Skunks

[whistlepig]

Dogs found a way under the fence last night and got tangled up with a skunk. Our ham-headed "American Staffordshire Terrier" got the worst of it. Fourth time in less than a year the skunks have sprayed the dogs. Just now able to enter the house without my eyes watering. It's going to be me or the skunks. One of us has to have some relief.

 

[escavader]

Thats to bad,Ive rid of them before with live traps and dog food.Put a blanket over the trap.Its nerve racking but ,move slowly and carefully when moving it,and they wont spray.
If you cut off their food supply ,they may not come around.Trash,pet food ,if you feed the birds ,they love to scavenge below the feeders.
Wire mesh on bottom of any place [building]they can get under and hide.They dont like mothballs either.
Now on the lite side ,i heard if you can pick them up by the tail,they cant spray.Let us know how that turns out for ya.
ALAN

 

[scott_vt]

i heard if you can pick them up by the tail,they cant spray.Let us know how that turns out for ya.
ALAN

Good Evenin Alan,
Yeah let me know too ! Id like to find out the easy way !

 

[escavader]

Good Evenin Alan,
Yeah let me know too ! Id like to find out the easy way !

GOOD,EVENING SCOTTY,
Ive also heard if you can shoot them directly in the butt they wont spray.As good as i shoot id have to be within 3 feet ,and id already be a stinkin
ALAN

 

[scott_vt]

Hey Alan,
Im pretty good with my Model #77 Ruger 22/250, about 100 yds sounds good to me !

 

[escavader]

Hey Alan,
Im pretty good with my Model #77 Ruger 22/250, about 100 yds sounds good to me !

...AND 3000 YARDS FROM THE HOUSE

 

[whistlepig]

Thats to bad,Ive rid of them before with live traps and dog food.Put a blanket over the trap.Its nerve racking but ,move slowly and carefully when moving it,and they wont spray.
If you cut off their food supply ,they may not come around.Trash,pet food ,if you feed the birds ,they love to scavenge below the feeders.
Wire mesh on bottom of any place [building]they can get under and hide.They dont like mothballs either.
Now on the lite side ,i heard if you can pick them up by the tail,they cant spray.Let us know how that turns out for ya.
ALAN

Cutting off their food supply is a good suggestion. We learned a long time ago to cut off their food supply. This got them out of our horse barn. But we have a ten acre yard and it is full of bunny rabbit nests in the spring. Seems the skunks like to eat baby bunnies out of the nest. Dozens of skunks in the yard then. Don't dare going outside in the dark with out a flashlight in the spring. Hey, this ain't funny. Try eating supper with the aroma of two dogs doused in skunk spray lying on the kitchen floor!

 

[texasjohn]

BTDT... check out this thread... all will be revealed if you read the whole thing...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/related-topics/88451-how-trap-skunk.html

Briefly, I verify that I have personally executed the:

bunghole shot = no stink
tail carry = no stink

YEMV (your experience may vary)

 

[QRTRHRS]

Way back when I was a kid, my dad and his buddy used to take us along to the local dumps on skunk hunts. They would shine a flashlight in their eyes which would temporarily blind them, grab them by the tail then toss them in a burlap bag. At that time, there were no high powered mag lights either.

The skunks did not spray in the bag. They would reach in and grab them by the tail I suppose, dose them with an ether soaked rag and remove their scent glands. They would sell them to pet shops. Seems it was legal and popular at the time (fifties).

A couple of suggestions for after the fact skunk encounters:

Keep a bottle of saline eye rinse on hand to rinse out your pets eyes. Original Dawn dish detergent (the blue stuff) works well for bathing your pet. A trash bag for your shirt and jeans still works the best.

 

[DieselPower]

If you catch them send them my way, my local skunks would love some extra company. Been feeding my skunks for years. After about a year they get accustomed to you and you can actually hand feed them, they ain't dumb, they know where the foods coming from. Here's some of my local ones, some feeding with the red fox's I also feed. One picture is of mom taking the kids out for a strole one day from under my back porch. And yes they all have names.