what do you do with a skunk in the havahart?

[19disbre]

They die from dehydration being nocturnal doesn't kill them

 

[squbgone]

Ffirst did as suggested and carefully and slowly put an old tarp over the havahart. Next I found a muck bucket larger than the trap and deeper. I placed this next to the havahart and filled with water. The rest is obvious. I'm reconsidering my quest to relocate the squirrels my area.

 

[123RedBeard]

I've trapped many skunks in a live cage type trap ... used a large garbage bag, and covered the trap with that, then usually took it for a ride far away from home, where I could shoot it! (no stink in my yard!)

They almost always stop 10' to 15' from the trap after they get let "free" ... and look back to see if they really got out! I already have the sites on them, and that is the end for them!

Sometimes I got tired of waiting for them to exit the cage, and kick the trap with my boot ... once I needed to pick up the closed end, and dump it out! Another time, it exploded out as soon as I opened the door two inches, pushing the door up, and ran right by my face!

 

[mateo]

Wear a strong headlamp so he can't make you out. Walk slowly with a blanket in front of you. Drop the blanket on the trap. Carefully open the door to the trap so he can go free at his leisure.

I have two cats that are curious about what is in the trap. The skunk hasn't exited last I checked. Hoping he doesn't nail a cat on his departure.

I agree with whoever said they are sweet animals. A raccoon would make such a racket when trapped. This little guy just sits there.

 

[spoikey]

So far this year I've trapped 2 possums, 9 coons and 2 skunks. I always take them to the forest away from any homes and release them. With skunks, as long as you are calm and talk to them as you slowly approach the cage they won't spray. I cover them with a tarp or old blanket. If you don't remove the cover after the door is open they tend to stay in the trap.
If I didn't have chickens I would encourage the skunks to stay around the yard. Had one around here for a couple of years that I would reed on a regular basis. That was two years I didn't have moles making a mess of the yard.

 

[CrowHollowFarm]

I personally think the tarp or cover just puts the skunk on the defensive. Skunks are nocturnal as I am sure everyone knows, so dealing with them in daylight puts them out of their element. I turn the trap upside down to make it easier to get the door open. Then I use two stick, one to open the door and the other to pin it open. If the skunk gets a little restless just back off for a minute, but I have released a hundred and never even got a smell. I think the tarp idea just makes everyone feel more comfortable, but I like to keep an eye on the little stinker. They will raise their tail when they run away but they still won't spray.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Depending on how big the trap is they might not be able to spray you. Correct me if I'm wrong but to spray skunks need to be able to lift their tail all the way up. Now I don't really want to test this theory out but it's just a thought.

If you are dead set on releasing it then antler's method sounds the best to me.

Squirt is maybe a better verb. Skunks can squirt or snipe at distant targets but to get the best range and accuracy they must stand on their front legs, raise their brush, and then let you have it.

Skunks are a denning animal as opposed to say a grizzly bear so skunks will usually quickly return to the area from which they are trapped. I have better things to do with my time than to play tag or trap and release semi tame skunks. Anyone who plays "tag your it" with a skunk is sooner or later going to get theirs'

The experience is educational to say the least.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I personally think the tarp or cover just puts the skunk on the defensive. Skunks are nocturnal as I am sure everyone knows, so dealing with them in daylight puts them out of their element. I turn the trap upside down to make it easier to get the door open. Then I use two stick, one to open the door and the other to pin it open. If the skunk gets a little restless just back off for a minute, but I have released a hundred and never even got a smell....

This makes me ask if you have trapped and released one hundred skunks or trapped and released one skunk one hundred times?

 

[CrowHollowFarm]

Go ahead and shoot it in the cage and you can smell it for two weeks. Just offering my personal experience, if your way works better for you have at it. After reading this post its obvious that we don't have a lot of experience dealing with this, just some people who have been told what to do. I have seen people using tarps and the skunk sprays as soon as they throw the tarp on them. I usually shoot the skunk when I let it out, but I assume people are intelligent enough to figure that part out.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Go ahead and shoot it in the cage and you can smell it for two weeks. Just offering my personal experience, if your way works better for you have at it. After reading this post its obvious that we don't have a lot of experience dealing with this, just some people who have been told what to do. I have seen people using tarps and the skunk sprays as soon as they throw the tarp on them. I usually shoot the skunk when I let it out, but I assume people are intelligent enough to figure that part out.

I never shot a skunk with anything other than a camera that the skunk didn't take the opportunity to spray. Maybe it speaks to my cussed anti social nature but skunk stink is not IMHO the worst smell on the blacktop.

If you have a few acres manage your ground hog population because this will deny skunks their preferred denning sights