Unwelcome visitor

[SuperPeacockman]

Quote:
I have to disagree skunks are native animals they were here first and killing it just because your birds are at risk is wrong in my opinion. You should first make sure your pens are skunk proof and even then only kill the skunk when it is necessary. Sorry this is kind of a rant, skunks are rare where I live thanks to people, if they are overpopulated (like white tailed deer are here) or it is dangerous for you to remove him then by all means kill it. I just feel people should put a bit more effort into preventing the problem before they pull the trigger.

 

[Bigcreekpeafowl]

Quote:
I have to disagree skunks are native animals they were here first and killing it just because your birds are at risk is wrong in my opinion. You should first make sure your pens are skunk proof and even then only kill the skunk when it is necessary. Sorry this is kind of a rant, skunks are rare where I live thanks to people, if they are overpopulated (like white tailed deer are here) or it is dangerous for you to remove him then by all means kill it. I just feel people should put a bit more effort into preventing the problem before they pull the trigger.

Well you are lucky skunks are rare where you live. Unfortunately not everyone is so lucky.
Before we took action on any given night you could walk outside around the pens and the yard. The yard includes where our house sits and you would see 7-10 skunks.

The conservation officer for our county said skunk overpopulation is a huge problem in our area. And with that disease is going to be inevitable with the extreme overpopulation.

Wrong to kill skunks just because our birds are at risk? NOTHING else worked. I am not a fan of killing animals, in fact I hate it. But there has not been many choices.

Skunks are native but so are rattlesnakes

 

[TerriLaChicks]

They sure aren't rare where we live & furthermore they carry rabies -- we've had over nine cases of rabid skunks in our area. They are "shoot-on-sight" here.

Scattering mothballs really does seem to help drive them away from around the house & poultry pens. I never tried garlic. If you want to set traps, sardines work well as a lure.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:
I have to disagree skunks are native animals they were here first and killing it just because your birds are at risk is wrong in my opinion. You should first make sure your pens are skunk proof and even then only kill the skunk when it is necessary. Sorry this is kind of a rant, skunks are rare where I live thanks to people, if they are overpopulated (like white tailed deer are here) or it is dangerous for you to remove him then by all means kill it. I just feel people should put a bit more effort into preventing the problem before they pull the trigger.

Well you are lucky skunks are rare where you live. Unfortunately not everyone is so lucky.
Before we took action on any given night you could walk outside around the pens and the yard. The yard includes where our house sits and you would see 7-10 skunks.

The conservation officer for our county said skunk overpopulation is a huge problem in our area. And with that disease is going to be inevitable with the extreme overpopulation.

Wrong to kill skunks just because our birds are at risk? NOTHING else worked. I am not a fan of killing animals, in fact I hate it. But there has not been many choices.

Skunks are native but so are rattlesnakes

Skunks are native here in Texas and over populated. They are also the #1 carrier of rabies in Texas. There are 1-2 skunks per week in Texas confirmed with rabies. I wonder just how many more are just killed and not sent to the state lab? cyotes and bobcats are also native here and I would shoot every one trying to get in my pens. I have 2 great pyreneese so I don't worry too much about predators. I also have a bunch of freerange birds and kids I don't want skunks around. Skunks are very bad news!

 

[SuperPeacockman]

Well then kill them.