Minks and Weasels

[llombardo]

The one a couple nights ago was similar but different smell. I literally fell asleep on the couch, the window was open and that window is about 25 ft from coop. The smell was close and strong. I thought to myself that it was maybe stronger then a skunk. So within seconds of getting woken up, I head to the door and go outside. The smell is gone. Not even a hint of it. Then I go back in and go by the window--nothing. How does something that string just leave? Even if it was an animal passing through(and it would have had to been in the yard by how strong the smell was) there would have been some kind of lingering smell I would think. Almost made me think I was crazy, but that was the second time. Technically the third because the first the lingering smell was there and strong enough for me to smell it, but only when I was right next to that area.

A fox is possible, we have those too. I'm not quite sure how their jumping and climbing skills are? I have a 6 ft vinyl fence with stone all around the inside perimeter.

 

[llombardo]

I believe the first lingering smell was a skunk. The second and third was not a skunk-I'm 99.9% sure.

I'm not sure a fox would come in with dogs present. A mink or weasel might.

I was so thrown off by these smells disappearing that I asked a couple people if they ever experienced that with a skunk because I never have, ever.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I believe the first lingering smell was a skunk. The second and third was not a skunk-I'm 99.9% sure.

I trap foxes all the time. There’s only two with the skunk smell. It’s red foxes and skunks. Like was already said mink and weasels don’t have a lingering odor. Skunks spray when threatened they don’t just wander around spraying at nothing. I’ve never caught a skunk that smelled like skunk until he sprayed.

 

[aart]

If it smells like skunk its either a skunk or a red fox. I guarantee it.
Mink and weasel smell totally different.

Pretty sure what I smelled was skunk.

Found a red fox den, smelled like skunk....I thought it was the fox itself, and may have been, but I also found a skunk carcass very close to den. Was able to retrieve skunk skull for my collection later.

 

[bobbi-j]

We no longer have Red Fox around here, so I am quite sure the passing odor we experience is skunk. I know they don't spray randomly, but I have to wonder if some of that smell doesn't stick to them, too, causing that scent that comes and goes as they pass through an area.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Pretty sure what I smelled was skunk.

Found a red fox den, smelled like skunk....I thought it was the fox itself, and may have been, but I also found a skunk carcass very close to den. Was able to retrieve skunk skull for my collection later.

Canines are attracted to the smell of skunk so that’s hard to say. The fox may have killed the skunk. There isn’t much that eats a skunk aside from vultures and great horned owls.

 

[roosterhavoc]

We no longer have Red Fox around here, so I am quite sure the passing odor we experience is skunk. I know they don't spray randomly, but I have to wonder if some of that smell doesn't stick to them, too, causing that scent that comes and goes as they pass through an area.

Yeah if you don’t have red fox than it has to be a skunk. Gray fox, coyote and wolf urine smell totally different.

 

[aart]

Canines are attracted to the smell of skunk so that’s hard to say. The fox may have killed the skunk. There isn’t much that eats a skunk aside from vultures and great horned owls.

I wondered if it had killed and/or eaten it......carcass was pretty decomposed and not scattered, and was still pretty intact after a few weeks when I retrieved the skull...so I figured skunk was just bug food.

 

[llombardo]

I wondered if it had killed and/or eaten it......carcass was pretty decomposed and not scattered, and was still pretty intact after a few weeks when I retrieved the skull...so I figured skunk was just bug food.

Probably picked it up as road kill. As said earlier skunks do not have many predators. The owl has no sense of smell that is why they are on that short list.

 

[llombardo]

So does fox spray or urine linger r disappear?