# Caught a skunk in a live trap.....Now what?



## Lauri (Sep 20, 2008)

Man, I really do not want to get sprayed.


They have been passing under/near my bedroom window in the middle of night, the smell is so bad even then......I could not imagine a direct hit:shocked:

Any suggestions on how to dispose of it?

Thank you


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

grab an old blanket or tarp , hold it in front of you and walk up to the cage slowly, talk softly , lay it over the cage and let it sit a few min . pick up the cage and move it away from where it is so you can let it out , it may take it awhile to come out , dispatch it after its a ways from the cage . problem salved


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

Do what rags said.


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## Forestdude (Jun 9, 2012)

My uncle "accidentily" caught a skunk in his live trap, and well, we just shot it. It released some perfume in the air, but got fed to the coyotes and buzzards. Of course the trap was pretty stinky...not sure what my uncle did about that?


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

Forestdude said:


> My uncle "accidentily" caught a skunk in his live trap, and well, we just shot it. It released some perfume in the air, but got fed to the coyotes and buzzards. Of course the trap was pretty stinky...not sure what my uncle did about that?


Do this, but don't shoot while the skunk is facing away from you! LOL


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

But they're so cute.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

Have Rags come over and demonstrate how to do it. . . .<grin>

Actually Lauri, your story reminds me of the ******** 
and b'riar rabbit; once he got ahold of him he couldn't let go!


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

if anyone was closer I sure would


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## phrogpharmer (Apr 25, 2005)

I have relocated 19 skunks in the last 60 days. 
You need a sheet of plastic about 4 feet square with a slit cut in the middle.
Slowly walk up to the trap with the plastic sheet in front of you. Slowly drape it over the trap with the slit over the handle. Pick up the trap slowly and carry it gently to your pickup truck and place it gently in the back. Take the skunk several miles away to public land and set the trap on the ground behind the pickup and while sitting on the lowered tailgate lift the door to the trap with a 3 foot piece of stout wire, it will walk out and head for the nearest bushes. I have not had a single skunk spray using this method.
Skunks are part of nature and earn their keep by eating rodents and insects.
It has been 6 days since the last skunk was trapped and we haven't had any more problems with ripped open feed sacks or digging under the buildings.
I have a depredation permit from the state and can legally kill them but I prefer to take them to a wild state owned area.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

This is the time of the year that skunks keep the yellow jacket population down by digging the ground nests.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

If that is true about skunks / yellow jackets . . . .wow . . I sure will rethink about wanting to shoot the critter I have close by.

The yellow jackets are so NASTY to me (reaction) that I better let that black & white critter do his thing...........

Thought I had caught one in my squirrel trap---close to my open bedroom window--laid there thinking how to handle it . . . .fortunately it did not get in the trap.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

Sort of like a dog chasing a car.
Best thing to do is not try to catch something that you don't know what to do with if you catch it.


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

phrogpharmer said:


> I have relocated 19 skunks in the last 60 days.


You've probably caught and relocated one skunk 19 times -- they're territorial.

With all due respect, "relocating" simply makes them someone else's problem. If skunks are becoming a problem (you can no longer ignore them and let them do their thing) then the best thing to do is shoot them. It's also important to note that they're one of the top carriers of rabies, so if they're coming in too close and tangling with your pets and livestock, it's not worth the risk. They also carry distemper, listeriosis, and hepatitis, among a raft of other diseases.

I don't hold with killing any living thing for no reason, but the last thing I need is a colony of skunks on the property, interacting with my dogs, barn cats and livestock. BTDT, and the vet bills for my animals were more than the skunks were worth.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

Forestdude said:


> My uncle "accidentily" caught a skunk in his live trap, and well, we just shot it. It released some perfume in the air, but got fed to the coyotes and buzzards. Of course the trap was pretty stinky...not sure what my uncle did about that?


Wash the stinky trap in a solution of equal parts vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.


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## old school (Aug 26, 2012)

Grab a pair of safety glasses, plastic tarp approach slow and calm and cover the trap with tarp and let it set 5-10 minutes then slowly relocate and release. Good luck keep us posted with and new advice.


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## Hairsheep (Aug 13, 2012)

If you walk up to the trap with a dark blanket raised up to your eyes, the skunk will not spray...cover the live trap, pick it up and move it to where you wish the skunk to go.
I have done this several times.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Do not release the skunk off of your property. It is illegal in most states to catch and release / relocate animals. You would be dumping your problem in someone else's place, possibly spreading disease, etc.

If you catch it, kill it.

