Skunk behind barn- alive but won't move

[plowhog]

Found a skunk behind my barn this afternoon. At first I thought it was dead since it was in an open pasture area and not moving. Then I saw its head bob up and down a few times. That's its only movement-- head bobs up and down once in a while, then head back on the ground and no movement.

I presumed it was rabid, but did a little research and now I am not sure. I'm leery to "let it be" since if it *is* rabid and a coyote gets it tonight, the coyote is presumably rabid. And I read that if I shoot it, blood, etc. can infect other local game (or me) as well.

Apparently pregnant females can forage during the day for food or to feed young ones if they have given birth. So the old advice that any skunk out in daylight "is rabid" is apparently not true.

I have a trap but since it's not moving that's not going to work. So I'm not sure whether to let it be until morning or take care of business now?

Any ideas?

 

[YanmarFever]

22 cal NOW...

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
What he said, then take your BH and bury it as deeply as you can, preferably with a big rock a couple of feet above the carcass.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Absolutely go shoot that thing now!

Move it with the bucket, and bury it with the back hoe.

But get that thing dead and underground before something else gets ahold of it.

 

[plowhog]

I went back after posting to check it out. It was shaking and shivering, alive but with flies buzzing around it.

As suggested, a .22 and a backhoe were the right combination. I put some plywood and cinder blocks on top of the excavated area.

 

[jaxs]

I went back after posting to check it out. It was shaking and shivering, alive but with flies buzzing around it.

As suggested, a .22 and a backhoe were the right combination. I put some plywood and cinder blocks on top of the excavated area.

Sure glad I never woke up behind your barn at sunrise not knowing where I was after one of those nights out drinking.:gloomy:

 

[DKCDKC]

Had two skunks like that last spring... Came right up to the house and workshop. My dogs somehow knew they were sick and left them alone. One started a slow, non-threatening lumber toward me. I shot it with a 22 in the body then made sure it was dead, used sticks to get it into a trash bag. After putting in another heavy-duty bag I tossed it in the back of the truck and drove it into town to the Health Department. A poor guy there cut off its head and shipped it to their lab. Few days later they confirmed it was rabid. The vet said there are several kinds of rabies. One of them is the "dumb" form where the animal is just sluggish to the point of being still - but never really threatens anyone. Other kinds make the animals much more aggressive and dangerous. The second skunk a month later also tested positive for rabies. They really like to have them tested so they can map out where rabid animals have been found. It helps them warn folks when the danger level is high.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I went back after posting to check it out. It was shaking and shivering, alive but with flies buzzing around it.

As suggested, a .22 and a backhoe were the right combination. I put some plywood and cinder blocks on top of the excavated area.

Good job. Put it out of it's misery, and prevented anything else from getting it.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Sure glad I never woke up behind your barn at sunrise not knowing where I was after a night out drinking.:gloomy:

You'd probably get the same treatment around here.

:laughing:

 

[Semper Paratus]

Can you still get quick lime these days. Been in suburbia for a number of years but once upon a time if we killed something we were suspicious of out came the post hole digger, 4' deep a couple of cups of quick lime and then refill and tamp the hole. Most times we did not have a back hoe available and were not burning brush piles.
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