Caught 10 skunks this past week

[Sho'Nuff]

As some of you know, my wife and I rent a seasonal camp site on one of the lakes in Maine. Its a good time, particularly as a lot of my close relatives also rent seasonally at the same campground.

Well, this year the campground we stay at has been overrun by skunks. People have complained, but the campground owner hasn't really done anything about the issue. OK, he caught and drowned one skunk, but that really didn't do anything except horrify some of the kids at the camp.

So last week my brother in law and I decided to take it upon ourselves to humanely catch and release all the skunks we can before the end of the season. So far we have caught 10 skunks using 2 havahart traps over the last five days. We treated all of the skunks humanely (they gorged on cheetos and gold fish while resident in the trap), and in response they were considerate and didn't spray us or anyone else. We relocated them 7+ miles away in an attempt to prevent them from finding their way back to the campground. Our chosen release location is an ATV trail that so happens to be located ~200 yards from the concession stand of the local drive in movie theater . . . Heh. Will be interesting to see how that turns out.

This is my first foray into trapping, and I must say it is quite fun. My kids are getting an education out of it too.

Anyone else have any interesting trapping stories?

 

[Orignal Earl]

How did you avoid getting sprayed?

edit- also, it could be you are helping to spread the problem skunks around

 

[Sho'Nuff]

How did you avoid getting sprayed?

Pretty easy to avoid getting sprayed if you know what you are doing. Basically you don't want to scare the skunk. Best way to do that is to approach the trap slowly and toss a tarp or other opaque fabric (blanket, etc.) over the trap. The darkness puts the skunk at ease for some reason, and it won't spray unless you do something to scare it (e.g., drop the trap, yell, etc.).

Skunks don't see very well (they are extremely myopic), but they have great hearing and a good sense of smell. So as long as you move quietly and stay upwind, you can approach one without too much fear of being sprayed. They are also reluctant to use their spray unless they feel cornered, because once they spray they cannot do so again for a while.

Interesting factoid - many birds of prey feed on skunks because they don't have a sense of smell and so are unaffected by the skunks main defensive weapon.

 

[KK]

I feel left out, I didn't know you rented a camp site, or sight, however you wanna spell it. Who's the little brown noser here?

anyways, how'd you transport them, back of a truck i would hope?

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I feel left out, I didn't know you rented a camp site, or sight, however you wanna spell it. Who's the little brown noser here?

anyways, how'd you transport them, back of a truck i would hope?

Fixed the typo. Thanks.

Yep, transported them in the bed of my truck.

As for you feeling left out - I have no sympathy for penguins fans. You guys get what you deserve.

 

[lxskllr]

How did you avoid getting sprayed?

This

My trapping experience is limited to squirrels(just having fun), and a rat at my mother's house. The rat was raiding a bird feeder, and my mother lives in a rowhouse, so I couldn't shoot it with my air rifle without the possibility of hitting a house behind her. I trapped it in a Havahart trap, and executed it with my air rifle. You wouldn't believe how loud that thing screamed. I shot it with a pellet, and then put 3 BBs into it due to faster loading. I almost felt bad. Almost...

 

[Sho'Nuff]

An interesting vid on how skunks spray:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZwlKANA43w

NSFW (animal a$$)

 

[Orignal Earl]

Pretty easy to avoid getting sprayed if you know what you are doing. Basically you don't want to scare the skunk. Best way to do that is to approach the trap slowly and toss a tarp or other opaque fabric (blanket, etc.) over the trap. The darkness puts the skunk at ease for some reason, and it won't spray unless you do something to scare it (e.g., drop the trap, yell, etc.).

Skunks don't see very well (they are extremely myopic), but they have great hearing and a good sense of smell. So as long as you move quietly and stay upwind, you can approach one without too much fear of being sprayed. They are also reluctant to use their spray unless they feel cornered, because once they spray they cannot do so again for a while.

Interesting factoid - many birds of prey feed on skunks because they don't have a sense of smell and so are unaffected by the skunks main defensive weapon.