.22 to the head and one can be facing it.


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

highlands said:


> do not release the skunk off of your property. It is illegal in most states to catch and release / relocate animals. You would be dumping your problem in someone else's place, possibly spreading disease, etc.
> 
> If you catch it, kill it.
> 
> .22 to the head and one can be facing it.


this.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

All skunks carry Rabies.

Throw an old blanket over the trap. Spray it heavily with auto starting fluid-ether-after he goes to sleep dump him out and shoot. Cover the trap with lime to get rid of the smell.


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## Ken in Maine (May 10, 2002)

I used the "cover it with a blanket technique" and it worked great. Just remember NOT to step where the trap was located. I made that mistake and got it all over the bottom of my shoe. Came off on the truck mat and stunk for months.


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## solidwoods (Dec 23, 2005)

My live trap has sheet metal for ends (which are also the trap gates,, common design).
I approach the cage from one of the ends, and carry the trap by its top handle.
I'll haul it in a wheel barrow or mower pulling a garden cart.
I also set the live trap on a piece of wood/metal so the skunk can't try to dig out through the bottom wire which shreds the ground under the trap.
jim


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

highlands said:


> Do not release the skunk off of your property. It is illegal in most states to catch and release / relocate animals. You would be dumping your problem in someone else's place, possibly spreading disease, etc.
> 
> If you catch it, kill it.
> 
> .22 to the head and one can be facing it.


X2 and that can be a big fine


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## fatrat (Feb 21, 2009)

Carefully remove the musk glands on either side of the anus. There worth money. Then wash the carcass before skinning in a mixture of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and soap or you may taint the meat and render it inedible.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

oldasrocks said:


> All skunks carry Rabies.


Not true. Please don't spread missinformation.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Correct. Not true or else there wouldn't be people having them as pets!


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## badlander (Jun 7, 2009)

I would probably question the 100% reference to skunks carrying rabies, but I know for a fact that our Vet told us that the majority of the skunks that are wandering around on the roads and wound up being hit by cars are not healthy animals.

Many years ago,my parents had a problem with ground hogs burrowing under a building on their property in a city. They bought a live trap and subsequently caught several of the critters one of them weighing almost 20 pounds. When I called animal control and asked them to deal with our catch, they refused, telling me to tie a rope to the trap, drag it down to the nearby river and toss it in after tying off the rope to a nearby tree. You get the picture. They told me not to do a live release of the trapped animal. I wound up taking the trap down to the river and releasing the ground hogs. I had no way to dispatch them in a humane manner and did not think drowning was humane.

Now we kill at least three varmints a year that are marauding around our house. The biggest culprits are possums and raccoons. 

A well placed .22 head shot or 40 if the raccoon is big enough usually is enough to deal with the problem. An old timer once told us that a .22 head shot to a skunk will drop it in its tracks and it will not spray. DH flipped a skunk with a head shot with a .223. No major spraying resulted.

I do not promote needless killing of wild animals, Left in the wild, they provide vital service in the control of other pests. But when they encroach upon our living area and endanger our pets or property (Raccoons have tried to dig into a garage and claw their way through our kitchen window) there is only one thing you can do IMHO. Just try to do it as humanely as possible......without getting yourself sprayed. And if you do, use lots of peroxide and baking soda.


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

fatrat said:


> Carefully remove the musk glands on either side of the anus. There worth money. Then wash the carcass before skinning in a mixture of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and soap or you may taint the meat and render it inedible.


I have to say, I'd have to be pretty darned hungry to eat a skunk.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

I like having them around myself. They are great for clearing grubs out of the lawn. Of course, you'll have a lot of holes in the ground until they are finished tending that area.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

If you shoot the skunk in the spine right behind the head it paralyzes the muscles that squeeze the scent glands and they cannot spray.

The spray wholesales for about $10/ounce and can be sold to animal lure makers. You can extract it with a syringe you buy at the farm store. I've done it on road killed skunk and it's easy. Wipe the needle off with alcohol before putting it back in the protector and it doesn't smell.

Also skunk will prime up here by November and the hide can be tanned.


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## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

highlands said:


> Do not release the skunk off of your property. It is illegal in most states to catch and release / relocate animals. You would be dumping your problem in someone else's place, possibly spreading disease, etc.
> 
> If you catch it, kill it.
> 
> .22 to the head and one can be facing it.


It is illegal here to kill an animal caught in a live trap. All you are allowed to do is release it somewhere else. I had the same issue so I had to call and find out what to do with it. Skunks are pretty mellow, it didn't really seem to mind me and was released with no issues. I was trying to catch squirrels.


