OT--trapping skunks

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Our skunks have always like roaming the neighborhood, they stroll through on their route once a night. We let them keep walking.

Now a friend in CA has had a bunch of them take root under her house. It's incredibly stinky, but she's some version of buddist. I think it might be because her neighborhood fences are solid wood and very high, also because she throws them scraps.

Either way, I can't help with a trap. Do you have several camping in your yard?

Pam

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Wiley,

I have never trapped a skunk but I've been eradicating coons for years.I would definitely use a have-a-heart trap. Size isn't too important.Big enough for the critter but not too big to carry.Skunks crawl into some pretty small spaces for food.As to bait,use something cats don't particularly like,fruit comes to mind.

I would hesitate to approach a trap with a skunk in it.I know the coons were pretty mad when I loaded the sprung traps into the truck.Maybe carefully drop a small waterproof tarp over it and grab the handle through the tarp.

good luck---Jack

advice from experienced skunk trapper

Bill Tindall, E.TN

>1. Don't set the trap on the car port. After trapping skunk you will need to shoot it. When you shoot it it will empty its magazine resulting in a concentrated deposit that will smell for 100years every time it rains or otherwise gets damp.

2. Having learned from step 1.....I have never had one spray while in the trap. You can throw a tarp over the trap, hook something to the trap and drag it to a "safe" location for further disposal. I shoot the damn things, but I suppose there are other ways to be rid of them that might constitute torture by some of the current definitions. I have heard waterboarding to the extreme works.

3. Any meat works for bait. Sardines will catch every annoying cat, possum, coon and skunk in the neighborhood, but I have got them on all sorts of meat scraps like chicken livers, skin, fat etc.

4. My traps are Haveheart style, about 10" x 10". Some of these traps have better triggers than others. I prefer one open ended ones.

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Todd Hughes

>As a kid i used to do alot of trapping. Started while in grade school after reading to many Jack london stories I guess, I remember running a "trapline" at age 9 traping field mice whose skins i tanned and made a hat out of.

Anyway with skunks the best trap I would use would be a Conibear, this is a spring killer trap that works by breaking the animals neck after it hits the trigger. In my experance a good many skunks caught in them never spray but even if they do it won't be around you. Set it in front of thier hole or make an enclosed area with it set in the front. Best bait is probably sardines. Will also work of course on free ranging cats which would personaly not be a problim for me.

If you use a havaheart trap I'd just shoot them in the trap with a .22 short or powerful air gun from a distance. Probably spray but just come back later to empty the trap. Have heard about putting the trap in bags etc. but just sounds over complicated to me.

Over the years I had have 3 pet skunks including one that were never descented. Kind of neat little animals and tell you the truth unless they are causing alot of problims [spray dog etc.] today I would probably just leave any alone that was around my house .....Todd

Please do not use a trap that is too big!

VTAndy4

>Hi Wiley,

We've got lot's of skunks here, too, and people use the Hav-a-hart trap successfully. My father has thrown a towel over it and not been sprayed. The things stink if they have sprayed recently but will not spray again inside the trap -- that is why you shouldn't get a bigger trap.

I was ready to trap them here because I'm concerned that one will get me on the way back from the shop in the evening. However, I guess my neighbors beat me to it, because this summer I rarely smelled the things. In the spring one of them got three of my young chickens but after that never returned. Now I kind of wish it would return and get the roosters for me!

-Andy

Re: OT--trapping skunks

wilbur

>Hi Wiley,

I haven't had to trap a skunk, but for the other critters that I needed to trap, I found that although you should pick a yummy treat for bait, it was more important to make sure that you place the trap along paths that the animal uses.

Like real estate, it's location, location, location to a great degree.

Good luck!

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Marv

>Hi Wiley,

We've had skunks living around our place here in California for over 30 years. Have never had an incounter yet. Had a small family of them living under our house for awhile. The little ones eventually left home and the Mother left soon after. The little ones would play by chasing each other around on our deck. One time they got excited and sprayed each other and the smell permiated the entire house for several days. It was not any worse than when my wife leaves the bathroom door open...ok, I'm the one who does it. We have all kinds of animals sharing our space including black bears. The skunks are just one of the many species. We've grown to like having them all around, well, the bears can be a bit scary at times. Had one chase me once but that's another story.

I'd say, just leave the skunks alone and they will soon find some other place to be most of the time.

