Now what do I do?

[MossRoad]

It was a terrifying experience. I was maybe 5 years old. Wading in knee deep water in Lake Michigan. A wave knocked me off of a sandbar and rolled me around in the turbulent water. I inhaled a bunch of water with sand in it. All I remember is seeing the bottom, bubbles, sand and grit, sunlight, bottom, bubbles, repeat, over and over while flailing away. Finally, someone saw me and grabbed me out. It took several weeks to be able to breath correctly. If I inhaled deeply, I'd get sharp searing pains in my lungs. It gave me a deathly fear of water. I wouldn't go near the lake, a pool, or even a bathtub. My mom enrolled me in swimming lessons and they couldn't get me into the pool for 20 hours. Finally, a guy got me into the pool. It took me another 60 hours to pass beginner's swimming lessons. Yes, I flunked beginners swim lessons 7 times. 10 one-hour sessions per course. But then something clicked and the fear went away. I progressed rapidly through the rest of the classes. I'm basically a fish now! I ended up being a lifeguard at the local beach and pools, and a man-made whitewater course here in town, and became a Water Safety Instructor. Go figure?

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention, the guy that got me over my fears is this guy. He ended up being almost single handedly responsible for the turkey reintroduction program success in Indiana. Interesting story. Good guy.

Wildlife Biologist Steve Backs Receives Chase S. Osborn Award - WBIW

(MITCHELL) – Steve Backs, a wildlife research biologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife, is the 2020 recipient of the...

www.wbiw.com

 

[jyoutz]

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention, the guy that got me over my fears is this guy. He ended up being almost single handedly responsible for the turkey reintroduction program success in Indiana. Interesting story. Good guy.

Wildlife Biologist Steve Backs Receives Chase S. Osborn Award - WBIW

(MITCHELL) – Steve Backs, a wildlife research biologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife, is the 2020 recipient of the...

www.wbiw.com

Turkeys are a success story all over America. Populations have increased in most parts of the country in recent decades and they have been reintroduced into many areas where they were previously extirpated. Last year I saw a huge flock of over 50 birds while working in the woods. Glad to hear they are successful in your area.

 

[jaydee325]

They also stop spraying after the first 3 or 4 sprays...

One spray or 4, who cares. It affects life for several weeks!

Had a dog get sprayed. Used every method in the book to get rid of the smell. Took weeks before the smell was totally gone. That included the outside area where the dog got sprayed which was near the house.

I would have just called a professional to remove the trapped skunk from the barn. Not worth the risk to me after my above experience!

 

[npalen]

Several years ago we awoke late one night with a horrific skunk smell in the house. I opened a basement window then turned on the exhaust fan but it only seemed to get worse throughout the night.
Next morning I went to close the window and there was the critter in the window well. I must have scared it when opening the window during the night. The exhaust fan was quite effective.

 

[oosik]

Jeez - all you crazy animal lovers. Stand back 25 feet - shoot the skunk while he's in the trap. Leave it there a couple days for any odor to leave - bury it. Move on............

Now - figure out why the skunk was in your barn. Usually because there is a food source. Find it - put in a secure container.

 

[ovrszd]

I have not drowned an animal because I have not caught skunks. The animals I catch are releasable such as squirrels, rats, and rabbits. But I wouldn’t try to release a skunk. It was an idea.

Whether you have or have not drowned an animal isn't the subject of debate here.

The subject of debate is the fact that your first choice of dispatch is drowning.

Lastly, you catch and release rats?

 

[LouNY]

It was a terrifying experience. I was maybe 5 years old. Wading in knee deep water in Lake Michigan. A wave knocked me off of a sandbar and rolled me around in the turbulent water. I inhaled a bunch of water with sand in it. All I remember is seeing the bottom, bubbles, sand and grit, sunlight, bottom, bubbles, repeat, over and over while flailing away. Finally, someone saw me and grabbed me out. It took several weeks to be able to breath correctly. If I inhaled deeply, I'd get sharp searing pains in my lungs. It gave me a deathly fear of water. I wouldn't go near the lake, a pool, or even a bathtub. My mom enrolled me in swimming lessons and they couldn't get me into the pool for 20 hours. Finally, a guy got me into the pool. It took me another 60 hours to pass beginner's swimming lessons. Yes, I flunked beginners swim lessons 7 times. 10 one-hour sessions per course. But then something clicked and the fear went away. I progressed rapidly through the rest of the classes. I'm basically a fish now! I ended up being a lifeguard at the local beach and pools, and a man-made whitewater course here in town, and became a Water Safety Instructor. Go figure?

I had a similar experience and I was a bit older, only it happened in deep water during swimming lessons.
The only recollection I have of now (over 60 years ago) was having my head cuddled on a nice breast as they towed me to shore.
Then coming too face down in the sand and coughing a lot.

Oh and I dispatch of anything that I intentionally trap, there was a reason I went to the trouble to trap it.

 

[tradosaurus]

I was in no way talking about whether to dispatch a critter or not. I was talking about your method. Man up. Dispatch with dignity and maturity on your part.

I think the "man up" part goes out the window when dealing with a skunk.

 

[ovrszd]

I think the "man up" part goes out the window when dealing with a skunk.

In my opinion it should be considered with any creature.

 

[MossRoad]

I had a similar experience and I was a bit older, only it happened in deep water during swimming lessons.
The only recollection I have of now (over 60 years ago) was having my head cuddled on a nice breast as they towed me to shore.
Then coming too face down in the sand and coughing a lot.

Oh and I dispatch of anything that I intentionally trap, there was a reason I went to the trouble to trap it.

One of the great things about lifesaving swim classes is you get to practice with people of all shapes, sizes, textures, genders, etc... if you're a young kid, and you've never touched another human that closely, there's about nothing better to get you over being shy. You might as well be naked. Putting a person in a cross-chest carry and towing them to the side of the pool while resting them on your hip in a nice warm swimming pool and vice versa gets you past all that real quick.

You've got nowhere to hide standing there in your Speed.

Lifeguards tend to be a close knit bunch. Not only do you practice with each other often, so you're physically close, you rely on each other in life-threatening situations, so you're emotionally close. Some of the best friendships and good times in my life came from lifeguarding. I still see a few of them around town now and then. Went to one's funeral a couple years ago. One of the best bunches of people I've had the pleasure of knowing.