skunk

[too many things]

lot of knowledge here
how do I catch a skunk? I know a shotgun but . don't want smell it for weeks

[Winger Ed.]

You really don't want to.

As a kid, a buddy had one for a pet. He fed it regular cat food, which it just loved.

If you have a disposable 'have-a-hart' trap, you might bait it with that...… a long way from the house.... maybe a mile or so.

[poppy42]

Live catch in a box trap. If you approach quietly and cautiously there’s a chance they won’t spray. I’ve done it many times without getting sprayed. They need their hind feet on the ground to be able to spray you. If you have to dispatch one don’t shoot it in the head! A 22 to the heart and you stand a much better chance of them not releasing their scent. It ain’t easy but it can be done. good luck, glad I don’t have to deal with them anymore!

[Minerat]

Live catch trap with a blanket over it, baited with cat food. You should then gently and quietly pickup the trap without disturbing it too much to make it spray. Then stick a hose from your running cars tailpipe under the blanket and gas it.

[country gent]

I don't know of a surefire way. The live trap will catch it and a blanket or small trap over it may contain it if it does. We tried live trapping them at times but they almost always sprayed, I think the traps springing was enough to cause them to spray.

If you can find their den then trap them there away from house and buildings. Best is if you can find whats attracting them and do away with that.

[454PB]

Back when I lived out in the sticks, we had a terrible infestation of skunks. For a while, we just put up with the smell, but I finally had enough and declared war. Over a period of several months, I killed dozens of them, all by shooting. Everyone that knew of my plight had their own suggestions on how to do it without "the smell". I tried them all, little guns (22's) on up through shotguns, body shots, head shots, end to end, and nothing worked consistently. Sometimes you're lucky and sometimes your not.

[Gofaaast]

If neck shot they will not spray 90% of the time.

[lefty o]

good time to practice your 1000yd marksmanship.

[Three44s]

They are spraying anyway, what do you have to lose?

My wife killed two with one shot and no spray (before we were married) with her favorite long gun .... a Rem 870 12 ga. I told her how to set them up with cat food for an attractant and a big walnut tree for a back stop. Her trouble light hung from her clothes line and was powered from inside her house. She stood on her deck in the darkness with the skunks head and tail side by side.

She almost chickened out on killing them as she had not killed anything of any significance but as she pondered the situation she remembered how they had sprayed her beloved Border Collie so many times and kept her from sleeping many hours.

You could set up that scenario a hundred times more and probably have them spray each and every time but then again, it would be their last!

The trap idea is fine until you slip up and you get sprayed. That is why I would rather they sprayed at a place of my choosing with lead.

Three44s

[AllanD]

There is a family story about the time one of my uncles shot a skunk he saw near the henhouse in the late 1950's . my grandfather believed the easy way to train everyone to the idea that all guns should be treated as loaded, was to actually have them loaded, but anyway the easiest to access firearm to my uncle at the time was a Remington model 11, one that unfortunately had a sensitive trigger, but in any event...

In his words: every time he shot it "twitched" and of course every time it "twitched" he shot it again! and he emptied the magazine on it while it tried to escape across a Slate flagstone patio.

By the time he was done shooting what was left of the skunk would have easily passed through a coffee filter and aggravatingly to my grandmother, propelled most of the atomized debris onto the laundry that
was out hung out to dry...

[Southern Son]

Do you know of any local neighbourhood kids who ain't real bright?

[lightman]

I've caught a few in live traps. I attach a rope to the trap before setting it so I can drag it away from the house. Another rope rigged up so I can open the door from a distance to release it and a 22 takes care of the problem. Skunks, Possums and Coons ofter visit the back porch where we feed the birds.

[trapper9260]

Set a body grip in a box with bait in the back .No problem. if the strip is full and perfect there is a market on it. I take them when I get them in the trap. You canuse a 160 or 220 body grip. Or like some say a cage trap. then just put the trap in a barrel under water. Or gas them.in the cage trap.

[Texas by God]

They can’t spray you if you hold them by the tail. Be careful and approach from upwind. Good Luck!

[Winger Ed.]

They can’t spray you if you hold them by the tail. Be careful and approach from upwind. Good Luck!

I never had any faith in it (Mostly because they are almost blind), but a Mexican fella I used to know was totally convinced:
You could show them a hand full of dirt, and they'd follow you so you could lead the little devil away from your place.

