Skunk remedies.

[rlarkin]

Got a family of Skunks that has taken up residence under one of my outbuildings.
Spy-Cam has picked up 3 so far.
Been trying all sorts of different baits in the trap, but no luck.

Any suggestions?

[usmcpop]

Havahart Critter Ridder might be worth a try.

[Ray C.]

Marshmellows in a box trap or Haveaheart trap (same thing) Then during daylight they will lay still. Shoot it in the head, don't miss! You must have a instance kill. Bury right away.

[calweld]

Peanut butter.

[calweld]

Anchovy paste works also, but I hate to waste it.

[rlarkin]

Tried the peanut butter. Didn't work.:mad:
Don't allow anchovie paste on the property!:D
Last year I caught 5 with Marie Calanders Croutons, but with all the wet weather we have had it's not working this year.
Havn't tried marshmellows yet. Guess that is next.

[calweld]

Don't allow anchovie paste on the property!:

Yeah, I know what you mean. Real anchovies, straight out of the can, are much better. :D:D

[Hotfoot]

I had a family of Possums under my low deck (too low to get under), so what I came up with on the internet was Ammonia. Poured a couple bottles down between the boards, have not seen a Possum since, and its been three or four years.

'don't know if it will work with skunks, but its cheap enough to try!.

Fox Urine may be another "repellent".

For traps, I do know they get in the traps I have used for Raccoons, which were baited with cans of fish cat food....so do my cats, which is always rather funny! I asked the Animal Control lady (where I rent the traps) what to do if a Skunk got in there...like.."Would you come pick up a trap with a skunk in it?" :p "No", "...but you cannot harm the critter, because its wildlife, and as, such is protected":)...as to what I was supposed to do, should that occur, she advised approaching it very slowly, and carefully place a sheet over the cage. Then, it could be moved...(supposedly) to wild lands farther away...I could write a Sit-Com episode about this! All kinds of bad things could happen!:eek:

Fox Urine may be another "repellent".

[boatboy63]

Don't know if there is any truth or not, but I heard they will stay away from moth balz. Good luck...I can only find female moths cause I can't see them little suckers. :D

[whateg0]

I'm not sure about that moving them bit. Dad tried after he caught on in the bed of his truck. Truck smelled pretty bad for awhile.

Wildlife or not, if I can get a clean shot at the head, I'll take it. But as mentioned above, don't miss.

Oh, and Hotfoot, don't tell the wildlife lady what we do to possums up here! :D

Dave

[Hotfoot]

I'm not sure about that moving them bit. Dad tried after he caught on in the bed of his truck. Truck smelled pretty bad for awhile.

Wildlife or not, if I can get a clean shot at the head, I'll take it. But as mentioned above, don't miss.

Oh, and Hotfoot, don't tell the wildlife lady what we do to possums up here! :D

Dave

I lived in Tennessee for a long time, so I know about "Possum and Sweet 'Taters", "Hoover Hogs" (Ground Hogs eaten during the depression), Squirrel Heads

[PaulChristenson]

Got a family of Skunks that has taken up residence under one of my outbuildings.
Spy-Cam has picked up 3 so far.
Been trying all sorts of different baits in the trap, but no luck.

Any suggestions?

Trapping route
http://www.theskunker.com/

Toxic route
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;ft1_pest_rodent_control-ft1_bait_blocks_1;pg105408.html

[SidecarFlip]

We have skunks every year in the barns and under the deck. Moth ***** work and you don't have to do anything but put them where they are. They will leave.

I'm into guns pretty heavy but I can't bring myself to shoot a skunk. Other than having a smelly backend, they are basically harmless unlike Racoons and ground hogs.

If I could catch a baby, I'd have it debagged and make it a pet...

I'd name it Simon.....:D

Skunks can be litter trained just like a house cat and basically share the same habits.

[epjohnso]

I'd try the ammonia route, or get some Fox or Coyote urine scent, really not that expensive and no issue with handling the critters.

I know ammonia works, or at least in my case we had a problem with Raccoons in our neighborhood, and every night the Raccoons would knock over the trash cans, and you'd have to clean the mess up every morning. Then, I had two kids wearing disposable diapers, and the 'Coons would leave the trash alone. My childless neighbors even took to 'borrowing' a few from my trash to keep the buggers out. I loosely use the term borrow, I really didn't want them back!

Had a friend who trapped Raccoons in his garage, and even without the smell of skunks, taking the critters out to the woods was difficult as they claw and attempt bite through the cage. The friend ended up spraying 'em pepper mace - said it was pretty pathetic watching them rub their eyes with their paws....:D

[brucer]

try mothballs

sardines should work for a bait.

[Big_Eddy]

The other thing that works well is to plug a radio in, tuned to the loudest rock station in the area, crank it up and place it in their home 24/7. Give them a week and they'll relocate. All your neighbours might too.

