# Shooting skunks



## Philbee

If someone wanted to shoot a skunk with a 22 or 22 mag rifle, how close could you get to where the effects of the smell would not be too bad? It seems to me that a head shot would be difficult to get at a distance because of the skunk's movement. If a head shot could be made, would the skunk give off it's bad smell? If you have shot a skunk or know someone who has, I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks, --------- Philbee


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## Ed Norman

I've found head shots get a spray. Breaking the spine works usually. Plunking them thru the lungs and sneaking off to let them die works usually, too.


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## backwoodsman

Theres lots of skunk dispatching opinion's and method's in the topic/thread "favorite skunk trapping sets, traps etc" or something like that. Its further on down the page. Seems if you try to stay far enough away then they are a hard target but too close isnt good either!


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## alleyyooper

I catch them a lot in the live trap. Tried the throwing them in the creek to drown method. Don't work the oil floats to the top and poloutes the air for a while.
Best thing I found was place the live trap in the wheelbrrow take it to an area that is UP wind most of the time (here it is east) get the trap out laying the shot gun near at hand then opening the door. let the skunk get out about 10 to 20 yaqrds and shoot it. Ya it smells for a couple days in that area but isn't coming back to the yard to drive the nose crazy.

 Al


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## dezingg

Al, don't ya mean DOWN wind?

Don't kill one really near your place unless you have to. Bury it somewhere downwind. Light skunk scent smells okay, heavy scent can turn your stomach.


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## alleyyooper

:shrug: OOPS yup down wind. The coyotes eat them if I leave them alone. so I don't bury them.

 Al


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## gunseller

I have shot hundreds of skunks and the only ones that sprayed were shot in the head or spine. Lung shots and leave them alone for a while until their lungs fill up and they die. I like skunk smell and strong smell does not bother me.
Al when you put the live trap and skunk in the creek did you go down stream and pick up the fish as they jumped out of the water to get away from the smell?
Steve


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## denaliguide

Dear me, gots to love that smell, the mark of a REAL Trapper. I have had all head shot skunks spray, and have been so lucky as to avoid needing to shoot a skunk since a kid. Have not killed many skunks but dealt with lots of spray.

Skunk spray is probably the BEST thing we ever did to our fox sets. No coyotes there back in that day, so we didnt get them but everytime we got a skunk, the most likely next catch was a fox. 

Now stupid as I was as a kid, I eased up on many skunks and STUPIDLY grabbed them by the tail and took the trap off with my free hand. What an imbecile I was then. However it worked most of the time but it was like having a tiger by the tail and I DID get sprayed on the cheek by one as I heaved it as far as I could. Lucky missed my eye, and in fact washed off as it did NOT get on any fiber of my clothes.

I think I like the .22 LR thru the lungs method now were I to have to dispatch one.




QUOTE=gunseller;4378763]I have shot hundreds of skunks and the only ones that sprayed were shot in the head or spine. Lung shots and leave them alone for a while until their lungs fill up and they die. I like skunk smell and strong smell does not bother me.
Al when you put the live trap and skunk in the creek did you go down stream and pick up the fish as they jumped out of the water to get away from the smell?
Steve[/QUOTE]


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## Cornhusker

I got lucky a while back, I saw him about the same time he saw me.
He turned, raised his tail and I pumped to 9mm rounds into him, just hitting center of mass.
He fell dead and never got off a shot, but there was some skunk funk on the snow that musta leaked out.
It was near the house, but he didn't smell too strong at all.


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## tamsam

Smells like a smelly job to me. Sam


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## oldasrocks

easier way- when i get a skunk in a live trap I throw a towel over him and spray him heavy with starting fluid-ether- puts him to sleep and then just dump him out.


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## big rockpile

alleyyooper said:


> I catch them a lot in the live trap. Tried the throwing them in the creek to drown method. Don't work the oil floats to the top and poloutes the air for a while.
> Best thing I found was place the live trap in the wheelbrrow take it to an area that is UP wind most of the time (here it is east) get the trap out laying the shot gun near at hand then opening the door. let the skunk get out about 10 to 20 yaqrds and shoot it. Ya it smells for a couple days in that area but isn't coming back to the yard to drive the nose crazy.
> 
> Al


I had a Barrel I was drowning them in.One Time I had a **** and Skunk.Well I skinned the **** then went to skin the Skunk. Found real fast it wasn't dead 

Me and my Brother was playing catch with Skunks one time our Mom wasn't too happy with us :grumble: :bash: :grin: :kiss:

big rockpile


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