How do you trap a skunk?

[EeyoreD]

Perhaps the title isn't entirely accurate. And the obvious answer is "very carefully".

But seriously, I thought I had a possum, I think I have possums AND skunks so I've tripped the live traps because...

Once it's in the live trap, how do you deal with it without getting sprayed. I had a hard enough time working the rifle barrel into the wire to get a good shot on coons (which is why I switched to the dog-proof foot traps). But all the coons did was stare at me and weave or very occasionally try to bite the barrel. One was no problem and one was actually helpful.

If I catch a possum in there, it's going to be the same as the coon but the skunk thing worries me. I really don't want to end up wearing that fragrance for days, but I want to get rid of the things.

(I know I have a possum by what the eggs look like. I know I have a skunk by what other eggs look like and by the tell-tale smell in the morning.)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I wired my trap to a piece of plywood at the bottom to stabilize it so it won’t turn over. Also, they can’t get to the bait from the bottom. Then I built this box to go over it so the only way to the bait is through the front door. When I get a critter in it I want to dispose of, I submerge it in a 55 gallon drum full of water. That water has never had a ricochet, I’ve never just wounded a critter, and it does not damage the trap.

Somehow I’ve never caught a skunk. I’ve always been able to shoot those in the open. I’ll admit my heart is racing a bit when the trap is sprung and I have to check inside to see what I got.

Skunks don’t like to spray in an enclosure. My plan when I do find a skunk in my trap is to take a large piece of 3 mil plastic and hold that in front of me as I approach the trap, and drape that over the trap as I move it to my 55 gallon drum. As I said, I’ve never caught a skunk so I don’t know how well this plan will work, but it’s the best I can come up with.

When shooting skunks in the open, I much prefer a shotgun to a rifle. The skunk is mostly fur. It’s hard to hit the body under all that fur, so a head shot is preferred. With a shotgun, it’s pretty easy to get a clean kill at a distance. You don’t want to use a shotgun on a critter in your trap because that will likely damage your trap. While a shotgun can ricochet like a rifle, the range is much less. I’ve got cattle, horses, and a few people around me. I can be much surer of what is downrange when I am lining up a shot when that range is a lot more limited.

 

[vahomesteaders]

We dont do much live trapping here. If we get a skunk, coon, fox, coyote, bear or any other critter problem, we spend a long night perched up with .22 mag. This winter was the worst I faced yet. It was so cold animals had nothing at all to eat. We lost 9 chickens in a 4 day period. It was so cold I couldnt even sit outside at night. It was between -10 and -4. So finaly I got sick of it and waited them out. I killed a fox, 2 coon and a possum one after the other. But when we do live trap and catch a skunk, I have a heavy tarp I carry and throw over the trap. Then I take it far away, lift one corner and pop them quick and clean. The almost always spray a little even with a clean head shot but gloves and face mask make it tolerable. As of two nights ago we have a large bear staking a claim on my bee's and animal yard. So been watching him closely.

 

[aart]

Agrees with the water barrel method of disposal, might be a bit crueler than shooting but safer for the other critters including humans.


My brother had a run of skunks, first time he geared up in poncho, rain pants and face mask....but the skunk was so docile it barely even reacted when the trap was picked up.....he never bothered n the future and never got sprayed..and he caught a dozen of them. Still might be a good idea to protect yourself with a tarp.

 

[vehve]

This is just one of those "Think outside the box" ideas, I don't have any experience in the matter.

How about turning an umbrella inside out (think windy weather), cutting a small hole in the middle and using a .22 through that?

 

[aatx]

We trapped quite a few that were getting under the house. Made sure we had a long rope tied to the trap first. When we'd trap one, we'd drag it away from the house and then my husband would shoot it with a shotgun. Never had to get close to the trap while it was alive. Can't tell that it ever damaged the trap, but it was a pretty heavy duty trap. Might hurt a lighter weight one.