How do you get rid of a Skunk?

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Yes I have thought of shooting it like the first post said, but I am worried it will still spray and have that horrible smell around for a few days.

 

[eggchel]

We cover the trap with old feed sacks and old tarpbefore we set the trap. That way the skunk doesnt see us when we come and pick up the trap. We use broken eggs as the bait.

 

[ExeterNH]

We had a family of skunks move under our shed over the summer. They scratched around at night for seeds the chickens would leave behind from their foraging but never got any of our birds. They sprayed constantly, though. Here is what I used to get rid of them: Mothballs.

I bought a few boxes of classic, old fashioned mothballs and threw them under the shed and in a few corners of the property where I saw some animal pathways. Skunks were gone in a couple of days and we have not smelled any spraying since.

Yes, they mothballs smell a little bit but compared to the smell of a skunk spraying...

 

[stethomps]

Quote:
That is a good idea...dah; the obvious solution too. If you know it is a skunk your going after wrap your trap first. I'll definately try next time I am going after a skunk.

 

[jlbpa]

The skunks I've encountered were all quite docile. I think they are one of the most docile wild animals.

As already suggested move slowly towards the trap keeping the tarp hanging in front of you. Keep an eye on the skunk. It does not want to spray. If it looks like it's getting nervous stop and wait until it relaxes again. Slowly lay the tarp over the trap. Pick up the trap and move it to where ever it's calm and quiet and release it. I'll shoot a domestic animal harrassing my chickens as fast as I can grab my rifle but always try to give what's nature an chance to enter a live catch trap before resorting to other options.

 

[chooniecat]

KEEP IT SIMPLE-its NEVER nice to drown a living creature and I have no doubt there are already a ton of skunks nearby(this one was unfortunate that you saw it tho) I try to prevent skunks,etc from wanting to be around my property(they don't understand humans feel they "own" the area) I trap/scare/release and in seven years have NEVER had a loss from critters. I do set mouse snap traps in small boxes and have NO visable mice. good suggestions I have seen here to cover trap/ release skunk and skunk will not want to come around. keep all animal foods securely contained. my dog was sprayed once because he didn't come to me when I told him and it took the skunk a good minute of warning stupid dog til he sprayed him. wasn't skunks fault. he gave lots of fair warning.

 

[kawonu]

I've shot three now that have killed our ducks. Every one of them "leaked" after they expired. Smells wonderful when you go to bury them. I left one alone and was going to bury after I got home from work and the crows had already taken him away.

 

[mdbokc]

We have a skunk in the woods that sometimes comes out when our girls are free ranging in the late evening. He is rummaging for whatever they eat almost alongside our chickens. They aren't concerned about his presence and he ignores them. He does take off when we start to get close to him. This is a developing situation and that's all I know.

 

[newchickmom]

We had a skunk living under our workshop. I dumped a cat liter pan of used cat liter right in front of the entrance. The skunk moved out.

 

[Land of Lost Toys]

When we have caught a skunk in a trap, as others have said we use a shower curtain or tarp to get close to it and cover it. Then we run a shop vac hose from the tail pipe of the car to under the tarp. The skunk goes to sleep, dies, and never releases their stink....quiet, non-stinky or messy death.