SKUNK

[JB4310]

Not entirely true. The glottis can spasm (closed) preventing aspiration of water (and also air) resulting in death. However,
The above is true for humans, I doubt there is much data on skunks.

So you guys are saying you wouldn't inhale a huge amount of water, after you held your breath as long as you could? Causing crushing pain, choking and gagging and repeating till unconscious?

That goes against what I feared would happen, don't know if that would make it any better way of dieing.
IMO, a high velocity projectile to the central processor still better.

I can say from experience, it was a long process before the skunk stopped moving, probably 4 minutes or more, way longer than I thought and to long to watch something die, though it did not seem to be terribly distressed, just pacing around.
I know, easy to say standing on dry ground and breathing

How about exhaust gassing, I've heard that may be painless, more humane?

JB.

 

[20 20]

How about exhaust gassing, I've heard that may be painless, more humane?

JB.

I was just thinking the same thing Why not just use a drier vent pipe from a car exhaust to the covered trap?

 

[N80]

So you guys are saying you wouldn't inhale a huge amount of water, after you held your breath as long as you could? Causing crushing pain, choking and gagging and repeating till unconscious?

It is actually a very complicated process, with a lot of variation. But when you finally 'inhale' the larynx spasms shut not allowing much water into the lungs. Then you pass out, relax and then the water enters the lungs but you wouldn't feel that. But again, it is apparent that some drowning victims do get an immediate lung full of water.

But that's all just a technicality. Even when this process happens some water always gets in. So again, imagine holding your breath as you panic and try to get to the surface. Then, think about when you swallow wrong and just a little saliva or water goes into your windpipe. Combine the two feelings of suffocation and gagging and you pretty much have waterboarding, which is enough to break any human and considered by many to be torture.

So even if the process takes one minute or four minutes, it still seems inhumane to me when a bullet is instantaneous.

Or, if so inclined, let the skunk go in a wooded area.

 

[hydrology_joe]

I have trapped several possums and skunks and found the most humane way to eliminate them afterwards was a CO2 cylinder and a large trash can. The CO2 cylinder was from a keg-o-rator purchased at a garage sale. (We live in suburbia and cannot discharge firearms.) The live trap would go in the trash can and the lid put on. Then stick the hose from the CO2 cylinder in through a small hole in the lid, turn on the cylinder and fill the can with gas. The asphyxiation is less traumatic than drowning.

I learned the process from a pest control guy I did some insulation work for. He had several of the trash can set ups and several large deep freezes. When he couldn't relocate the animals, he would use the can. The carcass would go into a deep freeze until he collected enough to make a run to the incinerator.

 

[beenthere]

..................

How about exhaust gassing, I've heard that may be painless, more humane?

JB.

I tried that once with a racoon in the trap. Tarped it well as I could, and piped the exhaust in. Left the 6 cyl Trailblazer running for well over 40 minutes, and nothing but a groggy coon. I figured it might be less bloody than a bullet (just try to get that coon looking into a gun barrel for that 1/2 second to put the bullet between the eyes) but it didn't work for me. Back to the gun and the mess.

If I had a container ready with enough water, I'd "waterboard" 'em. But when I trap 2-4 coons a month, I won't mess with filling a 55 gal. drum each time.

Will look into the CO2

 

[N80]

If I had a container ready with enough water, I'd "waterboard" 'em.

I still don't think you'll get him to talk, but if that's what floats your boat.....

I don't kill possums. I shoot racoons, even in the suburbs, a .22 short hardly makes any noise. I also have a cheap, but powerful pellet gun. Its as lethal as the .22 at short range.

If I had to drown or gas one, I'd just let it go.

 

[beenthere]

I still don't think you'll get him to talk,............

Guess I'll drop that approach then.

 

[20 20]

I tried waterboarding a pesky fish once, danged if he didn't seem to enjoy it. Next time I'll airboard him

 

[Airjmc87]

Drowning is not humane. And don't mistake me for PETA VEGAN GREEN PIECE either. I've hunted all my life. Drowning causes fear, pain, struggle, and aspiration of water. I've got no problem with anyone who wants to kill a varmit or pest in a humane way, but not matter how hard anyone tries to convince themselves otherwise, drowning is cruel and uneccessary. Period.

As for diet, skunks are omnivors. They'll eat anything but rodents are known to be a major component of their diet.

99% of people are incapable of shooting anything in the head due to accuracy so more than likely their gonna do some kinda hack job to geter done. Now for drowning, it is an emdiate removal of air flow, one breath and their is zero oxygen going to the brain. It takes less than 30 seconds for a human to be completely unconscious and feeling nothing which I have experienced first hand extensively both choking people out via stopping blood flow and/or air flow and being choke out during my infantry training. Anything with a smaller lung capacity than a human is going to have a much smaller window of consciousness once oxygen is removed. So I know first hand that drowning is by far the most humane and clean way to dispatch vermin. I have also shot thousands of vermin with one shot kills but it always ends in a mess or smell. The only reason people think drowning is not humane is because they picture how something or someone would drown while struggling to swim at the surface which is a scary thought and I also know how that feels and it's a very scary feeling. The fact is, in that situation airflow is not removed and the act of drowning like that is not quick and painless where as being imediately submerged and loosing all oxygen in one breath and going to sleep in seconds is! I know from personal experience so don't bother trying to argue this until you can go get throat choked properly until you go asleep and experience oxygen loss, if done correctly you WILL be asleep in about 10-15 seconds.

 

[Airjmc87]

20_20
Not a problem here. But I googled it, and says the striped skunk (one I am most familiar with) is not fast enough.



