what do you do with a skunk in the havahart?

[jhm47]

If you shoot a skunk in it's nervous system (brain, spinal cord), it will spray for sure. The best way I've found yet (and I've killed many, many in my years), is to carefully shoot them through the lungs with a .22 cal short, solid nose bullet. This passes through the lungs with minimal disturbance, and the skunk will die in a few minutes from drowning in it's own blood. About 1 in 10 will still spray, even with this method.

I tried the poly tarp method once and got sprayed. Might be that I moved too fast, or that the skunk was unusually sensitive.

Whatever you do, be sure to stay away from any bodily fluids. Skunks are notorious rabies carriers. BE CAREFUL, and good luck!

 

[sdshoars]

i SWEAR to you this works, i have done it myself several times. i thought it was phony, but if you set the trap where it will get full sun most of the day, they will die from being out in the sun, because they are nocturnal/ its a cruddy way to go, but at least you dont get sprayed!!!

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

I attach a 20 ft rope to the trap before I set it. If I end up with a skunk I just drag the trap down to the pond & let Mr. Stinky go for a swim.

 

[barred rock]

tie a rope to the trap when you set it and if you catch a skunk drag it down to a creek or something like that and drag the trap in (make sure the water is deep enough to cover the trap completely)

 

[TopPeckingOrder]

I was getting skunks for a while, I had my havaheart in the door to the coop so I was using the coop itself as bait. I talked to a "trapper" who sells furs, and he told me the following tips for catching possums and raccoons while avoiding skunks...

1.) Most importantly, your trap must be large to catch raccoons and possums, at least 10"x10"x30", if it's too small they won't enter and you'll catch skunks.

2.) Skunks don't have a sweet tooth, so using sugary bait will attract raccoons and possums without attracting skunks. Leave your trap far away from your coop and bait with sugar.

3.) Possums love marshmallows - that's the secret trick to catching possums apparently.

This trapper also told me that the possums won't stick around too long, they are migrants and even if there is great scavenging in your area their curiosity will make them move on in a matter of weeks, so if you can reinforce your coop and remember to lock it up at night, then you should be able to wait it out.

I caught and released 4 skunks before I learned about the marshmallows. My skunks didn't smell and they were polite about being trapped, and I was almost enjoying the daily game of "high-stakes operation" each morning as I released them without being sprayed. I walk up to them with a large towel so they don't see me coming, and cover the trap, then I can open it with my bare hands. I had one exit the trap and brush by me on his way back home, if you move slowly they are really gentle and overall very cute animals. That said, I do know for a fact that they can spray even when contained in a trap...when I was 13 and not yet so zen about it, I moved too fast towards a trap and got sprayed at point-blank range, stinky oils made direct skin contact! But the sheet/towel/tarp trick really does work, once it's covered up you can move the trap around and release it easily.

 

[19disbre]

Antler's method works for me. I've relocated skunks too, and the best thing to do is move slowly! They can't see very well.

I won't tell you how I kill them...... but I've never gotten sprayed.

I think I know either a really long stick or get your floatys and trunks out

 

[EggheadWI]

Please, if you're going to kill the animal then shoot it. Drowning or leaving an animal to die from exposure is unnecessary and cruel. And put the tarp over the trap when you set it.

 

[19disbre]

Shooting in the head causes more smell. It kills them instantly but that causes the body to convulse and the muscles tighten and they let go of their charge. A lung shot will not USUALLY cause body convulsions and less ahh.... leakeage shall we say. BB shot in a shotgun will usally kill instantly but not with the body convulsions as a single slug to the head will. After 52 years on a farm I have had a lot of practice....

I am a trapper and a lung shot is about a 50/50 shot on whether or not they will spray. If you want a 100% painless no spray dispatch put a 12cc syringe on a long pole an fill it with acetone and put in in to his chest. This will make the animal drowsy and he will dire within 3 minutes. Thats a bit slow but it is painless, trappers still have a heart

 

[blucoondawg]

i SWEAR to you this works, i have done it myself several times. i thought it was phony, but if you set the trap where it will get full sun most of the day, they will die from being out in the sun, because they are nocturnal/ its a cruddy way to go, but at least you dont get sprayed!!!

this is a very old post but I cannot help but comment. I am not a tree hugger by any means I have killed many skunks and other animals but this post is down right idiotic. What do you think, skunks are vampires that die from the suns rays? How long are you leaving them in the trap? What you are doing is killing them due to exposure to the elements and dehydration. Anyone who does this is severely lacking in good judgment and common sense

 

[19disbre]

this is a very old post but I cannot help but comment. I am not a tree hugger by any means I have killed many skunks and other animals but this post is down right idiotic. What do you think, skunks are vampires that die from the suns rays? How long are you leaving them in the trap? What you are doing is killing them due to exposure to the elements and dehydration. Anyone who does this is severely lacking in good judgment and common sense

x2 severely lacking in good judgment and common sense down right idiotic severely lacking in good judgment and common sense down right idiotic

at least give them a humane death