[square butte]

I took 21 out of the yard here this last summer and fall - All caught in squirrel (gray) size live traps using crunchy Jiff peanut butter. Pin the trap down using inner tube rubber as a mat under the trap so they would not claw up a ton of dirt though the bottom and sides of the trap. The trap will fit nicely in a large plastic tote full of water. Tote sitting two feet from the trap. Lay a plastic kitchen trash bag over the top of the trap when you walk up. Un-pin the trap with channel lock pliers being careful not to expose the varmint to you - Then dispatch in tote. Smelly business - but bet that lots of live skunks running around causing all sorts of trouble.

[BamaNapper]

I remember back a lot of years in Boy Scouts. A skunk walked into one of our large squad tents at night. One of the adults there had his act together. He doused the other lamp and grabbed a tight beam flashlight. Shined it in front of the skunk and walked the skunk out of the tent and away from the camp, walking behind it all the way. Honest, I watched him do it. I was flippin' amazed. Like mentioned, poor eyesight. They will follow the bright spot. Not sure if that thought helps or not. Maybe lead them into a garbage bag, tie it shut, and truck them out of town.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I have used the live trap and walked up with a blanket i was going after a raccoon but I got a skunk anyway I walked up with a blanket put it over the trap then I opened up the door part way stuck a short piece of 2x4 in the door and ran like hell he did spray but only after he was in the Neighbor's yard

[too many things]

ok guys thanks I will take chance on oo buck shot will let you all know
most are black with white stripe this is the other way
I do know there has to be 2 + but only seen this one

[Winger Ed.]

ok guys thanks I will take chance on oo buck shot will let you all know


I was hoping you'd try the flashlight or dirt thing.:bigsmyl2:

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I was hoping you'd try the flashlight or dirt thing.:bigsmyl2:

If you decide to try that please get video of it

[pete501]

There is a Skunk Specific Trap that is like a drain pipe that doesn't allow the tail to be raised. Find it by google-ing "skunk trap".

Personally I don't mind the smell. I trap all the time. The only time I had one not spray was Death by Exhaust. Head shots, body shots all let loose.

I tell the wife: The only thing that doesn't help the smell is You Complaining About It!

If you want to lessen the smell already present you can place Bleach in open plastic tubs, like cottage cheese containers.

[MT Gianni]

If you break the spine they will not spray. A 38 from straight down will do it but they have to be facing you in a leg hold trap.

[GL49]

Live catch trap with a blanket over it, baited with cat food. You should then gently and quietly pickup the trap without disturbing it too much to make it spray. Then stick a hose from your running cars tailpipe under the blanket and gas it.

The "blanket over the trap" trick, then "gently and quietly pick up the trap", works almost all of the time. Notice that I said "almost all of the time". You'll regret the one time you aren't gentle enough, or quiet enough, and well within range. Do not, under any circumstances, peek under the blanket to see what you've caught. Trust me on that one.
I think that skunk came from Krypton, 'cause oh-boy, he was surely special. My wife loves telling that story.

[rbuck351]

I set up a skunk bait station 40 yds from the bedroom window. The bait basket hangs from a post with a string that runs to the house with a cow bell tied to the end. When the bell rings in the middle of the night I blast them with my 22kh with a night vision scope mounted on it. I immediately go pick them up with a shovel and take them about 50 yds into the field. Next morning I fire up the backhoe and put them about 3 ft under dirt and put a sprinkler over the kill area. If you are going to deal with skunks you might as well have some fun getting rid of them. Only got 5 or 6 this year.

[AllanD]

My personal close encounter with a skunk does not involve getting sprayed...

and so far as I know the skunk lived a long and happy life.

One night I though I saw my black cat stretching against a gate post as I was walking back from my neighbors house and I casually reached down to scratch his head. I realized instantly something wasn't right because it's hair was finer textured, but whatever it was, it seemed it was into what I was doing, because it turned it's head to control where I was scratching.

Then the breeze shifted! and some tree branch triggered the motion sensitive light

I seem to have teleported about 40feet and I have a lingering impression the skunk was dissapointed

[Idaho45guy]

A neighbor of mine in AZ was an official animal rescue sort and had a skunk that was de-scented and brought into the state illegally by it's former owner.

Her name was Chloe and it was fascinating to be able to hold and pet a skunk. Like a big lethargic house cat, she was. He also had some domesticated ravens, owls, and other birds. But the skunk was the coolest.

