National Lampoons hunt for the skunk

[Dane]

Well, we had this issue a few years ago when we were living in Montana.  In Montana, we all carry bear spray when hiking-which is like Mace on steroids.  So, we bombed the shed with bear spray...never saw a skunk again.  Now, you have to be careful because the capsicum from the spray will linger for years- so make sure you don't get it anywhere you need to spend a lot of time, but if it's under the shed, it will probably be fine.  You can order the spray online or get it in any outdoor/camping store.

 

[JCLP]

Well, we had this issue a few years ago when we were living in Montana.  In Montana, we all carry bear spray when hiking-which is like Mace on steroids.  So, we bombed the shed with bear spray...never saw a skunk again.  Now, you have to be careful because the capsicum from the spray will linger for years- so make sure you don't get it anywhere you need to spend a lot of time, but if it's under the shed, it will probably be fine.  You can order the spray online or get it in any outdoor/camping store.

Dane,
Thankyou for the tip on the bear spray. I will search for this.
Good news though, my neighbour saw momma skunk carry her babies from my shed to a new shed two house down. So I seem to be winning the battle. I will flood the deck one more time today and see what happens.

Thx.
JC

 

[antss]

Good call on the bear spray.

Bob - plenty of PCP models without supresors/silencers/muzzle brakes, ect....

 

[HarveyWildes]

A high powered air rifle in .22 will dispatch them and get around most municipal firearm ordinances. They are rather expensive though.

There's only one thing that smells worse than a live skunk under you porch.

 

[jeh]

You need to get a live trap.
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Havahart-Large-1-Door-Live-Animal-Cage-Trap-1079/100336697

Bait it with sardines. When you trap it. Throw a blanket over the cage to avoid getting sprayed.

Unfortunately our City will not allow anyone to trop and re-locate. If you get caught, you will have major issues with City Hall. Need to find a way to discourage the skunk from hanging around the shed.

JC

You have a problem and if city hall will not help or has rules to prevent you from helping yourself you need to take action. There are traps designed specifically to catch skunks and keep you from being sprayed. Get one of these, use it, and dispose of the catch. If you want to release drive way outside of town and do so there otherwise you are going to need to get rid of it another way. I am sure you can get creative, but be discrete about it in terms of anyone knowing about it or seeing it go down, as you could fall under animal cruelty laws. A skunk is a disaster if any members of your family, including pets, is sprayed by it.

 

[Bob D.]

A high powered air rifle in .22 will dispatch them and get around most municipal firearm ordinances. They are rather expensive though.

There's only one thing that smells worse than a live skunk under you porch.

That was one of my worries with this method too. Have to put 'em down fast with a properly placed shot and where I can collect and dispose of them.

 

[HarveyWildes]

A high powered air rifle in .22 will dispatch them and get around most municipal firearm ordinances. They are rather expensive though.

There's only one thing that smells worse than a live skunk under you porch.

That was one of my worries with this method too. Have to put 'em down fast with a properly placed shot and where I can collect and dispose of them.

Yes - we had friends that did not manage the "where I can collect and dispose of them" part, and it was the house, not the shed.

 

[Paul G]

Concentrated ammonia can be a useful chem warfare tool with animals.

 

[antss]

A high powered air rifle in .22 will dispatch them and get around most municipal firearm ordinances. They are rather expensive though.

There's only one thing that smells worse than a live skunk under you porch.

I'd have thought it'd be obvious the dispatching wouldn't take place under the porch/shed.  :

Plus, the line of sight would be rather difficult to line up a shot.  It's called hunting for a reason.

 

[HarveyWildes]

A high powered air rifle in .22 will dispatch them and get around most municipal firearm ordinances. They are rather expensive though.

There's only one thing that smells worse than a live skunk under you porch.

I'd have thought it'd be obvious the dispatching wouldn't take place under the porch/shed.  :

Plus, the line of sight would be rather difficult to line up a shot.  It's called hunting for a reason.

Just make sure the first shot does the job...