[Thomas Harris]

Shooting it in the head does NOT provide a sprayfreee kill. They do need to be pestered a fair amount before they cut loose. I would try the live trap and ever so carefully cover it up before moving or releasing any captives. Then you need to close the holes up under the structure. Usually woodchucks make most of the dens, with other animals takiing them over when abandened. Lady I work with had one spray her dog in her backyard last year. The dog got INSIDE the house before they could stop him! It was really nasty for her. The dog actually spread some of the still liquid scent onto some furniture and bedding. NASTY!

[brucer]

one of those wire traps... can of tuna fish... trap skunk.... put on gloves and get a large blanket to hold in front of you.... put blanket over cage.... relocate skunk....

dont you guys watch billy the exterminator?

[Hotfoot]

..Which pretty much echos what the animal control lady told me...but, once the heavy blanket is over it...how about putting some rebar around the edges to hold it down flat, then slipping a tube carefully through a hole...a tube that is hooked up to your vehicle quietly idling nearby...sleep, my little friend...sleep....:o

Seems like it might be safer than trying to carry the basket "Loaded" ..and its a pretty humane way to send it on its way. You could fill the enclosure with argon or nitrogen...but that costs more, and the hissing sound might be hard to get around.

[rlarkin]

Well, I tried EVERY type of bait you guy's have mentioned, plus some of my own inventions.
Nothing has worked.
There must be someone in the area that is leaving something they can get to, and by the time they are back at my place, they are not hungry.

I started pouring amonia in the holes in hopes to get them to vacate.
I'll see if that works.

[monckywrench]

A farmer friend suggested taking chunks of ordinary plastic sponge cut to about an inch cubes, twisting them tight, then dropping them in bacon grease. They are swallowed whole and don't come out.

He also suggested "snail poison" (no brand specified) as its apparently effective and his game warden buddy recommended it.



I started pouring amonia in the holes in hopes to get them to vacate.
I'll see if that works.

Throw in some bleach (DO NOT mix outside the hole) and phosgene the buggers.

[Clueless Newbie]

12 guage and a flashlight make sure the wind is right and you will be fine

[CharleyL]

My uncle catches them in his garden with a Hav-a-hart trap. Then he gets a black lawn leaf bag and cuts it open to make a black sheet, holds it in front of him, and walks slowly up to the trap. He says if they don't see you coming they don't get upset. When he reaches the trap he slowly drops the plastic over the trap, covering all sides loosely, and then picks up the trap by the top handle which he feels for through the plastic. He then carries the plastic and trap over to his utility trailer and sets it slowly into the trailer, which is attached to his car. A trip across town (about 5 miles) and they get released into a wilderness area, but not until he takes a mug shot of them. He has mug shots for 46 skunks, 33 raccoons, and 11 possums on his garage wall. As best as he can tell he has never had a repeat offender, and he has never been sprayed or bitten in the 20+ years that he has been doing this. He said that many times, when it is time to release them, he has to wake them up to get them to leave the trap. He uses tuna fish and/or mackerel as the bait.

Charley

[brucer]

i always thought skunks ate snakes and bugs and about anything else, thats why i didnt kill them..

[Ronnie]

i always thought skunks ate snakes and bugs and about anything else, thats why i didnt kill them..

http://www.havahart.com/advice/critter-library/skunk-control/skunk-baits

[dtb72]

moth ball will not work. I the skunk wants to be there it will move them. I watched one carry one across the yard. You have to remove there food source in our case it was slugs once we got ride of the slugs the skunks left. W also used cridder rid or pepper worked well

[Tritium]

Once the skunk is in the trap, drowning it will prevent scent release. The skunk doesn't recognize water as a "spray releasing" type threat.

Thurmond

[9erhater]

I do what charleyl suggested, I will cover the trap with a big moving blanket and then slowly put them in the back of my truck and relocate. remember that the skunk will be asleep in the day so 90 percent of the time the skunk is asleep and will not be a problem. To get rid of any skunk smell I learned that when my dog would grab them and shake them. I would just go to the store and buy the biggest bottles of imitation vanilla extract and pour it all of the dog. next day take the dog for a swim or hose him off. no smell at all, even when the dog gets wet. if you like the smell of skunk, go ahead and shoot it....not my first choice
I use to put mothballs in a small plastic bowl and pour ammonia over them and place them in the area, it has worked too. good luck.

[MC Campbell]

I used to microwave a hamburger until it was warm and oozing grease, put it on a white paper plate at night and pop them with a .22

That or fox urine, works for keeping critters out of air conditioners.

[jorgea]

Have you achieved your goal yet of getting ride of your skunk issue. If yes, let us know here at http://www.hobartwelders.com how you did it.

[Fireman]

First of all relocating wildlife in Va where i live is illegal. I don't know about other states but be careful if you do relocate, don't tell anyone. I agree about removing what they are there for in the first place along with sealing up access to hiding areas. Drowning them is awful and very cruel. A bullet to the head would be less cruel but still not my option. Most of the time some harassment will keep them away such as throwing things at them and a paintball gun is the best option and fun too. I have chickens and a electric fence works real well, once they get shocked they do not forget it.