Now, going to get that cookie.

Lol a skunk doesn't have to chase a mouse to catch one, fairly easy for them to walk up to a nest of them and mowe down on the buffet. Also i watched one in my parents yard in Ottawa walk right up to a rabbit and kill it and eat it, it was a mighty long and clumsy process for the skunk but he got it done.

 

[keegs]

I had a guy working for me last summer at the Maine house. He said he regularly fed his cats outdoors on the porch and that a skunk started coming around to eat the cat food leftovers. He told me he thought he could shoot and kill the skunk before it would spray so he got out a .22 and took a shot at it while it was face down in the cat bowl...on the porch. He said he killed it but not before it sprayed the house.

I can only imagine what a calamity that was.

 

[Freds]

My BIL recently sent a pic to me of a skunk he had shot. I'm sure he used his shotgun and he said the whole house stunk, but skunk smell can permeate your nostrils pretty good and stay with you for days. Anyway, the thing had become trapped right outside his house in two chipmunk traps he had set up. The skunk had reached through the spokes of one of those tricycle planters and gotten both front paws caught, one in each trap. Pretty funny when you think about it, lol.

 

[Rickstir]

There are lots of skunks. They are not endangered. I drive 50 miles to work and see hundreds killed every year, yet they still abound. Kill them, shoot shovel and shutup if necessary. But taking them somewhere else is not fair to where you drop them off. Just be done with it.

 

[CharlieTR]

Had a skunk spray my barn cat on my front porch a couple of years ago.
It was bad in the house for about two to three weeks. Ran that cat off for a long time too. Seemed like after being in the house for 30 minutes, nose burned, but could not smell anything any more.

After all that cleared up I saw a show on PBX that was all about skunks.
This skunk trapper kept sending his skunks to a scientist, and he chemically analysed the spray. He said he only way to chemically break down that skunk spray is to mix 3% hydrogen paroxcide with water, and a cap full of liquid laundry soap. He showed mixing in a 5 gallon bucket.

He did say stuff like tomato juice just cover up the smell and don't break down the chem.

 

[keegs]

Had a yellow jacket nest in the lawn a while back. I have a serious reaction to bee stings so I kept my distance. I seem to recall it was when the weather started turning cooler that something dug up the nest during the night.....bits of the nest were scattered around the hole. Can't be sure but I think it was a skunk that dug up the nest.

 

[MikeD74T]

Found several yellowjacket nests dug up in my lawn last weekend. I prefer skunks to yellowjackets. Other than once nearly stepping on one when leaving for work on midnight shift they've never caused me any trouble. That one didn't spray, just startled me. Since then I turn on the porch light for a mpoment before leaving in the dark. MikeD74T

 

[keegs]

Found several yellowjacket nests dug up in my lawn last weekend. I prefer skunks to yellowjackets. Other than once nearly stepping on one when leaving for work on midnight shift they've never caused me any trouble. That one didn't spray, just startled me. Since then I turn on the porch light for a mpoment before leaving in the dark. MikeD74T

Had what must have been a 500 lb black bear greet me in the driveway a few years ago on my way to work. :laughing: Had to go back in the house and change my pants.

 

[MikeD74T]

From NH Fish & Game newsletter: things that go bump in the night

NORTH CONWAY MAN INJURED BY DUMPSTER-DIVING BEAR

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. -- A man had a physical encounter with a black bear while emptying his garbage at his apartment complex in North Conway, N.H., on Sunday, August 22, 2010. Jeff Allard, a resident of Cathedral Crossing Apartments in North Conway, was throwing garbage into a dumpster when the bear scratched his shoulder and knocked him to the ground as it bounded out of the dumpster through a side access door.

Allard had gotten home from work after dark and proceeded to take his household trash out to the apartment complex's dumpster, which is equipped with a bear-proof steel top. As Allard approached the dumpster, he noticed that the side door was open, but because of the darkness, he did not notice a bear rummaging around inside it. He threw his garbage bag into the dumpster, which startled the bear. The surprised bruin immediately reached its paw out to grab the side of the dumpster to pull itself out. In the process, the bear痴 paw scratched Allard's shoulder, causing him to fall backwards to the ground. Allard immediately got to his feet, backed away and watched the bear climb out of the dumpster and run off into the woods.

Allard sustained three cuts to his right shoulder that measured approximately 5 inches in length, requiring 16 stitches. He recounted that he was immediately frightened by the bear, but quickly realized that the animal was as startled by the incident as he was. He did not feel that the bear was acting aggressively, but rather was trying to escape as quickly as possible.

Allard said that residents of the apartment complex occasionally see bears at the facility's dumpster, but not on a routine basis. This bear had been at the dumpster several nights before, and had shown up periodically throughout the summer. As a result of bears getting into garbage in years past, the facility had installed bear-proof dumpsters with locking metal tops and side doors. The side door had been kept shut with a clip, but the clip had since broken. As a result, the bear was able to open the side door, climb in and access the garbage.

I still prefer skunks. MikeD74T

 

[keegs]

yeah..I'll take stinky over a black bear any time...:laughing:

 

[4720 OWNER]

Just to add a little more flavor to the post, was told by an old timer (only slightly older than me, but much wiser) that some bleach down a woodchuck den would drive it off. Applied the same principle to a skunk den and the results were the same. No trapping or killing or sending it to someone else, just faded back into land not occupied by people.

On the side, there used to be a place in wisconsin that would make you a skunk hat if you sent them 3 pelts and some $.