Skunk!!

[Hambone]

I seem to have a skunk living near. The dogs seem to like to chase it, and it seems to like the cat's food we leave out.
I have never seen the critter, so I cannot "fix" him. I have been over to the barn lots and have never spotted, course most visits are in the day time.
Any ideas??

 

[B7500]

Yup,
TRAPS!
That is the only way we got rid of them. Plus, try and keep any trash/food away. They will stick around as long as you inadvertently feed them.
Good luck.
-Terry

 

[Egon]

Smells like the Dog's haven't caught it yet.

Egon

 

[cowboydoc]

Raccoon traps work great for skunks. You can then just shoot them in the trap or if you're so inclined take them away from your place and let them go.

 

[pruntyc]

You also may end up burying your clothes that you are wearing while you shoot and handle it or move it. Real hard to get the smell out. My mother taught me as a kid you handle them you lose those clothes. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MossRoad]

Yep, get rid of their food source and they'll go away.

 

[Hambone]

I will give that a try, move the barn cats food to the house for now. The dogs have gotten close, been kinda smelly for about a week.
I had thought of the trap thing, but, then what. I would be afraid to move them once trapped. I have read to shoot their body instead of head also. I would rather them go away as to killing them.
Thanks for the ideas, will try the food thing first.

 

[B7500]

In my area when we had the problem with skunks the local animal control officer came over and trapped them. He then got rid of them. You may want to check for someone like that in your area. They do this free service as a way of controlling rabies.
-Terry

 

[Hambone]

I had thought of that. Our animal control officer is about 200 years old. I called him a couple years ago about a dog. He said go ahead and catch him and I will come over and pick him up!!
Talk about our tax dollars at work!!

 

[Bird]

I had occasion to have to trap a few skunks in town about 35 years ago. The city would provide the trap, I had to go get it, bait it (used sardines), and set it. It had solid top, bottom, and sides with the heavy mesh at both ends. I could see through either end from quite a distance and when I had a skunk in the trap, I'd call the animal control office and a guy would come out with a slightly larger solid metal box. He would approach the trap from the side so the skunk couldn't see him, gently pick up the trap, set it into the larger metal box, and close the lid and latch it. That box then had a short length of pipe welded into the lid and with a threaded cap on top. He'd remove the cap, pour chloroform in, replace the cap, and said the skunk would be dead before he got back to the office.