Skunk Removal

[Shmudda]

I use the three "S" method on strays that chase the livestock even though it's legal. Shoot, shovel, shut-up.

Skunks.....Cats.....this method works REALLY good!!

A 12 Gauge and flashlight is normally what I resort to.....

Shmud

 

[mcrimm]

We had a skunk problem in our garage. I caught the vermin outside the garage and shot it with a .22. Next I hung a small rope over the end of a fly rod with a loop on the end. Slowly I placed the loop over the stinky guys head and tied the other end of the rope to my trailer ball on the back of my pickup. Now I made a short road trip for about a mile down the lane, stopped, cut the rope and went home. Problem solved. I bet we looked cool - a 3/4 ton truck dragging a dead skunk. My teenage son helped with all this....he did get a little spray on him but it was gone after time.

 

[Don87]

DEFINITELY live trap.
Wrap trap in old towel. Bait with apple or banana slices. This will not waste time catching every stray cat in town.

QUIETLY approach trap with a disposable plastic tarp (cheap, blue) in front of you, with a small hole so you can see what you are doing. Wrap up trap with tarp as tightly as possible and transport.

SAFE release is the hard part.......... I personally test skunks to see if they can survive in a new environment. If they can't hold there breath for 20-30 minutes while in the trap in the river, they are not a good candidate for re-introduction into the wild..........

Good luck
Wyo

Or make a trail of the apple and banana slices to the 'bad' neighbors house:thumbsup:

 

[drw]

My grandpa used to catch skunks in his trap, and them baptise them in the pond. If they weren't converted on the first baptism, he'd do it again until it worked. :laughing:

I do the same thing. As others have said, drape an old sheet over the trap. If the skunk can't see you, it'll be hesitant to spray. So tie a rope to your trap and drive it down to your water. Dump the whole thing in and leave it for the morning. In the afternoon come and empty out the trap and let the buzzards deal with the remains. Works every time! :thumbsup:

 

[Runner]

I had this problem with a ground hog next to my front porch. It re-dug the hole twice. The third time, I filled it back in and put several good-sized rocks over the area where it had been digging. The hog gave up and went somewhere else (under my storage shed.....). Anyway, it got it away from the front porch.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I used the tarp trick over the box trap, then ran a hose from the 4-wheeler exhaust under the tarp and let it idle for 20min. There was no smell from the skunk.

At a scout event I was sleeping in the woods on a tarp. I woke up at one time and there was dirt all over my tarp and I couldn't believe I was that sloppy setting up. A little later I woke up to the sound of footsteps and there was a little skunk with his front feet right on my tarp! I tried verbally shooing him to no effect and then slapped the tarp. He ran a little ways and did the handstand thing but thankfully wandered off without releasing and I saw no more of him.

 

[theboman]

Just Sayin'.....

Once upon a time a fella had a skunk living under his house. He asked the 78 year old farmer how to get rid of the skunk without harming or killin' the little stinker. The farmer says, ain't nothing better than bread crums and crackers to get a skunks attention. Just make a trail from the house to the nearby forest, which was about 25 yards south of the home. Old farmers are smart ol' birds.
The trail was set and the wait was on.... Meanwhile at the hardware store a couple of days latter. The farmer spies the home owner how the trail of crackers and bread worked out... The home owners say GREAT... now I have TWO skunks under the house!

 

[retiredmgn]

I've been a trapper for a number of years. I would like to add a few points.
First, Skunks have the capacity of carrying rabies with no ill effect to themselves. The rabies virus lives in the brain and spinal column. If you chose to shoot a skunk make it a heart/lung shot. With a head/spinal column shot it is possible to aerosol the rabies virus where is can affect other critters - including humans. The downside to a heart/lung shot is the skunk will likely 'let loose'.
Second, If you use a live catch cage trap make sure it is small enough to prevent the skunk from being able to raise its tail. The warning sign a skunk is about to spray is the tail going straight up. I have caught many skunks in
8x8" cage traps (one end set method) and never had a spray because there is not enough space to raise the tail. The plumbing on a skunk doesn't work unless the tail can be raised.
I agree the best way to deal with a live trapped skunk is to drown it. Just make sure the trap doors stay closed when you toss it in the water.

Nelson

 

[handirifle]

If the skunk is only digging a single hole, then get some of the flare-like (can't think of what they're called) smokers that are meant for ground squirrels and the like. The way they work, is you light the fuse on them, toss it in the hole (It creates a toxic fume) and cover the hole up quickly with dirt.

This will kill him and you shouldn't (key word here) have any odor. The hole will stay filled in and the critter will die in his sleep, underground.

 

[two_bit_score]

Remouve her VERY carefully! LOL

To be Eco Friendly or whatever, you need to relocate it.
Buy or rent a "Have-a-Heart" trap!
Drape the trap with a towel or such, carry over to city hall and release her.

On the serious side, probably a scent, such as used for deer, might work.
It is claimed that coyote scent (Skoot) is good.
Perhaps even some dog poo.

I once had serious dog problems and city refused to help.

The mutt was easy to handle, it actually hopped into my car so I drove to city hall and the mutt followed me inside where I left it.
When they got all upset and threatened all sorts of things I took the stand that 1- dog was not mine, 2-it folowed me, 3- Was there simply to ask how to solve the problem. 4- If the city paid dog catcher did his job I would not have problems.

Did not help that the dog cocked his leg to mark territory on the chief's desk!

I'd say that dog deserved a seat at the dinner table!