Skunk trapped, now what?
 

For the last week we've had a skunk hanging around the house. He's sprayed almost every night so, yesterday I set a live trap baited with small pieces of chicken and a slice of bread with peanut butter. I had no clue of a skunks diet so, I figured this variety might work.

The plan was to trap it in an open area and then shoot it with a pellet rifle.

This morning the wife spotted it in the trap and says she feels sorry for it. :rolleyes: I suggested she go release it...

I say shoot it.

drown it
 

Fill up a large barrel, garbage can or find a creek or pond. Dunk it for a minute. Deposit it in a trash bag, tie it up and trash it. And don't go talking about it. Just get rid of it. Someone you know will hear your story and turn you in for being cruel.

Just go release it somewhere.

Getting close to it is the problem.

I'm thinking I'd have to talk when ask what that smell is.

Call animal control and tell them it is in a trap and let them come out to get it. They won't come out usually unless you have captured the animal first. Just tell them there is something in the trap but you don't know what it is.:D

Do not shoot it as it will release it's biological weaponry instantly!

let it sit for a day to wear out. Midday, the next day, drape a tarp over it and drive it to an unfriendly neighbor's house (or far away).

22 cal will fix it and good. Trying to release it is a trick because if it sprays, you are in a world of hurt. No amount of Axe Body Spray will get a hooker within 10 feet of you, never mind any civilized person.

Good suggestion by the wife. Tell her to execute it as she pleases. When she gets sprayed, she might decide to beat it to death with a shovel.

Have you tried talking to it in a nice, soothing voice? Maybe feed it some pet food.

I found a baby skunk when I was a kid, and it grew up to be the best stinky kitty ever. He never sprayed in the house...

Your answer?

http://icwdm.org/wildlife/skunk/skunkrelease.asp

Is best to put the trap in a large garbage bag and lay down a large hose before baiting; once sprung, plug the other end of the hose up to the car or tractor exhaust for 10 minutes.

maybe I'm a hippie............... but that's disturbing.

It saddens me how cavalier some people are about life. The skunk is an innocent animal who is just going about it's business.

I agree with calling animal control.

It's business happens to cause problems which is the trap was set in the first place.

animal control is the best bet, but not because its good for the skunk, its because its good for you! why get sprayed if you piss that thing off. animal control knows how to handle the skunk, and if they get sprayed, they've delt with that before also, so let them do their job.

If the skunk was far away from your house, where you could leave it for a week to let the smell go away, I'd say shoot it. But being near your home, you might as well call the pros.

Yes very sad indeed. No need to be cruel to animals.

Agreed, its a pest, with no problem maintaining its population. do your neighbors a favor and get it gone.

I saw 5 dead skunks on the road this last weekend. I hope most of you would hit a skunk before swerving and causing an accdent.

Here's Stinkykitty:

http://i45.tinypic.com/144897b.jpg

Please just find a nice place to let the skunk loose. Karma and all that good crap.

Or as someone suggested, put it in the house of your neighbor that you don't like.

I'd hit anything before I swerve and cause an accident. Since we drive an MB, we already have a hood ornament and don't need another one. However, if it comes down to hitting the pole or the pedestrian, animal, etc, etc, I hit the softer object. I believe in self preservation.

I can agree to a certain point, but if safely avoidable, swerving would be preferable.

Concerning the skunk, intentional execution and/or torture is cruel and should not be encouraged.

thats pretty cool

When I was a kid, our music teacher had a "de-skunked" pet skunk. It turned out to be a great family pet.

This one is wild, but I'd still let it go - far from humans.

Animal control knows how to handle skunks and other critters. If you call before the animal is caught they will probably tell you to set a trap and call when you have cought the animal and then they will come get it.

Obviously, if I can safely avoid, I will.

I suppose it is all about how much trouble a person thinks that animal life is worth.

It is all about car insurance.
 

Hit Animal = Code 44 (comprehensive) = $50-$250 deductible you pay


Hit something else = (collision) = $250 - $1,000 deductible you pay.



i'm tellin ya, skunks can be a big problem...we once had one in the garage...got his head stuck in one of those old nestles quik cans...ran around, crashing into things

I will assume you are a vegetarian.

Around here they (Dept of Wildlife) will tell you to drown it in a barrel. I wouldn't do it but that is what they tell you. Animal control will tell you they have nothing to do with wildlife.

