# Visitor



## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

Got the first Skunk this year. Got the neighbor's dog. Young couple. They were devastated by the smell. I thought it was kind of early for them to venture out where we could see them. Got to watch, they can get rabid. We rarely shoot one as they clean out the yellow jackets from the fields.
Besides, Junklady thinks they are beautiful. :runforhills:


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I don't bother them unless they start messing with the bees and get in the live trap.
I had one living in the garage for a long time but Kare kept telling me to do some thing with it as she didn't want to startle it and get sprayed when she was going to work in the morning.

A couple days later I removed it.

 Al


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

dogs absolutely love skunk smell , most k9 lures use skunk essence for this reason , skunk are actually worth some money if you can capture the essence , but you need to know how and have a proper syringe also a kill pole and talk nice .

so there are those who make money off skunk and those who dread skunk , but if you shoot one chances are they spray if you get them in a small box trap with solid sides and they can't see you or turn around you can get them euthanized easier

there is a fella here that earned the nick name skunk whisperer , the high school had a skunk issue some years back and they got them in live traps but then didn't know what to do with them , he would hold up a canvass tarp and slowly walk out to them talking nice then gently place the canvas down over the trap and gently pick up the trap and walk it to the back of a truck , when they got them away from the school they could lower the traps into a stock tank of water and they were done.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I let the first one of the year out of a live trap for a friend.. It was the first one they had ever caught, and were afraid of getting sprayed... They were going to let it die before they removed it.. 

I had to laugh and give him a hard time.... Had to get the city boy to let it out.. but he said it was 'cause country boys are smarter than city boys.. LOL.. 

Skunks really don't like to spray if they don't have to, and if you are real calm and careful, you can get close and not get sprayed... I've been face to face with more skunks than I care for.. but I've been lucky... 

I did run over one once with the motorcycle.. got real lucky there.. only the bike got sprayed, I almost had my feet above my head I was trying so hard to get out of the way... Lucky I didn't drop the bike and end up laying next to one large upset injured skunk..


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I catch them in the live traps by the bee hives often.



I use a 5'x5' blue tarp to walk up to the trap and cover it. I once had a cord tied to all the handles so I could drop the trap into a deep hole in the creek. Stopped that when they released the oil and it came to the top and stunk up the area for a few days. 
Is a 200.00 Fine if LEO catches you releasing on state land and I would release my problem on some one else. I now just take then to the vacant field next door with a wheel barrow and shot gun. Get the gun ready and release the critter and as it runs off shoot it.
One day on the way to an appointment I see a skunk in a live trap near the front of a bee hive. Didn't have time then to deal with it so decided it would be the first thing I did when I got home about 4 hours later. It was dead when I went to take care of it.
Figured it being black and fussing around in front of the hives got the bees stirred up so much they stung it to death.

 Al


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I once slowly walked up to a skunk in my fox trap with the intention of stepping on it's tail and releasing it. I worked my way up to 3' from it by talking softly and stopping every time it lifted it's tail. Then I lifted my foot and was preparing to step down on it's tail when I remembered they have teeth on the other end. I stood there with my foot lifted swaying in the wind until I made my move. I missed and the skunk didn't. Luckily I had hip boots on that day.

I've heard of people who have walked up to skunks in foothold traps and released them by moving slowly and talking softly. The key is to stop moving when they lift their tail. Once the tail drops you can move closer.

Let us know how it works. 

This winter I thought I saw skunk tracks through the snow in subzero weather.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Wish I had the pictures with me of it in the trap.. Once the door was open I stuck the camera in the trap to get a picture of it.. about that time I noticed it was his butt I was getting the picture of... I really did get lucky...


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

Our dog got tagged last year then barreled through the back door (which he can open by himself...and every other door in our house for that matter) and rubbed his skunky face all over my house. We finally got the dog contained and our house was barely livable for DAYS. I went into work the next evening and my manager politely sent me right back home because of my funky smell. I had even washed my work clothes with vinegar and showered at the neighbor's. The walk from the washer to the door was long enough for the smell to stick again.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

of all the things i have ever shot while in a live trap i only once noticed a bent wire I vote for trap them far enough from the house that you can shoot them and walk away and come back when the odor passes 


as for the kill pole I don't have one but it is a syringe on a painters pole with stuff that puts them down , you approach from the front and talk nice when you are 10 feet (use a 10 foot pole), away that is generally about how far they can spray you carefully get the pole down by them in a non threatening way while talking nice and stick them with the stuff that paralyzes their muscles almost immediately , and before they can turn around and spray you , they kind of ball up and die then they can be handled


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

One year while I was up working at deer camp one of the dogs got after a skunk. To this day the smell of spaghetti sauce the only tomato product in the house gets the wife going. She used 3 jars of the stuff on that dog only to have it do the same stupid thing a couple days later.

 Al


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

I hate them! I chased one down in the middle of the night to do the deed with a shovel. I was checking irrigation water. When he slowed, I stopped and backed up. If it continued running I was making tracks after it with a shovel. It didn't slow when nearer a brushpile, and that was it's mistake, cuz the shovel connected with it!

Much rather had a firearm. but it wasn't with me that night.


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## gweny (Feb 10, 2014)

I once read that some small percentage of the population is actually unaffected by the smell of skunk spray or any musk / smells from the weasel family. I am one of them. I actually like the smell. It's kinda earthy and makes me think of fields and farms.... Also reminds me of ferrets of which I've had many. That smell doesn't bother me either, but I know a lot of people who just can't stand it.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I got sprayed in the face once and ever since it doesn't bother me. Kind of smell sweet! Now a mink spraying will make me violently ill ! Don't know why but that's just the way it is!


WAde


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

When I smell a skunk it makes me think I am out deer hunting with skunk scent in play.

So yeah, I kinda like it!


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