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

Reading the replies, most understand the issues with a skunk.

Please do not relocate. It is legal in a few counties here in CO. The rule of thumb is at least 10 miles away, or they find their way home.

Like the plague, some animals are more susceptible to rabies. Prairie dogs have the plague in their system even if it is not active. Skunks are pretty notorious here for being a rabies risk. Since the health authorities will subject you to the rabies routine if you contact a high risk species, it is worth it to avoid contact with wild animals.

The suggestion to drop the trap in a river is the only one which was close to how I dealt with captured skunks in my pest control business. I used a chemical call Fumitoxin. It is a restricted use pesticide, so unlikely most of you have access. One pill the size of my thumb knuckle would kill the skunk in about a half hour. I would drop the pill into a trashcan, place the skunk (in the trap) in a trash can and put on the lid.

The routine of using a blanket or cloth between your face and the skunk works. I used an old shower curtain. Then I covered the trap with the curtain and put it in the truck bed.

The trap with the skunk went into a large trash can and then the Fumitoxin. Water in the trash can works faster. It is just a little more difficult to get rid of the water.

Skunks do have a small territory, like a mile radius. Sometimes they leave their habitat and when dawn arrives, they find a place to hide because they are slow.

I chuckle when I hear of people who have taken or given a bath using tomato juice to get rid of the odor. When your pet is sprayed, their first reaction is to rub their face on furniture to get rid of the odor. This makes the whole house stink worse than if the encounter was just outside the bedroom window.

I used Epoleon NnZ for the odor. I used a fogging machine and made sure the fog got to every surface. The odor was gone in the 10 minutes it took to fog. Since it is labeled for use in hospitals, I did not have to worry about what it contacted. (fogging fills the room, I wore a respirator)


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Tracy Rimmer said:


> I have to say, I'd have to be pretty darned hungry to eat a skunk.


Obviously the basis for the saying: "Hungry enough to eat the south end out of a north bound skunk."


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Skunks are the reason I no longer trap animals in the barn. Both times I was able to drag the trap out of the barn using a long pole. As long as the skunk is facing you, watching where they're going, you don't have a problem. Otherwise ...

One I was able to release without incident. The other died from a head shot without spraying.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

How Do I said:


> I like having them around myself. They are great for clearing grubs out of the lawn. Of course, you'll have a lot of holes in the ground until they are finished tending that area.


And think, there are plenty of folks that pay good money to have their lawn aerated and grub control put down! All they need is a few skunks!


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## champ7ac (Sep 7, 2010)

I used to work with a guy that was nuts for taking care of his yard. He had a big problem with skunks digging up grubs in his yard.

He told me how he dealt with it, and I laughed my a_ _ off. 

He would catch them in his live trap, and then he donned a big cardboard refridgerator box that he had eye holes cut in. Then he had another box with a small hole in it, that he would put over the trap. 

He then rode his lawn tractor over and hooked up a hose to the exhaust, and placed it into the hole of the small box over the trap. 
He then went into the house and had breakfast, and by the time he was done, 
the skunk was done too!


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## Lauri (Sep 20, 2008)

I hesitate to post, for fear of a debate.

If anyone gets ugly about how I handled this........I want you to know, I did not enjoy it. And if my husband was still living, I am certain he would have shot it.
I, however, am not confident in my aim.

I took a tarp, cut a slit in it. Draped it over the trap. 

The rest is a variant on the river technique.


I thank you all very much for your advice, and giving me the confidence to do this. 

Lauri


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

Lauri said:


> I hesitate to post, for fear of a debate.
> 
> If anyone gets ugly about how I handled this........I want you to know, I did not enjoy it. And if my husband was still living, I am certain he would have shot it.
> I, however, am not confident in my aim.
> ...


You do what you have to, Lauri. No criticism from me. Have you considered arming yourself, though? If you're a widow, living alone, it might not be a bad idea. I hesitate to tell you this, but there is seldom such a thing as "one" skunk -- you're likely going to have to deal with this problem again in future. Regular target practice can improve your aim a great deal!


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Lauri said:


> I hesitate to post, for fear of a debate.
> 
> If anyone gets ugly about how I handled this........I want you to know, I did not enjoy it. And if my husband was still living, I am certain he would have shot it.
> I, however, am not confident in my aim.
> ...


Normally I move animals like snapping turtles and ***** but I've also rolled a live trap with a skunk in it into one of my ponds because I didn't want to take the time to move it. We do what we need to do and your skunk needed to go.


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