Killing a skunk without getting sprayed?

Not 100%, but the best shooting method I've found is with a .22 low velocity solid bullet (SV target will work, CB or Subsonic better) through the lungs/heart. Any impact of the central nervous system is a guaranteed spray. I've dispatched hundreds on the trapline and this method is probably around 85% effective. They must be in a low state of readiness before the shot (not tail up) and you must leave them be to bleed out and die.

I've also noted they rarely spray when caught in a #220 connibear which kills by constriction low on the neck on most skunks. In #160s they spray more frequently as the trap hits the back of the head/high neck. On the rare occasion I've caught one in a #110 or #120, there is also seldom any spray, as the trap doesn't have the power to impact the spinal column.

The most effective method I've used on some nuisance animals is to tarp over the live trap (you can incorporate the tarp into your set, they are fond of dark enclosed spaces), and run a flexible hose from a vehicle exhaust such as car/truck or ATV under the tarp. Carbon monoxide will gas them within 15 minutes, then place them head down in a 5 gallon pail of water "just to be sure." I've heard stories of them coming back if they didn't get enough gas.

Drowning an animal is pretty heartless IMO. Just take it somewhere rural and release it.

If you get it in a trap walk up to it holding up a large non see through bag/sheet and completely cover the cage in it. Take your time and move slowly and quietly. Take trap where it is safe to open it. Open the front of cage and move sheet to let a little light in it, and when skunk runs out from cage shoot it in the BUTT with lead round nose standard velocity, IMPORTANT lead round nose standard velocity ONLY 22lr. A butt shot damages the muscles they use to spray and can't physically spray because of it. A HP round and high velocity round has enough energy transfer to pop the scent sack and gets smelly DON'T DO THAT.

Shoot it until it stops moving usually 3 or 4 shots do it and the skunk won't spray and dies quickly. Has worked for me 4 times now and haven't had one spray yet.

In a lot of places it is illegal to move an animal. I caught on in a live trap once. It was by accident. I covered it with a blanket. I then let it go on the edge of the property. No harm no foul. When I opened the trap door it just waddled out and was on its way. My dad caught on in a live trap in his basement. It came in through the cat's door. He too covered it and on the way to the woods he put it in the bucket of his tractor. Unfortunately the trap fell out of the bucket and he ran over it. It didn't spray.

What Random 8 said heart/lung.Just feeding tearing up your yard for grubs if they don't know you're there they rarely spray.

Drowning is heartless but IMHO, skunks deserve no mercy. They're basically terrorists.

Slappy White said:

Drowning an animal is pretty heartless IMO. Just take it somewhere rural and release it.

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Yeah, make it someone else's problem. Along with the HIGH risk of transporting it live. No thank you.

Random 8 said:

Not 100%, but the best shooting method I've found is with a .22 low velocity solid bullet (SV target will work, CB or Subsonic better) through the lungs/heart. Any impact of the central nervous system is a guaranteed spray. I've dispatched hundreds on the trapline and this method is probably around 85% effective. They must be in a low state of readiness before the shot (not tail up) and you must leave them be to bleed out and die.

I've also noted they rarely spray when caught in a #220 connibear which kills by constriction low on the neck on most skunks. In #160s they spray more frequently as the trap hits the back of the head/high neck. On the rare occasion I've caught one in a #110 or #120, there is also seldom any spray, as the trap doesn't have the power to impact the spinal column.

The most effective method I've used on some nuisance animals is to tarp over the live trap (you can incorporate the tarp into your set, they are fond of dark enclosed spaces), and run a flexible hose from a vehicle exhaust such as car/truck or ATV under the tarp. Carbon monoxide will gas them within 15 minutes, then place them head down in a 5 gallon pail of water "just to be sure." I've heard stories of them coming back if they didn't get enough gas.

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I've killed about a dozen in live traps and I have to second Random 8's info on heart lung shots. I have not tried the car exhaust trick.

Head shots tend to make the body go into fits and the contractions lead to the skunk spraying. I made a perfect head shot on one once with a frangible .22 hollowpoint, and it turned into a garden sprinkler instantly and the smell was awful.

Nothing is 100 percent, as just moving the dead skunk can cause stuff to leak, but a solid heart shot seems to be more reliable for reducing how much they spray.

I move the trap to somewhere it will be less bothersome if they spray, and then shoot them. Draping a sheet over the top has worked every time. I have even put them on the flat bed of my truck and moved them that way, although I avoid it if I can. I want to kill them quickly and humanely so I usually shoot the heart/lungs on the first shot and then try to get one in the head shortly after. Getting the body to start shutting down before they go into spasms from the head shot reduces the amount of spray quite a bit.

I'm telling you guys shoot them in the gut or back end on your first shot, use ONLY standard velocity lead round nose 22lr. The gut shot or back end shot damages the muscles they use to spray so they can't physically spray. After that pop them in the brain for a quick death and it's over and no smell at all. I've done several times just like this and it works EVERYTIME

CraigC said:

Drowning is heartless but IMHO, skunks deserve no mercy. They're basically terrorists.



Yeah, make it someone else's problem. Along with the HIGH risk of transporting it live. No thank you.

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Terrorists? They're harmless. I'm not going to my grave knowing that I drowned animals. That's just me. At least have the decency to give them a bullet to the head. Jesus man, have a heart. Savage.

