Skunk down

[skillswife]

Earlier this morning the dogs and ducks were having a cow....so I went to investigate. Skunk near the chicken coop. Of course when I went for the 22, my hubby had moved the shells and I by the time I located them that skunk had disappeared. So I decided I would work on the fencing around the run to put the horses in and graze down the tall grass. Less room to be hidden. After I was about done, I walked around the edge of the duck side of the run to find a rooster had flown the coop and was having a fit, then the dog came to investigate and guess what was hiding right against the chicken coop behinds some boards, a BIG skunk. This time I was more prepared and although the shot was tricky because of the boards and I didn't want to get sprayed or accidently shoot a chicken, I killed it. I don't think it was the first one I saw this morning though because it wouldnt' have been able to sneak around me so it means one more out there. But the rooster knew what he was doing and was trying to get rid of the skunk. They never fly out of the run, lol.

 

[ozark_chickies]

Good job!

We keep smelling a skunk, too, but have yet to see it. Last year, before we had chickens, our cat was sprayed

, so we got live traps to try to catch it. No skunks have been caught yet, just ferrel cats and coons. The skunk that got into our moma hens and babies, was run over the same night, but we are still smelling one. Do they travel in pairs or family groups?

 

[skillswife]

Around here they do travel in pairs and family groups. I think the 2 I have are a pair, well 1 now.

 

[ChikeeMomma]

We had a pair around here. They would come under my deck. I am assuming to eat the cat food. So we would put it away at night. Then I went out to the coop at dusk. As I turned the corner of the pole barn, there was a skunk scratching to get into the run! I turned to run and another one was running from the back deck towards me! Thankfully, I didn't get sprayed by that one. It was just going to it's mate. They stayed right in that same spot by the run scratching. My hubby shot them both. One ran a little bit under the coop -- we were able to get it out. The other laid right where he shot it. Hubby must have hit the scent gland! Whew -- it was really bad! It smelled slightly different than if it would have just sprayed.

Do skunks bother adult chickens? I had assumed that he was trying to get into the run because I'd thrown some cooked veggies in there earlier. The chickens had gobbled it up, but I figured he could smell it still.

 

[Longhorns&Chickens]

Gotta love skunks, you can always tell when they are around!

We trapped a lot of them last year, so they must travel in groups! Unfortunately the dog and I both got sprayed, ugh, and boy did we sure smell great!! Hope you get them all with out being sprayed, and keep them out of the coop!!

 

[DurangoCal]

My dog got skunked last night and a few nights ago when I went to shut the coop door at about 9pm there was a baby skunk cuddled in the coop with my Mama hen and her 5 baby chicks. I screamed and it ran away. My husband thought that maybe the mama skunk had died (there are 3 or 4 dead skunks on the highway near our home.) My question is are my chickens in danger during the day or do skunks come out only at night? I let them out today to free range but am worried about the one that sprayed my dog last night. I think they are pretty safe in the coop at night as long as I remember to go out and shut the door!!!

 

[remadl700]

here's my story that I posted a while ago - good for a laugh

POST #23 in : » LOST ANOTHER!!!! - *UPDATE 2* HELP with SKUNK smell


******************

SUCCESS!!!!

Thanks for the baiting help!! EVERYONE!



This is how it went down: My wife who has 10 too many horses has an infrared camera she uses for the mares when they are about to foal. So I rigged it up to watch the barn coop and entry way. It plays 24/7 on one of our old TV’s with the little remote gizmo hooked up to the TV to receive the signal. It is also motion sensitive so the screen will flash when it picks up motion. SO..... Since we live in the country we have some special home protection items near the bed because when seconds count the cops are minutes away!!! (Our County Sheriffs are Good Guys but its true and they know it).

Now since we have the horses they do not like loud noises at night so I purchased an item that goes on to the end of this item and it makes for a very very quiet and accurate way of quickly dispatching these Barn Terrorists.

Well it happened the screen started flashing and the beeper went off. I am up and looking at the screen and.....nothing! Crap...what’s going on? Then I started seeing chickens flapping and jumping around. Grab the head lamp and my lead dispenser and I am off... I get to the barn and the hens are not happy at all, Roosters are cackling the horses are kicking the stalls ...pandemonium!!! OK where is it?? Now I am thinking Raccoon and making quick movements around the barn, its 90x65 lots of area to cover. If I would have taken the time and watched the screen a little more to identify the intruder I might have been ....no I know I would have been much slower with my movements and taking corners. I rounded a corner and ....what was that? Did I see strips? ooohhh ooohhh SKUNK!. Now I don't know how far a skunk can spray but I was not going to find out! I want to be in front of this thing not behind it so I reverse course and go around the outside of the barn to cut him off. I have to cover about 90 feet and when I get there ...no skunk! Crap where is he? Now I am playing the waiting game because I am not going in after this guy, not with the possibility of getting nailed by Pepe. Then............movement coming at me, right at me. What is in his mouth? Egg!. He sees me and Freezes. Now I have to tell you I am into gadgets. I have a special headlamp on made by Fenix. It has 200 lumens of power and a strobe function. This was designed into these lamps to disorient anything looking at it. People, dogs and yes skunks. It is like being on a dance floor with the strobe going off only with 200 lumens which is absolutely blinding. Pepe sees this and freezes, does not move a muscle. I am on him. Now I have been told be countless people, when shoootinnn skunks you gotts to aims for his head that away he won't be able to spray because you cut that connection off. Cross hairs are on Pepe, perfect angle the round will go right through him into the the dirt. Squeeze........FUUMMMMPPPPPP no movement and better yet NO SMELL. I am from the camp of one is none and two is one so sight, acquire fire ...FUUMMMMPPPPPP still no movement. YES! No more eating my eggs and killing my chicks,,,, PEPE is down for he count, Skunk heaven and all the chic.............oooooohhhhhooooooohhhhhh. YEP, guess who got the last laugh.

Now this whole time someone else was watching this go down on the TV in the bedroom. The camera was able to let her see Pepe in the door way when he was playing backstop for the subsonic rounds. At this point I am backing away from the barn door quickly then I see the house door open and I am expecting to here a congratulatory "YEAH, YOU GOT HIM" ...........but what came out was "That thing better not have sprayed in my horse barn" ...........If anyone has every smelled a skunk at close range not the normal road kill variety smell but the eye watering, gagging, unmanageable putrid ......ok....you get the picture. Well the house is down wind of the barn at this point. So after I here the first comment ....wait for it ...wait for it....yep, Oh Yeah it hits her like a ton of bricks.......I here this word that reminds me of "GAWL DARNIT" followed closely by a slamming door.

Well I did make it back in the house, just took me a while. I hope you enjoyed this and I have included a PIC of Pepe and yes the barn still stinks after 3 days. I hope I don't have to remove any of the stall he sprayed on.




Last edited by remadl700 (07/22/2011 3:20 pm)

 

[bloom_ss]

Glad you got him! We have two large skunks that live near here. They tend to frequent the neighbor's back yard to eat his cats' food but they haven't come over here yet. Probably has something to do with our dog chasing off anything that comes in our yard...LOL I hope I don't have to deal with the skunks any time soon.

 

[pdbantam]

Good Shot!

 

[MEchickenfarmer33]

great job