 

[travisj]

My dad always used bleach.  I preferred more definitive dispatching methods, but now that I live within a metro area again, I have used bleach on whatever was trying to burrow under our back garage.  That was a month ago, and so far there has been no trace of it returning.

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[travisj]

I heard a story in Minnesota once.

The woman had a skünk under her porch and called animal control, who said that they could be out in 3 to 4 weeks.
Frustrated she asked is there was any DIY type of remedy.
They told her that one can use lüdefisk, but it not advised.
So a month rolls around and animal control calls to say that there is a window next Thursday, and would she be home between 1 and 5.
She says Ÿes but the skünk is gone.
Animal control asks how she got rid of it?
and says with lüdefisk.
and they ask if there were any side effects.
She says ÿes I have a family of Norwegians under the porch now.

Later that day I coincidentally heard an almost identical story, but with herring and Swedes replacing the lüdefisk and Norwegiäns. In both cases no skünk.

[member=44099]Cheese[/member]

My dad is a Swede who likes Lutefisk.  Now there are varying degrees, but I remember a few batches where, as the joke implies,the skunk would have been preferable.

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[semenza]

Lots different methods being suggested. Which people will have varied opinions about which ones are appropriate.

Skunks can be especially tricky to deal with because ...... well .... they are skunks.  [wink]

Seth

 

[rst]

I coached high school girls soccer.  The school paid a trapper to get rid of skunks which had made home under the team shelter.  $6000 to catch and live dispose of six skunks.  Made me seriously reconsider my career choices!

 

[Lou in DE]

A few years ago we had a family of groundhogs set up house under our concrete pool deck - tried a lot of different things that never worked - water, moth balls etc. Then I tried using diatomaceous earth (used in the pool filter) down the hole - it clings to their fur and is difficult for them to brush off - they were gone is a couple days.

 

[peter halle]

Glad to read that Momma and kids have taken a walk.  Live trapping and releasing is a no-no in many jurisdictions.  After attending USDA seminars I know their reasoning although I don't agree with them.

Hiring a trapper (that price mentioned in this thread is way out of norm - kinda see your coming) is a real alternative and they have the licenses to euthanize the animals versus relocate.  I suspect that less honorable ones relocate closely for repeat business elsewhere but others don't.

Peter

 

[antss]

A high powered air rifle in .22 will dispatch them and get around most municipal firearm ordinances. They are rather expensive though.

There's only one thing that smells worse than a live skunk under you porch.

I'd have thought it'd be obvious the dispatching wouldn't take place under the porch/shed.  :

Plus, the line of sight would be rather difficult to line up a shot.  It's called hunting for a reason.

Just make sure the first shot does the job...

I think that's implied whenever dealing with a skunk.  [wink]

 

[Bob D.]

The have been a few mentions of using various chemicals and applying them to areas to deter critters but think about this before you do it. I would not choose that method because everyone in my area including me have our own wells and I wouldn't want to do anything to contaminate the water any more than it already is from chemicals used in farming which occupies over half my county. I have farm fields all around only 1/4 miles away from our little development. We have to treat our water now for nitrates and other contaminates, don't want to add to that. A one time shot of bleach or NH3 or some other chemical may or may not affect my well. Since my property is small and the well is pretty near the center where ever I dump something on the ground it will be within 60 feet of the well. Not enough cushion for me to consider a chemical attack on the skunks.

 

[Paul G]

The have been a few mentions of using various chemicals and applying them to areas to deter critters but think about this before you do it. I would not choose that method because everyone in my area including me have our own wells and I wouldn't want to do anything to contaminate the water any more than it already is from chemicals used in farming which occupies over half my county. I have farm fields all around only 1/4 miles away from our little development. We have to treat our water now for nitrates and other contaminates, don't want to add to that. A one time shot of bleach or NH3 or some other chemical may or may not affect my well. Since my property is small and the well is pretty near the center where ever I dump something on the ground it will be within 60 feet of the well. Not enough cushion for me to consider a chemical attack on the skunks.

How deep is your well?

 

[Bob D.]

well is 110 feet deep, pump is at 75 feet.