[kbstenberg]

I was in my teens. Out jump shooting ducks. I came out of a watery marsh. Into HEAVY tagalders. I looked to my right and at about 2' there was a skunk, i got him without being sprayed. I turned straight ahead there was another one also about 2' away, that one also was shot. I looked to my right #U$@ there was a third one again not more than 2' away. That one also was shot. I never got a drop of spray on me. But the area just reeked for a long time.
It all happened just as fast as my reflexes could react. To this day i don't know why i didn't get sprayed. Kevin
I know i have never shot my shotgun as fast as i did that day.

[richhodg66]

My personal close encounter with a skunk does not involve getting sprayed...

and so far as I know the skunk lived a long and happy life.

One night I though I saw my black cat stretching against a gate post as I was walking back from my neighbors house and I casually reached down to scratch his head. I realized instantly something wasn't right because it's hair was finer textured, but whatever it was, it seemed it was into what I was doing, because it turned it's head to control where I was scratching.

Then the breeze shifted! and some tree branch triggered the motion sensitive light

I seem to have teleported about 40feet and I have a lingering impression the skunk was dissapointed

Now that's funny.

When we lived in the little town we used to, there were a couple of years we had a skunk invasion, they were everywhere. At the time, we had a young basset hound who was dumb as a post. He woke me up one morning about 4:00 AM wanting to go out, since we had a fenced backyard in a quiet town where everybody knows everybody, I just let him out in the backyard and went back to bed knowing the alarm was gonna go off in an hour or so. When it did, we could smell skunk even inside, and I thought "Oh, &*%$! Shiloh messed with a skunk!" Went to the back kitchen window and looked out, there he was rubbing his nose in the dirt. I opened the back door just an inch or so and called him, he came to the door and I took a big sniff, no, nothing, opened it further and checked him over and was sure he hadn't been sprayed. The next door neighbors had two dogs that got hold of one, thankfully, a chain link fence kept my little knucklehead away from the whole affair, but those folks were outside scrubbing down those two dogs who were sick from it with various concoctions most of the day.

We live way out in the woods now and I've been seeing more of them lately. Even had one wandering through the backyard the other morning, fortunately, the current dog was inside. I considered shooting it, and I may regret not doing it, I've just become reluctant to killing things without a good reason lately. If they become a problem here, I guess I'll have to but so far, they have generally kept their distance from the house.

[Taylor]

Ya'll go right ahead and mess with that skunk.....

[abunaitoo]

I've heard the the glands can be removed, and the make good pets, if you get them young.
They are kind of cute.

[jonp]

Find out where it's denning and put a live trap with a bowl of peanut butter or sardines in the back of the trap up against the opening. Put an old blanket over the trap so it's dark. When it's caught leave the blanket on there and live release if that's your thing or put the trap up against a car exhaust to put the skunk asleep.

Minerat is right on with his post. I've done that on multiple occasions to rid peoples houses of skunks when they took up residence under the garage or porch. I didn't want to set a foothold and risk the skunk spraying something.

[richhodg66]

I've heard the the glands can be removed, and the make good pets, if you get them young.
They are kind of cute.

They're pretty laid back animals. When I was young and still big on PT, I'd do a three to four mile run most evenings around our little town wearing a walk man. I was running full bore down the street and literally, almost stepped on one crossing the road in the dark. Must have scared it out of three year's growth and I almost fell over trying to stop and avoid it. A real tense standoff ensued with me and him facing each other from a few feet frozen in place for several seconds and eventually we both slowly turned and walked away.

This past Spring, two ladies I attend church with came up on a road killed family of them a car had killed the mother and two babies, the third being scared and confused running from body to body of the others. They stopped and picked him up and wrapped him in a blanket or something and held him for over an hour petting and talking nice to him until they got the KDWP nature center to take him in. Never sprayed them. I was surprised as scared and excited it must have been.

[jsizemore]

If you decide to try that please get video of it

I'll second this.

[Winger Ed.]

I've heard the the glands can be removed, and the make good pets, if you get them young.
They are kind of cute.

True. But you might need to call a few vets. to find one who will do it.

