We've trapped both coons and possum and relocated them to the big state park where they can't bother people. Skunks are a different strategy... Normally my goats act as a general deterrent, but not always. If I smell skunks around the property, I put the dogs in the backyard. They bark at EVERYTHING which is usually enough to make a skunk decide to move along. There has only been one time when I've had to shoot one. It was in our garage and wouldn't leave. It looked dirty, unkempt, and disoriented. I thought for sure it had distemper or maybe rabies since it was not afraid of people. After DH & DS managed to get it out of the garage (without spraying, another red flag), they shot it. A day later, we realized it was a mama Skunk who had a den of newborn babies under the goat house, which is why she was so dirty. The guilt was crushing... I managed to collect 5 or 6 babies and take them to a wildlife rehab.