Marv

Re: OT--trapping skunks

"RJ" Whelan

>I've had success with "Nutterbutters" - if you have a rats, mice, chipmonks and ground squirrels, you may catch a few of them too.

Now if I could just keep the deer from eating everything my wife plants; the bears from rolling our trashcans down the road; the coyotes from "singing" and keeping us awake; and the mountain lions and bobcats from freaking out our cats, I'd be happy.

Ahhhh, the country life .... rj

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Wiley Horne

>Pam,

I've got at least one denning under a large back porch. Occasionally, I can smell it. I was out in the front yard watching the eclipse of the moon, what was it, a coupla months ago, at 3:30am in the morning, and thought I saw something moving along the picket fence in the neighbor's driveway to the west. Next thing, this skunk makes a left at the corner of the yard, and traipses past my open front gate. It was just casually strolling along the sidewalk like any other pedestrian, like it knew exactly where it was headed. I think Animal Control here in town will lend me a trap, although I received an offline email that said there's a scented product I might try that has been known to get rid of them.

Let you know what happens.

Wiley

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Wiley Horne

>Jack,

From what I can gather, you're right about just set the trap up with a tarp or something over it. That way, the animal control folks can deal with it, and I don't have to walk up and take my chances. My next door neighbor had a professional come over and trap some which had taken up lodging under their house, and she said that when the trapper guy came back in the morning, the skunk (being nocturnal) was just asleep in the trap. But I think your advice is best, which is to stay away in case it's ticked off.

Wiley

Re: advice from experienced skunk trapper

Wiley Horne

>Bill,

Thanks a lot. Sounds like that hydrogen peroxide/liquid soap thing won't work on the smell. Why is the one-open-end trap better? Just not as complicated a trigger/close mechanism?

I'm beginning to get possums, too, as our last whippet is now gone. The whippets used to fetch 'em up on the porch pretty regularly, and chew on their feet (always spray em with Frontline after that!). But the little Italian Greyhound we have now only chases the neighborhood cat when it comes to lurk by the fountain--it's not a possum dog for sure. It better not catch up that cat either, cause that would be a trip to the ER right now, with my wife screaming etc etc.

I received an offline email that said you could walk right up to the cage with a rifle, stick the muzzle into the mesh, and when the skunk comes over to investigate, pull the trigger--the writer said his Dad's boss does that a lot, and that head-shot skunks don't spray.

Wiley

Re: OT--trapping skunks

John Kissel

>Hi All,

Wiley - Can't help with trapping skunks but have had experience with getting rid of the smell if it should come to that. I had a dog who was either born without a sense of smell or had a perverse love of skunk scent. He got nailed at least four separate times. Tried tomato juice baths and it was a real mess (long haired dog) as well as ineffectual. Once I brought him to a groomer and she used Massengill disposable douche as a bath. Worked like a charm. I'm also thinking a smaller cage may be better as whenever I've ended up on the wrong end of a skunk they seem to have to raise their hindquarters somewhat before letting go.

RJ - Can't help with coyotes, bobcats, etc. but can suggest something that may help with deer. Try spreading a band of a soil enhancer/ ammendment called "Millorganite" around plants that you want to keep the deer away from. I believe it is composted human sewer sludge from the city of Millwaulkie (sp?). Apparently they find it distasteful. Generally available from garden centers. One thing to be aware of is that I think it has a higher level of heavy metals than other ammendments used in the garden like peat or various animal manures. I have used this around hot spots of commercially grown plant material at work with good results.

Hope this is of some help.

JK

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Wiley Horne

>Todd,

Thanks a lot for your experiences! This particular skunk trapping is going to take place under a first floor bedroom window, or pretty close to it, so I'm trying to avoid a lot of screaming and hollering--plus the neighbors are close on that side too. So I'm kinda thinking first attempt will be a repellent, and second attempt will be a havaheart with some kind of cover on it. Don't think skunks are dumb though--I wonder if it'll work.

Wiley

Re: Please do not use a trap that is too big!

Wiley Horne

>Andy,

Thanks for the info on the trap size. Am sure havaheart know what they're about. I hear ya about those roosters--what time of morning do they start up? Last time I lived on a farm (in college), it wasn't unusual for them to be tuning up at 1 or 2 am. But I kinda got used to them, and didn't mind.

