Skunks can fit through what size hole?

[cmom]

I had a issue with skunks a few years ago. We are rural on a dead end road and someone was catching them and releasing them in our area.They were digging up my yard. I put live traps out and in around two weeks I caught around a dozen skunks. One night I got two skunks in one trap. Another night I went out to check on the chicks because I had forgotten to close their pop door. When I went out there was a skunk attempting to dig under the gate to their pen. Somehow the pop door was closed just enough that some of the chicks couldn't get in. I stomped my feet at the skunk and it turned towards me and stomped it's feet at me. I went into the house and got my rifle and went back out and attempted to scare the skunk off and again it stomped it's feet at me, it seemed persistent. I shot it and put a bucket over it until I could deal with it in the morning.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I had a issue with skunks a few years ago. We are rural on a dead end road and someone was catching them and releasing them in our area.They were digging up my yard. I put live traps out and in around two weeks I caught around a dozen skunks. One night I got two skunks in one trap. Another night I went out to check on the chicks because I had forgotten to close their pop door. When I went out there was a skunk attempting to dig under the gate to their pen. Somehow the pop door was closed just enough that some of the chicks couldn't get in. I stomped my feet at the skunk and it turned towards me and stomped it's feet at me. I went into the house and got my rifle and went back out and attempted to scare the skunk off and again it stomped it's feet at me, it seemed persistent. I shot it and put a bucket over it until I could deal with it in the morning.

I don't understand those people who are catching and releasing predatory animals! Here in WV it is against the law, once you caught it you must dispose it or release it immediately where it was caught. Releasing an animal in another area is stressful for the animal because it is now on another of its kind's territory and will become somebody else's problem sooner or later. I am dealing with a trap-experienced racoon since months! It steals the bait out of my trap and isn't triggering the door. I'm sure it was trapped before and then released in our area…

 

[gimmie birdies]

It is not against the law if you get permission to release it and directed by fish and game as we did. I didn't mind letting it go in the area the game ranger said, bunch a Seattle transplants there!

 

[cmom]

Here it is only legal to release on land with the land owners permission but no one ever has asked me. Someone once dropped off a gosling in my driveway. Now I have cameras out there.

 

[Howard E]

To the OP, I once had a skunk that kept digging in to the barn.......ultimately passed through a crack of only 2 inches. It refused to take no for an answer and eventually died of lead poisoning.

On the subject of where to release animals......a long time ago, hog prices tanked to the point a person trying to feed hogs would loose about $100 each on them. So if you had a bunch.....what to do with em? One guy's creative solution was to load up about 100 of them, hauled them to the center of town and cut em loose there.......his rational was city folks had been dumping their dogs and cats and other animals on him for years.......it was time for payback.

So you could follow his example, haul em to the town square and set em loose. (kidding). If you are adverse to terminating your trapee, better solution is to not trap in the first place. Turn your focus to predator proofing your coop so you (and your birds) have nothing to worry about. Long term, that is the best solution of all.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Nothing more to add.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Here it is only legal to release on land with the land owners permission but no one ever has asked me. Someone once dropped off a gosling in my driveway. Now I have cameras out there.

I would not mind a gosling or a chick, but that raccoon is a menace and i am afraid sooner or later it will break into the duck-house of the storage shed with the straw and the duck food. Caught it several times on the trail-cam, saw it on the duck-house cam - maybe i do need to buy a rifle and learn how to shoot…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

It is not against the law if you get permission to release it and directed by fish and game as we did. I didn't mind letting it go in the area the game ranger said, bunch a Seattle transplants there!

May be local or state law, here in WV you must not release on publicly owned land or somebody else's property - even if that somebody else consents. - Of course you can do whatever you want and just shut up!

 

[aart]

One guy's creative solution was to load up about 100 of them, hauled them to the center of town and cut em loose there.......his rational was city folks had been dumping their dogs and cats and other animals on him for years.......it was time for payback.

Did that really happen?

If you are adverse to terminating your trapee, better solution is to not trap in the first place. Turn your focus to predator proofing your coop so you (and your birds) have nothing to worry about. Long term, that is the best solution of all.

Exactly!

 

[SapperSix2019]

Wire mesh for the win !! Just wish it didn't cost so much. As for skunks, best if they can't get in, sucks to trap and deal with them even if you shoot them still nasty.