Shot, shoveled, no need to shut up ... skunks!

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Greybeard

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Well, there've been enough "bear threads" and such that I suppose I'm now in a position to give a definitive answer to inquiries regarding "the best caliber for caged skunks".

I'd got a whiff of one on several ocassions here lately - and had observed a fresh "dig out" under the porta pottie, so baited up both the coon trap and squirrel trap yesterday with sardines. And this morning had a skunk in each!

I pre-dug a grave back in the woods then started dragging the first trap that way with about 15' of weedeater string that I'd attatched yesterday. Mr. Big Skunk did not seem to like being moved and proceeded to turn around and was using his best efforts inside the confines of the squirrel trap to get his tail up and his artillery oriented when I decided the weedeater string just might not be long enough.

In light of the proximity of the skunks to the range office, I decided to try out the new Ruger hand cannon on more than just paper punching, although I did make a quick trip into the range to see what my exact sight picture needed to be for 3 yards.

Both skunks subsequntly caught a 300 grain cast bullet just below an ear. .454 Casull on the first and .45 Long Colt on the second. Both critters dropped like a rock, their heads still very much intact. And neither one got off a shot. :D

I suspect the task might have been accomplished just about as efficiently with .22 single shot rifle and CCI Stingers. ;) Well, actually maybe more efficiently because now I need to go get some pliers and fix the blown out wire on side of the squirrel trap. :rolleyes:
 
Coincidently, I had a handloaded shot load in one of the cylinders that I thought I might try (real close) on the second skunk. But, when I opened the cylinder in the office after firing the 3-yard test shot in the range, I discovered the plactic shot capsule had busted from the recoil and all the pellets ran out onto my desk. A little more "nice to know" info there ... ;)
 
Grey, BTDT.:D

BTW, don't forget that those pistol "shot" cartridges are REAL loud, especially when shooting a skunk in your Uncle's foal barn (sheet metal)! They can take multiple hits.:uhoh: :uhoh: (No foals were inside or were injured, just one rabid, dirty, angry skunk).

Well, we were all young and dumb once. Now I'm just older and dumb.

BTW, IME, on skunk, use a shotgun or .22 Hornet--OUTSIDE.:D
 
Korean sniper chicks might cause the old brain to re-program to other folks' "standards" ... Nah, before you guys lead me astray, I'm gonna go re-bait both traps right now - with sardines.
 
I have personal knowledge that Speer Gold Dots in .357sig are very good on skunks.

Pegged one from about 6 feet out by IBM in Coppell one evening after work.

Good on you, Greybeard. Less rabies in the area because of ya.

Regards,
Rabbit.
 
Last time I had to put down a trapped skunk, I got called by a homeowner who'd caught one out next to his rural house. I didn't want to mess up his cage, wo I tied a piece of string to the bale door, and pulled...

...and rolled the cage over. It began to start to smell a little. The skunk got a little upset with me. I SHOULD have stopped and popped it, right there. But I persisted in helping him out of the cage...


...and the juvenile skunk took off liken to a shot! It ran under the home-owner's wooden deck next to the porch. I kicked a hunk of wood under the deck, and the excited striped weasel came barreling out from under it, headed straight for a hole at the edge of the back yard. On the run, I shot it. Folks, this was a small skunk. I'll be honest-- I "shot it in the skunk." This slowed it as it reached the hole. As it went in, I let it clear the lip of the hole, and put it down with a couple of shots, and kicked in the hole over it. NOT my finest hour, in skunk-dispatch. (Though it did get the job done.)

I now suggest popping 'em IN the trap. So a wire gets bent. Big deal! :)

+ + + + + + + + + + + +

BTW, for those of y'all who don't know, Denton County, TX has recently lead the nation in the incidence of rabid skunks. Add to that the fact that it's one of the more populated counties (and growing fast) in the region (it's tangental to Dallas County and Tarrant County [Ft. Worth]), and you've got a high likelyhood of rabid critters and people meeting. Any skunk acting oddly (such as being active during the daytime) is to be destroyed.

Moving this thread to the Hunting Forum.
 
Such is life.

They make pretty good pets, if you get 'em young, descented, and with shots.

John
 
Tch, tch, tch...

what would PITA think? Alack, alas. :eek:

Well, at least they didn't become "fur" hats. :)

-Andy
 
My live trap looks like its made with a patchwork of about 3 different size wire meshes becuase of all the stuff I've shot in it. No matter how well you line up the shot going in it always seems to hit a wire going out :banghead:

Oh well its worth it :D My trap has 45 racoons and 4 possums through it now and there aren'y any holes big enough to escape through yet. I always use a .22LR though so if you do hit it it just pops off the side of one square of wire.
I might break out eh .54 muzzle loader sometime though, especially if I get a skunk ;)
 
What is good on squirrels in a havahart? Something without a lot of bang since I'm technically not supposed to discharge. 22lr bolt action and a 2 liter?

I was thinking a 12ga would be nice, just bring out the hose...
 
Joe -

Crossbow. Semi-quiet and more legal more places. Works well on 'coons anyway (so I been told). Just be sure to get point of target arrow aligned well first thru screen (1/2" squares much better than 1/4"!) Roof shots highly preferable. And long arrows. Nails 'em, so to speak (so I been told ;) )

Or, if crossbow method perceived as "too evil", possibly pump-up Benjamin .22 pellet gun. Also semi-quiet and more legal more places. Broadside shots preferable, just behind and below the ear (if ya can get the critter to cooperate.)
 
I'd much rather use a gun, but I've been told that a little plastic wrap and the tailpipe of a car idling does pretty good on racoons and stuff. Just make sure you cook em long enough ;)
Can also tie a rope to the cage and throw it in a pond. I prefer shooting to either method, but if thats not a legal possibility...
 
When I was young and dumb

I was out walking one night and I came across a friend of mine who stated he had a Skunk in a Refrig. box. I could just smell it at about 10 feet away. So being not to bright I said "Lets put it in Safeway" and we walk down the street, him carring the box and me walking about 15 feet infront of him.
Well we got to Safeway and my friend walks throught the big sliding doors and comes running right out smiling. We ran to the other end of the parking lot and watched. Within no time at all people came running out holding their faces, some screaming. Soon the PooPoo arived and we ran like hell. It made it in the locale paper too.
Sadly thou my friend died while climbing on a slow moving train that was going thruogh town and he was cut in half. Everytime I see a Safeway I can still see his big grin on his face. I miss ya Steven, you SOB.

Now I'm sad.
 
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