I won't touch that one with a 10 yard pole.

I had as dog get skunked once. Tried washing her with every recommended concoction I could find, plus a few other things. My townhouse was funky for at least a week afterwords.

If you can get animal control to come deal with it, that seems like the best olfactory & humane option.

Put a sign up: "Free Skunk"

Screw that, letting it out of the cage is going to get you sprayed.

I'd either call animal control or shoot it, probably just shoot it.

Whatever you do, don't pet it...

You set the trap, now do the right thing and release it. Sounds like it's causing you more trouble than if you just let it be. I wonder how many of the badasses really would be able to drown/shoot it? Lot of macho here.

Amazing... the little stinker ate thru the biodegradable trap and preceeded to cross the road with a full belly of bait offerings. :)
Just then some "bubba" hit the throttle in his lifted Powerstroke and mowed him down.:eek:

Poor little guy.

Everyone happy now?

I have a dog that just can't help himself when he sees the kitty with the white stripe. He has been sprayed numerous times and I just let him deal with it. Within 2 days he is all better(until the next time!).

As far as the skunk in the trap; just shoot him from a distance and let him dry out for a few days. It's more humane to end it quick than try to drown him, plus you won't get sprayed. I kind of get a case of the ass with relocators because they just make their problem someone elses. I know a guy who would relocate rattlesnakes:eek: which is not cool!

What makes you think that doing that will not bring that guy back and maybe, just maybe a little smarter than to get caught like that the next time?

Lots of us hunt so where is the problem? I won't drown it since that means getting too close but I have put rounds thru a deer and other animals so I can't see how difficult it will be to kill a pest.

WTF is a "biodegradable trap"??:confused:

If animal control would not come for it I would not have hesitated to shoot it with at least a 22.

Skunks are not afraid of people and one that comes around can be a real pest. They are not endangered either.

I don't know if they spray when shot or not. I kindof doubt it.

The campground in the Great Smokie national park was infested with them. After dark when coming out of my trailer I nearly stepped on one.

Yikes!

Put a sleeping pill in a hot dog. Toss it over from a safe distance. When it's snoozing, you can sneak up and put the whole thing in a trash bag, then release it wherever you want.

Is it just me, or was that answer totally obvious?

That seems quite reasonable compared to my recent method of skunk disposal, where I boinked the little bastard over the head with a mallet, then placed him in the driver's seat of a car that I subsequently shoved over a cliff...

Yeah, that's a new one...

Only if I can assume that you enjoy killing animals merely for entertainment.

Skunks carry rabies...so be VERY CAREFUL approaching any in the wild or in a trap.

And if they are coming towards you... :eek:

I will assume I have no idea what you are talking about.

Thi8s problem seems like someone got involved in a warlike action withouit a planned ;'exit strategy".
See what problems that leads to?

He had an exit strategy. Kill the sucker. Wife decided to advocate a different action. As I said before, you advocate, you execute.

Has anyone had the misfortune to try Febreze on skunk-spray?

I'm curious if that stuff has the "right stuff" to kill those oils in case you do get shot...

Before Febreze came out, I got a "butt-full" sprayed on the underside of my vehicle as I drove over the top of one 'lil guy many moons ago...he hit a good portion of the undercarriage and the catalytic converter....YEP...HOT SKUNK STINK. :eek:

No tailgaters for 3 days...just a lot of strange looks as I was driving, SLOWLY, through town... :mad: :rolleyes:

By Day 4, you knew something wasn't EXACTLY as it should be, but you couldn't quite put your finger (nose) on it... :confused: :o

SIDEBAR: 'Lil stinker did survive...I went OVER him, no tire marks. BTW, there's a sight that you never want to ever see unless you have 2 tons of metal and glass between you and him...and it's that 'lil guy's "pink eye"!!!! :eek: :rolleyes: ;)

That sight is BURNED into my brain to this day...and it occured over 13 years ago! :thumbup1:

.

A few years ago I jumped in my GTO one cold AM to go to work. Turned the key and heard a horrible SCREECH from the engine compartment. Popped the hood and there were kitty bits all over my glorious 400 Ram Air engine.

But I had to get to work. Can you imagine how cooked kitty bits smell? Kinda like chicken.

Not wanting to offend any environmentalist... ;)

IOW a trap that doesn't hold the trapped animal. AKA non functional trap. :D