How do you get rid of a SKUNK???

[martha24]

Bingo!!! We have a submarine!!!
Then I notice something odd...
The water in the pool is becoming kinda effervescent... What the heck???
The skunk is now situated in a horizontal position, so he was able to raise his tail...
I have now 600 gallons of skunk spray setting in a pool, on my deck, next to the back door of the house!!!
It took about a month and a half for the smell to go away and from that night forward, skunk smell has for ever since seemed more stronger to me everytime I catch a waft...
Almost like it forever changed my nasal cavity...
I learned a valuable lesson that night... More like two or three...


Good Luck John...

Sorry, I know it wasn't funny at the time, but I haven't had that good of a laugh in a while.
Martha

[bledsoe3]

Gage,
I got two funnier animal stories than that one...
Gotta save them for the campfire though...

You'll have to tells us those at the Dam Gathering.

[ARKPAT]

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:
You could do what I did...
I came home from work one day and unbenounced to me, there was a tube trap setup on the patio deck. My wife at the time, gave me a full run down of what my task at hand was...
Well, she borrowed the trap from a predetory animal control dude on the condition that we dispose of the skunk. (She wouldn't allow me to own a gun because of the children)
So, I asked her, just how the heck was I supposed to dispose the skunk once trapped, since she wouldn't let me have a gun...
She informed me that she told the dude with the trap that she didn't allow guns in the home and he had another sollution to the disposal method...
I slide open the pation door and next to the trap is my garbage can filled to the rim with water....
I was instructed to toss a blanket over the trap, once the skunk was locked inside, to calm him down a bit... about twenty minutes or so is what I recall...
Once the little guy was all calmed down, I was to take the tube trap and insert it vertically into the garbage can, with the skunk's head situated towards the sky... Something to do with him not being able to raise his tail and spray in that position...
OK... So my job was to drown the skunk, once trapped...
About that time, SNAP goes the trap!!!
I throw the blanket over it... OK, nappy-time little guy...
Twenty minutes later I take the trap and very carefully do the manuver...
Just one little problemo...
The trap is about two inches longer/taller than the water in the garbage can...
OK... Now I have a skunk, inside a trap, submerged in water, except his tiny little head and two front claws holding onto the wire mesh window at the end of the trap...
He can't raise his tail in this position, so all is still OK...
Still thinking my job is to drown him, like the dude said, I go and get the garden hose...
I blast him with that for about a half hour at full pressure, but there's just too much air to fill up, to make his head stay submerged...
Just a wee bit ticked, I decide to take a moment and step back to think...
I gotta come up with a sollution and damned quick!!!
Out in the yard sets the kids 600 gallon wadding pool...
I measure the diameter of the tube trap and compare it to the height of the plastic pool...
The pool is taller than the tube trap is round...
I lug the empty pool up onto the deck and begin the proccess of filling it up.
About a half hour later, I'm ready to switch the trap from the garbage can to the pool...
Bingo!!! We have a submarine!!!
Then I notice something odd...
The water in the pool is becoming kinda effervescent... What the heck???
The skunk is now situated in a horizontal position, so he was able to raise his tail...
I have now 600 gallons of skunk spray setting in a pool, on my deck, next to the back door of the house!!!
It took about a month and a half for the smell to go away and from that night forward, skunk smell has for ever since seemed more stronger to me everytime I catch a waft...
Almost like it forever changed my nasal cavity...
I learned a valuable lesson that night... More like two or three...

Good Luck John...

That was my solution except I measured the cage and the trash can for fit. A little of tuna in a can and good by skunk!




Pat

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Pat,
I would've measured everything, had I taken the steps myself...
But... The whole situation had already been set up and was waiting for me when I got home. I had no idea that any of this had taken place until I arrived home after a long day of work. I was still being given the run down when the trap snapped. I didn't even have the pleasure of informing the animal control guy that he made that one little miscalculation... I was once again off to work when he stopped by to pick up his trap.

[Joseph]

(Shooting it is not acceptable... I haven't got or want a gun.)

Do you have a neighbor who does? I'd recommend a high-power air rifle.

Joseph

[Ira]

I was once again off to work when he stopped by to pick up his trap.

Are you kidding? You didn't buy one at HF?

BTW:

Are those legal to sell in all areas?

[Larwyn]

(Shooting it is not acceptable... I haven't got or want a gun.)

Do you have a neighbor who does? I'd recommend a high-power air rifle.

Joseph

I could not agree more. One bullet would prevent a lot of work and worry in this situation. But then again it would likely remove most all of the humor also. Surely you could find somone to shoot the varmit for you, if you are not willing to handle the job yourself.

[doug hodder]

A .22 and a head shot, just make sure it's dead before you poke it with a stick...I've been sprayed by a wounded one...you will instantly power vomit...Doug

[Nitetimes]

Just invite him into the house. They make excellent pets, easy to house train in a litter box and friendly, a lot like a cat only cuter.
Just try not to startle the little bugger in the middle of the night, they don't see very well.
They are a great deterrent for burgalars and annoying neighbors.
At least this will keep it out from under your shed!!