[bdicki]

I've trapped a few, I have a friend that has trapped at least 60 of them. Put a havaheart, 8 inch or so size trap in the weeds inside of a trash bag, put some weeds all around it, like golden rod. Bait with peanut butter. the skunk will pull the trash bag and weeds into the trap so they won't be able to move much. Let it sit most of the day in the sun to slow it down some. Have a small tarp with a hole for the handle, approach the trap with the tarp up in front of you and cover the trap with it. Wrap the tarp around the trap and take it somewhere to release, relocating wild animals is illegal in some states. Friend transported all of the skunks inside of his 4runner with no incidents.

[firefly1957]

IF it is legal for you to shoot there I have found birdshot will often drop a skunk without it spraying (much) if not to much shot hits. I have shot skunks with .22 R.F. to 30-06 and had them spray hit one in the head with a full choke 1 5/8 oz. load of # 5 shot removing the head and it sprayed like a firetruck but if they are out say 35-50 yard they just drop?
I have hit one at 25 yards in the chest with a Nitro piston air rifle in .25 caliber it died quickly without stinking .
One thing is to let them lay before moving them it seems to help a lot 4 hours or more and if you bury then the area may still start to smell days down the road I have had okay luck burning them in a hot fire but that is a lot of work!

[M-Tecs]

I have had very good luck with using a 17 HMR with 17 grain ballistic tips and headshot. I have killed 5 or 6 with that combo and none sprayed.

[fcvan]

Dad's house had a small basement while the rest of the structure was a raised wood floor. While in the basement he could see the skunks eyes staring at him as the skunk was peering over a footing. He grabbed a 22 loaded with shorts and head shot the skunk which did not spray. Unfortunately, as the skunk relaxed in death it slid off the footing and it's tail flipped over, blasting the underside of the house. Needless to say, Dad and Mom loaded up in the RV and went camping for a few weeks. Once the smell was gone and the skunk had mostly dehydrated, he retrieved the carcass with a pole that had a loop of rope on the end. The next skunk under the house was met with a bug bomb and the skunk just left, never to return. One skunk was out in the planted field about 200 yards out. How my Grand Dad saw it I don't know as only the tail could be seen over the growing grain. Dad was handed Grand Dad's Browning A5 and I grabbed a post hole digger. One shot, one hole dug, no spray. I miss living on the farm, folks moved into town a few years back and are now both 80. They still own the farm which is leased to a family from their church. Good times, quiet nights, the only excitement was when the deer would come down from the oak trees, cross the property and pass right by the BBQ grill and picnic table in the garden. They didn't care that we were there.

[merlin101]

My dog handles skunks, kills them pretty quick. I think she does it out of revenge for getting sprayed, you'd think she'd learn!

[poppy42]

I have had very good luck with using a 17 HMR with 17 grain ballistic tips and headshot. I have killed 5 or 6 with that combo and none sprayed.

Good shooting. I have no doubt you have had good success with a 17 HRM. I bet there wasn’t much of a head, or brain left considering the round you used and the size of a skunks head. When I posted earlier that a head shot would cause the skunk to spray I did a silly thing in assuming that the op would use a 22 short or a 22 long rifle. My bad an I apologize for that. Let me explain a little. Anytime something is shot in the head it disrupts the nervous system. Thereby causing spasms or convulsions . now this doesn’t happen all the time, but it happens more often than not. Now the only way you can be sure this doesn’t happen is if you completely separate the brain from the rest of the nervous system. The best way to accomplish this is a well placed shot to the brain stem. In a human, the brain stem is about the size of a half dollar. In a skunk it’s probably the size of a small pea. As you can see tough to hit with a 22. I certainly can’t shoot that accurately. The other sure fire way would be to destroy the brain. Again tough to do with a 22. A lot easier with a .17 HRM.

If you shoot somthing in the heart, lungs, or major organs, it will generally rollover and die, without convulsing. And the target is a lot bigger than a brain ( think center mass) making it a lot easier to hit and make a kill with a 22.
Anyway sorry for the long post but for some reason I felt the need to explain the reasoning behind my earlier post .

[KCSO]

Since we have to remove them from town all the time we came up with this. We bait a have a heart with sardines and then cover the trap with a batting cover and a plywood base. Leaving only the end open and having a flap to close off the end. When the skunk is in the trap close off the light and they will generally not spray in the dark. Load the works into the back of a PU and haul to the disposal area. Open the end flap and open the trap and when the skunk comes out finish the job to you satisfaction. THis works about 99% of the time. The one we had spray was in the back of the truck and bounced around and let go.