How to get rid of a skunk?

[Gun Geezer]

The ONLY and BEST way

Buy a live trap called "The Skunker". Just google it up.

It is a cylindrical live animal trap. It is sized such that the skunk gets in but cannot raise up on its front legs to spray after being caught. Both ends are solid except for a small air hole. The body of cage is basically thin gauge metal. It has a set of "legs" on each end that keep it from rolling.

Tie a rope on it so you can drag it off from a distance. Don't want to get too close even if the sucker can't spray! Bait and wait. Then just take the rope and drag it over to a 55-gallon drum full of water and drown the skunk. That is what the "air hole" is for.

The employ the 2nd and 3rd "S's": Shovel and Shut-up.

We use it at the power plant where I work. The Skunker is the best solution we have ever seen.

 

[mustanger98]

...just shoot it. The thought of drowning or suffocating on engine exhaust sound much less humane than a well placed 22LR round.

I agree. If you hafta kill something, you owe it a humane end. The well placed .22LR seems to be the quickest way.

 

[rallyhound]

i wonder if a blast of pepper spray might work and out stink the stinker

 

[Mark Whiteman]

Depending on your local government, Animal Control may not mess with it. In that case, Fish and Wildlife or Fish and Game may have to deal with it. I knew a guy that had a skunk problem once. He waited it out until the middle of summer and gave it one round from his AR-15 to the chest. All that was left was a hollow skin, but the atomized guts included the spray parts, so it stank anyway. Nobody in the neighborhood thought anything of one more firecracker.

 

[12GA00buck]

You could try poison. Figure out what skunks like to eat, then add something toxic, and tasteless. I'd call animal control first, they probably have a good idea on how to deal with them. If you concerned about gun noise, a sub-sonic .22 in a garage wont be noticeable to your neighbor. I'd wear eye protection though, as shooting in a garage seems likely to have a ricochet. Depending of safety concerns, you could pump carbon monoxide from your car into the garage. If the garage is connected to your house though, defiantly don’t! With CO2 the skunk would die in its sleep, so I doubt if it would spray. Just a thought if your garage is NOT connected to your house.

 

[Koobuh]

"I agree. If you hafta kill something, you owe it a humane end. The well placed .22LR seems to be the quickest way."

Actually, drowning is very humane. Once the lungs fill the body shuts the nervous system down within a few seconds and death occurs in the midst of sleep. Carbon monoxide is even more humane- there is absolutely no trauma other than the fear it's already experiencing, and again it passes on in the midst of sleep.
Shooting CAN be humane, too, but I would not choose to do it if I had a choice; I'm not that good of a marksman. What would happen if you didn't kill it with the first shot? You would be subjecting it to unfathomable agony as it emptied its scent glands, subjecting you to unfathomable misery.

Drowning is a much better method; works first time, every time, and is as humane as you can get without putting it to sleep with an injection.

Poison is worse if you care about humane treatment, much worse.

 

[Ryder]

I've killed a lot of things but Skunk is not one of them. I've had the opportunity just not the curiosity. Can't say I've ever regretted my decidion to leave them alone.

Sometimes critters will take up residence under my back porch. Usually during severe weather. I ignore them (live and let live) and they've always moved on once the weather cleared up. Guess I'm glad to have been of utmost assistance

According to studies by our natural resources department skunks are said to have the highest incidence of rabies. There's another good reason to leave them alone. As if you need two

 

[murph50]

I am a Wildlife Control Operator by trade. I use a 1 way door most times to get animals to move. An easy way to do this would be to cut some wire mesh(I use 1"x2" welded wire) that's at least 2 " bigger than the hole on each side.Bend a 90 degree angle at the bottom to form a 2" lip. Then attach over the entry with nail staples(u-shaped nails). The skunk will be able to push this open with his head but cannot open it to re-enter.
Or
Sprinkle some baking flour around or in front of the entry. Check it out after about 9pm and if you see footprints heading out--seal the entry.
The radio suggestions may work also.
Hope this helps

 

[Lonestar]

If your skunk is French, get a pretty female black cat and paint a white strip down its back

 

[Master Blaster]

Replying to a one year old thread Anyone?

Oct 5, 2005

BTW put a loud radio in the Garage with the Skunk, it will move after a day or two.

 

[Justin]

And one that's barely on topic, at that.