Skunk

wilsy

wilsy

Regular
Rating - 96.4%
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Location
50kn north of Toon town
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So my story begins in spring, when out with the dog on our early morning walk I spotted something black, no black and white, half a mile north of our yard and emidiately made it as a skunk, I called the dog back and as we changed direction I looked behind and saw several young with said skunk.
Fast forward to last Friday and agian on our morning jaunt this time only a few hundred yards from the house the dog spotted a silloette and went to make friends (I thought it was one of our cats) only to be shunded or should I say skunked. Needless to say we have had a smelly weekend and still have a smelly mutt.
Here's the dilemma, we contacted the RM and they have lent us a few traps which I set out and whilst walking back in the dark from our quick grouse hunt this evening I checked the traps and I saw that one of the traps has been sprung and we have a skunk, excellent!!
Now do I fill a rain barrel with water and dispatch it(drown) it still in the trap(closed style trap) Or I could just line up the 22 through the front hole and shoot it in the head.
I obviously want it to be as humane as possible but don't fancy getting skunked myself.
Which would be the best way to stay smell free????
 
They have trouble with the spraying whilst in the trap. Our homemade one on the farm (plywood) had a small hole drilled in one end. Oddly it was exactly the same size as the first two inches of a full choke 410 shotgun.

I don't care for drowning animals personally, though the end result is the same. Just off them far enough from the house that you don't need to worry about the smell.
 
The old tried and true method of using the exhaust of your car and a burlap bag. these days that might not work unless you have something built before emission controls became effective. Lawn mower would work.
 
Was told by a trapper if you can get right over him, a .22 to the back of the neck (spine) will kill without spraying.
(I've also been told they can't spray if you're holding them upside-down by the tail - take that with as much salt as you will)
As for the dog - a bottle of Peroxide mixed with a 1/2 cup of baking soda and a squirt of dish soap. Sponge on, let sit, rinse off.Works pretty well and doesen't affect the coat colour. - Does leave a Bit of a 'tang', especially if it rains, but works pretty well and doesen't cost ~$15/bottle.
(Apparently toothpaste works well for small dogs AND leaves a minty smell)
 
Personally, I think that drowning it is quite inhumane. I probably would have had some kind of plan in place before setting the trap. Did the RM, when they provided the trap, have any helpful hints about what to do with a box containing a live skunk? :)

I just shoot'em. They will spray when shot, so do it away from the house, and stay upwind. The engine exhaust method still works also...emission controls don't remove CO, which is the primary component of exhaust, and it's what kills them.
 
Steyr1 said:
Was told by a trapper if you can get right over him, a .22 to the back of the neck (spine) will kill without spraying.
(I've also been told they can't spray if you're holding them upside-down by the tail - take that with as much salt as you will)
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I've heard that too...I'll let someone else test the theory. They probably can't spray when held that way, only because they completely emptied their arsenal while you were trying to pick them up.:)

Was the trapper Kamlooky?
 
jjohnwm said:
Personally, I think that drowning it is quite inhumane. I probably would have had some kind of plan in place before setting the trap. Did the RM, when they provided the trap, have any helpful hints about what to do with a box containing a live skunk? :)

I got him to poke his nose out of the bait hole and as he drop his head to look out I put a 22 into his head, no smell thank god.
All the RM office said was good luck!!!!!!
I didn't fancy carrying a live skunk around so shooting it from up wind was the best way for me.
Thanks for all the advice though
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