Once the little guy was all calmed down, I was to take the tube trap and insert it vertically into the garbage can, with the skunk's head situated towards the sky... Something to do with him not being able to raise his tail and spray in that position...

The way we used to catch young skunks was to lay your hand lightly on their back and slowly move it back, pushing their tail down and under them. Form about horizontal to any position down under them they can't spray. Works quite well. Might even work on an adult if you could keep it calm enough, never tried it.
Remember they don't see too good so if you move slow you could maybe sneak up on it and catch it.

[kajamelu4]

And if someone tells you, that if you shoot it in the head, it can't spray, DO NOT believe them. Yes they can, and yes they will. Just ask my guys. They know first hand.



Karol

[elmo]

Just invite him into the house. They make excellent pets, easy to house train in a litter box and friendly, a lot like a cat only cuter.
Just try not to startle the little bugger in the middle of the night, they don't see very well.
They are a great deterrent for burgalars and annoying neighbors.
At least this will keep it out from under your shed!!

Once the little guy was all calmed down, I was to take the tube trap and insert it vertically into the garbage can, with the skunk's head situated towards the sky... Something to do with him not being able to raise his tail and spray in that position...

The way we used to catch young skunks was to lay your hand lightly on their back and slowly move it back, pushing their tail down and under them. Form about horizontal to any position down under them they can't spray. Works quite well. Might even work on an adult if you could keep it calm enough, never tried it.
Remember they don't see too good so if you move slow you could maybe sneak up on it and catch it.

I had a pet skunk when I was a kid...7-8ish. My Dad brought it home one day. It was de-skunked...not sure on the technical term, but wasn't very fun for a kid since they are naucturnal(sp). It was pretty exciting around the house when he did finally come out from under my dresser...that is where he spent most of his time. We had a german shepard that would chase it threw the house and the skunk would stop put up his tail and didn't have any ammo and would continue running. The dog would never hurt it, he just wanted to play. I think we ended up giving it to a girl that collected stuffed skunks...the toy kind.

[caseydog]

Gage,
I got two funnier animal stories than that one...
Gotta save them for the campfire though...
One about a possom and another about a raccoon.
Both stories pit me face to face with these critters during the wee hours of the morning, with me wearing only my briefs... Wait, I was armed with a broom (Launching stick) against the raccoon.
I got lucky against the raccoon... He could've easily torn me to shreads had I not connected...
Both of these stories have more to do with stupid things one can do when still half asleep, than with animals...

I always was concerned about wild critters finding their way into my house though Casey's dog-door. Well, on night, we woke up to the sound of a "bang" in the master bathroom. Me and the dog got up and walked toward the bathroom, and there was a lump in the middle of the floor, whe I turned on the light, the lump jumped behind the clothes hamper. After making sure I had an escape route, I used a broom to move the hamper, and the lup jumped toward me, and I jumped back -- then busted out laughing.

A HUGE bullfrog had come through the dog-door, hopped across the house, through my bedroom, and into the bathroom. The "bang" happened when he jumped and crashed into the glass shower door.

Anyway, I put him in a cooler with the top open just a crack, and in the morning, took him to a local pond and turned him loose.

Unbelieveable -- the only animal to come through my dog-door in ten years was a giant FROG!

[Fenlason]

Years ago. I had a skunk getting into my garbage at night. It was not far from the house....so I just put my stereop speakers in the window... and turned it up a little. He did not stick around long.

If I remember correctly, it was a Billy Joel song that was playing on the radio at the time.

glenn

[The Teardrop Nanny]

It is spring time and the babies will be a coming soon....so pick your solution or there will be a Real problem in a few weeks. What Glenn above mentioned, stereo speakers, worked for my girlfriend who used to live up by Dean's house. The creatures were under the house in the daytime and cruised around at nights. She had to play loud music (her son was in to punk and hard rock) during the day when she was out of the house to get the skunk to stay out. Then when she was sure the skunk was gone she also had to board up the holes as mentioned in previous posts. And, if you do capture it alive, where will you release it?

Where I currently live, next to a HUGE redwood forest, we get skunks constantly prowling around and they travel through the sewer and drainage system unseen. Kind of like their own private underground subway. Check to see where you have water sources and try to cut those off/or out. Skunks are very consistent creatures and will follow a given path daily. Now you'll have to become a skunk trapper if you do not wish to be a skunk hunter. Best of luck in dealing with this stinky mess!

TDN

[Gaston]

Your lucky you don't have a gun. I do and I have the holes in the back door to prove it
Had a possum that took a like'in to the dogs food on the back porch. Had a few adult beverages and figured it was time to fix the problem. 22 aotomatic pistol in hand I peek thru the back door window till I saw the big bugger, already had the door unlatched so I kicked it open and blazed away. The first 2 got the possum, the next 3 got the door . I forgot the door had a chain and spring on it to close it., well it worked real good and closed it before I was done emptying the clip. I wanted the possum to be, and stay real dead but I really didn't want to kill the door