Ah...
Around here people still deal with skunks the old fashion way
Do you think your release thing could help to spread the skunks around more?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

OK, he caught and drowned one skunk, but that really didn't do anything except horrify some of the kids at the camp.

What kind of pills did he give it?

 

[DrPizza]

Pretty rare for a skunk in a havahart trap to spray - unless it's an oversized trap. Used to catch them when I was a kid & relocated them a couple blocks away - rode there on my bike. (Released them in a mall parking lot.)

 

[Sho'Nuff]

What kind of pills did he give it?

???

He caught a skunk in a havahart and dropped the trap, including the skunk, in the lake. In front of kids and a bunch of other onlookers. Wasn't fun or easy to watch. If you are going to kill an animal, just shoot it. Sure its messy, but it is quicker and less cruel if you ask me.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

???

He caught a skunk in a havahart and dropped the trap, including the skunk, in the lake. In front of kids and a bunch of other onlookers. Wasn't fun or easy to watch. If you are going to kill an animal, just shoot it. Sure its messy, but it is quicker and less cruel if you ask me.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=TPAD

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Ah...
Around here people still deal with skunks the old fashion way
Do you think your release thing could help to spread the skunks around more?

I don't think so. Skunks are extremely common in the lakes region of Maine, so moving a few around isn't going to affect their distribution too much. The males do compete for territory, so it would not surprise me if a few turf wars result from our efforts.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=TPAD

Uh . . . wow?!?!?

 

[feralkid]

Our chosen release location is an ATV trail that so happens to be located ~200 yards from the concession stand of the local drive in movie theater . . . Heh. Will be interesting to see how that turns out.

What, no golf courses in the area?

 

[Sho'Nuff]

What, no golf courses in the area?

Two, actually. But both are too close to the campground. The place near the drive in was chosen because it is far enough from the campground and close to a ready supply of food. I bet they will smell like Orville Redenbacher by the time winter rolls around.

 

[T9D]

So far between me and the neighbor we caught 7 skunks. I had to take a break, tired or driving them away every morning.

We caught like 5 raccoons too.

Dang things spray every night all over. Tear up my yard and pond plants. Dumb old lady up the street puts food out for them. They are overrunning the neighborhood.

Holy crap they smell. First they crap all over the cage and it's the nastiest smell ever. Then they spray. It smells like 10,000 smashed garlic and onions were shoved up your nose, with a pound of horrible crap to spice it up.

PSA take your damn pet food in at night people!

 

[Thebobo]

What, no golf courses in the area?

Well that stinks

 

[Craig234]

Hopefully these skunks caught are released unharmed.

 

[dawp]

how about descenting one and keeping it as a pet? I've always heard they make great pets. came across a guy walking one on a leash in my hometown around 25-30 years ago, that was in WI. and not all states will allow it tho.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Skunks are overrunning CT campsites as well. Every single place we went to this year had them. They come up close too and are not afraid at all. Thankfully they don't spray....

Last year skunk climbed on our tent in the middle of the night.

This year we got invaded by a skunk family when we were hanging out in the canopy.....

Skunk came around every single night at every campsite...

 

[JoetheLion]

Good job on not getting yourself sprayed. I imagine that my family would ruin that in the very moment that I'd be picking the skunk...

 

[sourceninja]

We had a skunk problem in my back yard. I solved it by spreading used cat litter around the edge of my fence line. Skunks stayed away.

 

[lxskllr]

We don't have many skunks around here. I've never seen a live wild skunk. I'll see them squished in the road occasionally, or sometimes smell them, but I've never seen one.

 

[Texashiker]

So last week my brother in law and I decided to take it upon ourselves to humanely catch and release all the skunks we can before the end of the season. <snip> Our chosen release location is an ATV trail that so happens to be located ~200 yards from the concession stand of the local drive in movie theater . . . Heh. Will be interesting to see how that turns out.

So now the skunks are someone elses problem. Next time get a 22 rifle and shoot the dam things.