If the skunk doesn't see you it won't spray. Okay. I was having a problem a few years ago with opossums and a friend told me that if the trap isn't big enough for it to get his tail over it's head it can't spray. Her husband told me if it doesn't see you it won't spray. So after catching 5 opossums I got my first skunk, or stunk as my granddaughter used to say. Of course hubby wasn't home so my plan was to release it at the edge of our property. I stepped out of the house with a sheet held up to hide my whole body. lol Then I approached the trap and laid the sheet over the trap and thanked God it'd worked so far. Next I grasped the handle thru the sheet and walked waaaay out to the edge of our property at a field. Please practice opening your trap thru a sheet until you can do it easily BEFORE you HAVE to do it. Don't ask me why!! On the Havahart you have to push the end in and up to get it to hook open and the one I'd bborrowed didn't exactly hook itself. Stress (aka fear of being sprayed) can make this part difficult. I was in the middle of this step when my daughter drove in and my 5 yr old granddaughter jumped out and came running across the yard hollering "Hi grandma!!" I had to let the trap close and hurried toward her to say "stay back I have s skunk!" She put on the brakes and practically dug up sod doing it then turned and flew back to the house like something out of an old cartoon. Daughter and both girls went inside and had their noses plastered to the window. Getting back to my instructions, keep the sheet well over the trap on all sides then open and fix the catch then breathe, flip the sheet off the front of the trap and run like heck. One more thing, don't do this in your bedroom slippers. Don't ask...........
I hope this is helpful!! Ü