Whew! THAT was close!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We have been seeing a few extra skunks this year, I was apparently feeding one cat food for a while. My dogs have been skunked once, my husband got that one who he said was quite fat, but I haven't had them bother my chickens. I have noticed the turkey eggs that I haven't picked up yet are just egg shells when I go looking for them in the grass, so I'm assuming the skunks are eating them. I wouldn't relocate skunks and I would be careful as they can carry rabies.

 

[bobbi-j]

I wouldn't shoot a skunk.  They sometimes will still release their spray.   I would put out a live trap, then you can safety relocate it 5 miles away from your house

Thank you for answering, but I will tell you that relocation is not an option here. Besides all the reasons Aart listed, skunks are a major carrier of rabies around here - as in, if you see a skunk any time anywhere, you assume it's rabid. We have no qualms about immediately disposing of a predator. They have plenty of room to hunt on and around our farm. They don't need to eat my chickens to survive.

 

[bobbi-j]

What timing, and what a blessing you didn't loose any birds, or get the inside of the coop skunked. He'll be back.

I'm sure he will. I'm wondering if he doesn't live under the coop. It used to be raised high enough on cinder blocks that hiding under it would have been difficult, but it's settled over the years. Maybe time to jack that thing up!

Sure, we'll bring them all to your house
Relocation is not a good thing for many reasons...if you trap it, you kill it.

Yes and yes!
Sometimes I think we should "relocate" all of our poor starving country animals back into town where they don't have to work so hard to eat. Skunks and raccoons have it made in town where there is garbage, cat and dog food readily available to them.

Right, cause it's not going to spray while you're transporting it? I don't get that.

I'd rather have it spray out in the open where it will dissipate than in my car or even the back of the truck.

Plus, I'm with everyone else on the relocation. We just don't do it here, for all the reasons mentioned. Oh, and my time. I don't need to spend the time to do it. I can dispatch the animal and problem solved and get on with my day.

Bobbi-j, I'm sure I would have thought my Honey was joking also, men have a weird sense of humor sometimes

Right - better to spray in the run than in the car. It would have done wonders for the coop, too, but at least the thing would have been dead.

I'm with you on getting rid of the thing and getting on with my day. Much prefer that method. That and, where would I take it? We have neighbors within 5 miles in every direction. Pretty sure they would not be happy with me dropping a nuisance animal on their doorsteps.

Agreed - men do have a sense of humor sometimes.... Oh well, I still like mine and am not ready to trade him off yet.

 

[pauleberly]

Dont take my word, try shooting one and not getting sprayed. I have relocated several skunks by throwing a blanket on top of a live trap. I have also shot several skunks and every time they released some amount of spray (yes all were head shots)

It was just a suggestion. If you want to shoot it by all means go ahead, I shoot every possum. I relocated several raccoons and skunks out to large reserves before where they wont do harm to other people

 

[Mrs. K]

What a close call. We had one in the livestock barn, and they shot him in there but not before. My son got a breath of that and tossed up his breakfast. It is powerful.

Mrs K

 

[bobbi-j]

What a close call. We had one in the livestock barn, and they shot him in there but not before. My son got a breath of that and tossed up his breakfast. It is powerful.

Mrs K

Dont take my word, try shooting one and not getting sprayed.  I have relocated several skunks by throwing a blanket on top of a live trap.  I have also shot several skunks and every time they released some amount of spray (yes all were head shots)

It was just a suggestion.  If you want to shoot it by all means go ahead, I shoot every possum.  I relocated several raccoons and skunks out to large reserves before where they wont do harm to other people

Oh yeah, we've shot them before and know they will release, but we'd still rather have them dead.

Mrs. K - it surely is powerful. We had one let go in our attached garage once...

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Thank you for answering, but I will tell you that relocation is not an option here. Besides all the reasons Aart listed, skunks are a major carrier of rabies around here - as in, if you see a skunk any time anywhere, you assume it's rabid. We have no qualms about immediately disposing of a predator. They have plenty of room to hunt on and around our farm. They don't need to eat my chickens to survive.

Let us know when you catch this critter...he knows there's a meal in the hen house.


You are sooooo lucky...great story!!!

 

[bobbi-j]

Let us know when you catch this critter...he knows there's a meal in the hen house.


You are sooooo lucky...great story!!!

We won't be trapping him. I'm confident in my coop/run security at night. He got in last night because it was late when we got home, well after dark, and the gate to the run was open. However, if we happen to see him nosing around, it will be a different story...

 

[pauleberly]

Oh yeah, we've shot them before and know they will release, but we'd still rather have them dead.

Mrs. K - it surely is powerful. We had one let go in our attached garage once...

I just wanted to make sure you knew it would still release. Now that he knows there is a meal he will probably be coming around. Hopefully you get it all taken care of

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I just wanted to make sure you knew it would still release. Now that he knows there is a meal he will probably be coming around. Hopefully you get it all taken care of

My thoughts as well.