Help! A skunk has moved in!

[CMV]

I posted this question about a month ago and didn't get a lot of helpful info, but now the situation has turned dire as the skunk has moved in under my deck- How do you dispatch a skunk without gassing out the neighborhood? I can live trap it, but then what? I don't have a lot of hands on experience with disposing of predators, but this one has overstepped its bounds. It sprayed my dog, my chicken coop, my front porch and my clothes in the dryer (dryer vent was at ground zero) last fall, but I let it pass. It has gone too far, though- moving in under my deck!

I have access to guns, but I am a truly pathetic shot. Me with a gun would be more of a danger to someone standing behind me than to the skunk standing 2 feet in front of me. Seriously.

Does anyone have any advice? Please?

 

[france]

When we had skunks we paid a trapper to come and get them. He caught 4 in live traps under our porch. From what I was told they were released into the woods. I do not mess with these things myself.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Find someone who can shoot and get him (the skunk LOL) in the lungs/heart, not the spine or head, that might help keep him from stinkin (although it dont always.)

 

[currycomb]

tie a long rope on your trap, set it, and if you catch your skunk, throw a tarp (the heavier the better) over the trap, then pull it out from under the deck. keeping the skunk in the dark, transport far far away, open trap, move far far away, and release skunk. i have had skunks under my porch, under my feed room, and they have become so acustomed to humans and their movements, it really takes alot to get them scared or threatened enough to spray, and i am told they woun't spray i confined places(maybe they don't like the smell either???). any way, one walked right across my indoor arena, across my foot and out under the front door. i just stood still and it never even raised it's tail. knew it was under the feed room, but it never bothered anything around and only sprayed if the dogs got too close. good luck, hope this might help.

 

[citrusdreams]

Trap the skunk and have someone else shoot it, or drown it a big trash can full of water. Make sure the bucket is big enough to accomodate the entire trap.

It is illegal to carry it off your property and just release it in the woods. Not only is it illegal, but you would just be dumping your problem on somoene else. However, you can call Animal Control and ask them to take the skunk, they are authorized to relocate animals legally in specific areas.

 

[CityChicker]

I don't know what to tell you, but I feel for you. We have a major skunk problem here, both the striped skunks and the ones that are the most difficult for us to deal with- the spotted skunks (because they climb).

They get up in our trees, on our house, on our patio cover, spray the dogs, spray randomly in the yard, etc.... It is a nightmare. I can't even count the number of times they have gotten the dogs and it always seems to happen late at night when I am exhausted and on my way to bed. There used to be at least some sort of warning like the dogs barking or the skunks screeching.

Now, there is no indication that anything is going on. The dogs just come up to the house sprayed as if nothing has happened. Sometimes, I think the skunks do it purely for fun. LOL