good.

RSKY

 

[milligan36]

Tomato juice is the best method

 

[GLyford]

Tomato has not worked for us.

Both the peroxide mix and the commercial "miracle" odor remover (enzymes) have worked, with this caveat:
They are NOT shampoo. Use full strength on the dry dog. THEN rinse. Not perfect, but best we have tried, by far. Do not pre-wet, or it sets the smell.

Both also work (mostly) on hard surfaces. Rugs and upholstery are a mixed bag, sometimes it works if you catch it soon enough.

When my Aussie was SO happy he caught one that he jumped up all excited on the bed and rolled around...I bought a new comforter.

 

[RSKY]

Did I mention that after being out of my house for over two weeks that I developed a hatred for skunks.

RSKY