Not caught yet but how to remove a skunk from Havahart live trap?

[scootr]

Just wondering if you could not put a remote release pull line on the trap?

 

[oosik]

I use to burn my garbage in a burn barrel. Didn't take long to figure this was attracting - coons and skunks. I quit and now these two pests are rare. If I do see one, I let them go on their merry way.

I still see the occasional porcupine. They are dead meat here. They cause irreparable damage to my pine trees.

 

[MMC]

I haven't caught it yet but my quest for a raccoon may find me with a skunk in a Havahart live trap. If that happens, how do I get it out of the trap?

Trapped possums and raccoons go to a local wetland area for release and I would like to do the same with the skunk, should I catch it. Maybe better to just let to go and hope it leaves town? But how do I do that to get close enough to the trap to open the door? I'm a tough guy but not when it comes to skunks. Any advice welcome.

I am fortunate to live on a farm and enjoy wildlife...to a point. I guess I am the sort of person that says, "If it doesn't need killing, leave it alone." Enjoy the privilege of observing - most of the country doesn't have that opportunity anymore.

I understand some might look upon a skunk with affection. I am not one of them. The stories in this thread really explain why. The skunk's spray is one of the most concentrated liquids around. They can temporarily blind a dog...much less yourself. The spray soaks in and remains on surfaces for a long, long time. That includes you and your pets.

Additionally, at least in KY, they are a reservoir for rabies. Trying to psych a skunk out of a Hav-a-Hart trap is going to be hard (getting the door up and open when dealing with one is going to be difficult without a bad outcome). And I use these traps a lot.

Shoot it in the trap - you don't need this animal around your home or your pets. A .22 is fine - if the round deflects, shoot again. Enjoy skunks on TV show documentaries...

By the way, plus one on marshmallows for raccoons. And please don't tell me how cute they are (I have a garden and orchard)...

 

[drssg]

Have trapped many skunks and never had one spray. I release right where at. Walk up to trap open dump walk other direction.

I'm surprised that you had good results with releasing the skunk right where you caught it.

I periodically get skunks that are determined to live in my barn, within the pallets that hold my hay. I tried relocating one to the far corner of my property. It was back in my barn within a few days. (At least I think it was the same one.)

If I knew anyone that wanted my skunks, I would relocate them somewhere else, but I think it's rude (and probably illegal) to relocate them without permission.

I drop the trap in the shallow end of my pond, so it's mostly submerged. Then I shoot the skunk while it's under water. This helps to minimize the odor. After burying it, I still need to wash all the clothes I'm wearing, but the general smell in the area isn't too bad.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I'm surprised that you had good results with releasing the skunk right where you caught it.

I periodically get skunks that are determined to live in my barn, within the pallets that hold my hay. I tried relocating one to the far corner of my property. It was back in my barn within a few days. (At least I think it was the same one.)

If I knew anyone that wanted my skunks, I would relocate them somewhere else, but I think it's rude (and probably illegal) to relocate them without permission.

I drop the trap in the shallow end of my pond, so it's mostly submerged. Then I shoot the skunk while it's under water. This helps to minimize the odor. After burying it, I still need to wash all the clothes I'm wearing, but the general smell in the area isn't too bad.

You are correct that it's illegal to relocate them -- even with permission. Not allowed in Ohio.

You have to get permission to place a trap on someone else's property, but otherwise, "permission" doesn't enter into this discussion.

 

[LHF2019]

Trying to psych a skunk out of a Hav-a-Hart trap is going to be hard (getting the door up and open when dealing with one is going to be difficult without a bad outcome). And I use these traps a lot.

Open drop walk away. Works every time.

I'm surprised that you had good results with releasing the skunk right where you caught it.

I periodically get skunks that are determined to live in my barn, within the pallets that hold my hay. I tried relocating one to the far corner of my property. It was back in my barn within a few days. (At least I think it was the same one.)

If I knew anyone that wanted my skunks, I would relocate them somewhere else, but I think it's rude (and probably illegal) to relocate them without permission.

I drop the trap in the shallow end of my pond, so it's mostly submerged. Then I shoot the skunk while it's under water. This helps to minimize the odor. After burying it, I still need to wash all the clothes I'm wearing, but the general smell in the area isn't too bad.

Usually catch 1 a year when trying to catch raccoons in sweet corn. Have never caught the same one twice. Have nothing against them so let them out. I don't know why I have good results.

 

[Dftodd]

We had a skunk. And a weiney dog that kept trying to sniff said skunk

I tried a live trap for about 5 hrs, then had to come up with a different plan.

Caught a stray cat.

Caught the weiney dog.

Caught a different stray cat......

I ended up just waiting for it to show up and put a bullet in it

I then put some skunk repellant crystals around the areas it usually went to.

Surprisingly enough, after we got our German shepherd, the skunks stopped showing up

 

[BnRidge]

If it looks like a skunk is facing you, don't assume it needs to turn around to spray you. One little tail flick and your it. A blanket between the two parties works fairly well. Even tiny skunks have working sprayers.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Surprisingly enough, after we got our German shepherd, the skunks stopped showing up

Ditto on the effectiveness of German Shepherd Dogs. My GSD started snarling and growling and dived into some weeds and immediately tossed some black and white fluffy thing into the air about 6 feet high. He got point-blank plastered with spray and the smell didn't ease up for over a week. He was a teary snotty drooling miserable mess. But he DID kill the skunk.

Glad I was lucky enough to be about 20 feet behind him when this encounter started!

 

[ponytug]

Just wondering if you could not put a remote release pull line on the trap?

True Hav-a-Hart traps can do this if they are staked or weighted down. My knockoff, has a latch that prevents animals from prying the door open, but for skunks, it means that you need two hands.

I use to burn my garbage in a burn barrel. Didn't take long to figure this was attracting - coons and skunks. I quit and now these two pests are rare. If I do see one, I let them go on their merry way.

I still see the occasional porcupine. They are dead meat here. They cause irreparable damage to my pine trees.

That's exactly why we don't compost here either.

We've only caught one live skunk, but we released it 40' away and it went on its merry way never to be seen again. In twelve years, we've caught two skunks in squirrel traps.

I alway handle skunks assuming that they have/had rabies, and I handle ground squirrels as if they have fleas (plague risk).

FWIW: The baking soda plus hydrogen peroxide plus Dawn works really, really well in my experience. One wash gets 99+% and another bath a week later gets the stuff sank into the skin and hair and leaches back out.

Deodorizer wash for skunk sprays

All the best,

Peter