Slappy White said:

Terrorists? They're harmless. I'm going to my grave knowing that I drowned animals. That's just me. At least have the decency to give them a bullet to the head. Jesus man, have a heart. Savage.

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Harmless??? The way termites are harmless. You've obviously never had one spray under your house or kill your chickens. Have a heart? Get a clue.

if you trap a mammal herbouts you ave to either kill it or take it to animal control. no catch and release.

been lucky, mr skunk and i never lingered too long in the same place. if i had to kill one, i might try thr auto exhaust trick

CraigC said:

Harmless??? The way termites are harmless. You've obviously never had one spray under your house or kill your chickens. Have a heart? Get a clue.

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Imagine being allergic to sulphur, then the spray lethality takes the terrorism argument to the next level! The wife is terribly allergic, skunks shan't be tolerated around here and spraying is rarely an acceptable route.

Fine Figure of a Man said:

Supposedly if you cover the trap with a blanket, tarp, black plastic a skunk won't spray.

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This is true. My dad used to do it. I couldn't believe it at first, but it worked.

I apologise for coming off like a jerk to some. I just don't have the heart to drown a living animal. I'm just going to ignore this thread so I don't get all worked up and spout off like an ass.

Slappy White said:

I apologise for coming off like a jerk to some. I just don't have the heart to drown a living animal. I'm just going to ignore this thread so I don't get all worked up and spout off like an ass.

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No need to apologize. If it were any other critter, I would wholeheartedly agree but having been on the pointy end of a skunk confrontation, I don't take any chances with them. They are nasty critters and have the attitude of a bull elephant. Having to air out your house for several days when it's 20° outside kinda changes your perspective.

entropy said:

Head shot. We used to road hunt skunks up at our cabin, near Mille Lacs. My mom would drive the back roads with the high beams on, and Dad and I would each sit on a fender of the old Buick wagon with a shotgun loaded with Trap loads. I gut shot the first few, and they'd spray and we'd have to go through the cloud of it.

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Now THAT is some good ol family fun eh Cotton?

I live out in the country and I'm an animal lover so I really don't like to kill animals around the house. When I set my live trap to get rid of racoons and possums I haul them to a cemetery about 6 miles away and turn them loose. Skunks are a different matter. When I am unlucky enough to trap a skunk I have learned to shoot them in the side of the head with a 12 gauge load of #4 copper plated shot. They die instantly and about half the time they don't release any scent. At other times when their body relaxes the scent comes out, but it is not sprayed it just runs out.

On one occasion I shot a skunk in the trap and I didn't realize that shot coming off the ground could go sideways at a 45 degree angle. There wasn't anything directly behind the skunk but my 5th wheel travel trailer was sitting over to the side and 4 pellets hit the skirting near the bottom of the trailer. Being the good boy scout that I am I didn't tell my wife. Several months later we were camped along the White River in Arkansas and a friend asked me what had happened. I told him the story, and my wife put here hands on her hips and forcefully asked why I didn't tell her. I said in a soft voice that I only wanted to get my ass chewed out once. If I would have told her when it happened I would have got chewed out twice. Once when I told her and again when she saw the dents.

someguy2800 said:

No skunks yet but I got a chicken thief this morning. I personally don’t mind skunks or coons, but the coons ravage the neighbors chickens, and this particular skunk seams determined to stick around the house. I went out last night around 10 PM and could smell him right by the front door.

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Trash panda just beat him to it!

Slappy White said:

Terrorists? They're harmless. I'm not going to my grave knowing that I drowned animals. That's just me. At least have the decency to give them a bullet to the head. Jesus man, have a heart. Savage.

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Too wouldn’t call them terrorists but wouldn’t go so far to call them harmless they are omnivores so other animals are beneath them on the food chain.

I also have no illusions about the methods I have used to kill things. Not sure of the moral difference in drowning an animal or insect vs poisoning one so it dies an even slower, likely more painful death. I also don’t see calling an exterminator, freeing me of culpability in the systematic killing of Gods creatures. So, while I have never drowned a skunk, I’m not going to judge one for doing so.

I hope you like mice pooing in your kitchen.

Try beating your dog. Obviously he's too stupid to get the hint the first time. You'd think the white stripe would be easy to remember. But some dogs are so inbred they can't figure anything out anymore. Leave the skunks alone. If you can catch the skunk alive, I'll take it. We could use more skunks and possums over here.

I had to get rid of my coon. Broke the truce, and started messing with the house. He was perfectly happy under the barn for years. Fed him plenty of evil squirrels and chipmunks.

I was ordering some raccoon traps a minute ago and notice a “spray proof” skunk trap, I hadn’t seen before.

https://www.flemingtraps.com/skunk-trap.html

Oh, their dog proof coon traps are on sale for $10.95, even the galvanized ones.

jmorris said:

I was ordering some raccoon traps a minute ago and notice a “spray proof” skunk trap, I hadn’t seen before. .

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jmorris, very interesting trap, but to get them out I guess you would stand to the side, lift the door and run before they could back out. Also, I'm not sure it would be a good idea to lean over and look through the door to see what was in the trap. If I was carrying the trap with a skunk inside I would point the door downwind.

Had a skunk in the yard last night. That's twice this week. Time to set the live trap away from the house and deal with that all over again.