Wiley

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Wiley Horne

>Thanks Wilbur,

I have the access path figured out--it's right under a bedroom window for us, and outside my neighbor's kitchen window. That's why there isn't going to be any gunplay. Mainly I'll be trying to keep us all from getting sprayed by mistake. Letcha know what happens.

Wiley

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Wiley Horne

>Hi Marv,

I need to hear about that bear chasing you. Didja get away?

Well, you make a good point that skunks aren't that bad. But my neighbor commented on it (they got rid of theirs), and we're so close together here that I don't want to be a bad neighbor to them.

Neighbors are kind of a tricky thing...When I was growing up in NC, my grandmother (who lived in a duplex with us) got tired of the neighbor's feist dog getting into her garbage. So one morning, she asked to use my BB gun to 'crack down' on the Quern's dog. Now the Quern's were from England and we always thought they were a little better than us. But the dog was intolerable. The trouble is, it was a lever BB gun, not a pump gun, and she left the lever hanging after she cocked it. I got all tongue-tied and was trying to tell her to 'WAIT' but she had already drawn a bead on Becko and pulled the trigger, and the lever snapped back on her hand, cracked her knuckles, and that really hurt. I think she missed Becko. Anyway, my Uncle Bill, who was a great kidder, was teasing her about how he was going to send this story in to the Charlotte Observer's humorist, and get it published, and my Grandmother was scared to death for quite a while that he actually would--and then the Querns would find out she was trying to shoot their dog! See what I mean about neighbors?

Wiley

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Wiley Horne

>RJ, we could use a video of the bears getting after your garbage cans.

Now John, I am 65, but am still a bit squeamish about shopping for women's personal things at the grocery store. Plus having to check out, too, doncha know. So my strategy there is going to be to not get sprayed, but if worse comes to worst...

I may try a repellent. Seems to have the fewest bad unintended consequences.

Wiley

Re: OT--trapping skunks

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI

>Haven't had to trap a skunk, but I was just thinking I would probably put a tarp over the tent before the skunk is in it. You could partially cover it and put a rope on it to finish pulling it over the trap from a distance after the trap is filled ;)

Re: Please do not use a trap that is too big!

VTAndy4

>Hi Wiley,

These are lazy but punctual roosters. Ca-ca-cooooo starts up at 6:30 _on the dot_. It's the lead rooster. One night he had been outside the coop and must have had a rough night fending for himself, and it must have been humbling for him. He slept in, huddled up right next to the door to the coop, and the second-in-charge realized that he needed to step in and do the crowing. Well, his voice wasn't quite there yet and it was hilarious. These guys' days are numbered. There are three of them and come Saturday, there will be none -- I've got to do something before the neighbors get ticked off. (We're in a town).

-Andy

mothballs

VTAndy4

>Hi Wiley,

If they are getting under a porch or other confined space, the repellant I've heard about up here is to fill a sock with moth balls and toss it under the porch or crawl space. Apparently the skunks can't stand it and avoid the space. I haven't tried it myself because I'm not thrilled about whatever mothballs might be made out of. (Maybe I was a skunk last time around.)

-Andy

roosters (way OT)

Jack Guzman from Maine

>We stopped raising chickens years ago because I quit eating eggs. But we do have a rooster, I like having one around. The sound is pleasing to me. His name is Charlie. We provide him with feed and water and he roosts in the trees. ---Jack

Just caught one in August...

John in NM

>But they're pretty small around here, we've got a live trap about 7x7. Bait was slices of apple with peanut butter. Tarp over the trap with a rope tied in the middle to the handle so we could pull the rope tight and lift the trap into the back of the truck. Took it a couple miles out into the woods and let it go.

Tarp over the trap is important, SIL got sprayed when she skipped that part once.

Re: advice from experienced skunk trapper

Chuck Kettler Greenwood IN

>When I lived in Bill's neck of the woods our church used a trapper. He put dry dog food in the trap. When it was occupied he would walk over to it slowly. Pick it up. Put it in his truck and take the inhabitant to a different location and release. He only related one story of a spraying and that was the result of opening the door to release and it slipped and reclosed. Guess I would have been a little mad if I saw freedom slip away.

ugh

jim reed @ tallahassee

>Mothballs are pure naptha or something like that. Nasty. I tried the same trick on some squirrels in the attic of a house I was renting. It smelled awful for weeks, but did not slow the squirrels down a bit. Probably annoyed them less than it did us. I could swear that I heard them giggling about it.