Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

[brother chris]

Hey all,
I'm moving into a new place at the end of next week. I have possession now and I saw a skunk in the back yard. He's been hanging around for a while...probably under the wood shed.
The grass is long out back; about 2-3 feet high. I am invoicing the owner, since I am cutting the grass and tending to the house until I move in.
I want to get rid of the skunk before I move in...any tips?

Thanks,
B.C.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

......hide out and wait for him...and when he walks past...grab him real tight...put him the car and then take him out to the countryside (or Surrey) and release him.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

Trap the skunk in a live trap, cover it and transport it away in the back of a truck. No sudden moves do not spook it. open can of cat food is a skunk's favorite treat.

Or let it live there.

I would advise against shooting it unless you want a story to tell the grandchildren about......

oh yeah take lots of pictures

 

[WaterWitch2]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

If you have animal (as in 4 legged animals, not our member Animal) control up there then call them.

 

[i386]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

I doubt the skunk will give you any trouble unless you startle it. Around here we're not supposed to relocate animals. We can shoot 'em if they're on our property but not trap and relocate. Personally, I would not shoot it unless it was damaging my property.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

They are filthy nasty disease carrying beasts.

Keep a gun by the door and let him have it when you get the chance.
Be prepared to live with his memory.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

Back when I was a kid I set a livetrap just to see what I'd catch. I caught a skunk right away.
I remember the whole ordeal vividly.
Funny, no matter how hard you scrub and almost daily swimming in the lake throughout the summer still leaves you with faint whiffs into Fall.

Living with the animal in close proximity will likely result in a misfortunate encounter. Take the garbage out somenight and Pepe Le pea-u lurking in the shadows.....

 

[JB]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

Skunks are not automatically hostile, but can be carriers of rabies.

If it really freaks you out get animal control (professionals) to remove it.

I have had skunks living about on The Hideout for years. One I named Flower lived in my machine shed. Never had a problem with Flower or any of the others, though I came quite close a few times.

I think I would treat the skunk like any other potentially problematic wildlife. Give it room and respect and you will get the same in return.

 

[rwise]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

skunks are mostly not a problem (bit smelly sometimes) breaded and fried just like rabit! (or chicken)

Now my brother got up one night (bout 20 years ago) to check on his little boy in the baby bed. Looking down into the crib he thinks, sweet the cat is curled up next to the baby. Hey wait we dont have a cat! And takes a closer look, sure enuf (enough) its a stripped cat (skunk). Well little brother aint taken that, out comes the gun and over to the crib, grabs the sleeping skunk and throws it across the room up against the wall on the other side as it hits the wall he then points and pulls the trigger blowing a nice hole through the wall where the skunk hit. But the skunk aint there no more its in the floor with arched back and,,,,

well they moved in a mobil next to the house, never got the smell out and 2 years ago the house was burned down! Never got that smell out

 

[i386]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

If you've ever shot a skunk in the house...

 

[mrfixitman40]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

how long has the property been empty if it has been awhile chances are he will leave when people are around . when we moved in where we are we had skunks and coyotes around ,shot a few coyotes but the skunks never gave us a problem and now we don't see them at all . not sure if the just moved back farther into the woods or just left completely.

 

[brother chris]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

The house has been empty for about 4 months. I'm going to finish cutting down the 2-3ft grass today. Maybe he will leave on his own after that.
I don't have a truck to relocate it. And I can't shoot it within city limits.
I don't move into the place until next Friday so maybe he will be gone by then(since the tall grass will be cut down).
Thanks for the tips, much appreciated.
B.C.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

Buy some mothballs and toss them around the perimeter of the shed.

Or if you want to get fancy and your water is on...............

Set up your lawn sprinkler with a motion detector switched water valve.
Works great to deter any animal coming onto your property as well as people if everytime they set foot in the yard they get watered.

 

[i386]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

I highly recommend these as a last resort for most home/farm pests problems.

I feel pretty confident you can be shed of that skunk without it coming to that though.

 

[rheyboer]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

Firecrackers?
Wolf ****? Maybe your own?

 

[dolluper]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

Funny must be a good year for skunks,had a few living under my parts shed.I used Javex poured it around the shed at night for two nights,fight the stink with stink and they moved,but not far ,now they live under the neighbours pool shed.Guess the pickings around here are TOO Good,the other night there was a big racket in my other neighbours yard,well it was a skunk and a racoon fighting over the garbage can they overturned,man did it stink around here in the morning.So all I can say is good luck since it's called wild life,and wild life is grand

 

[JB]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

I didn't really lie. I just forgot.

When I had my little house (16'x60') I had set up a lawn building as a little workshop. I got mice, so I put out some rat/mouse poison inside the shop.

A few days later the shop reeked of unhappy skunk. Was uninhabitable for about a week of forced ventilation.

A couple of years later I moved the little shop building and found a mummified young skunk underneath. It had either eaten some of that rat poison or eaten a mouse that had eaten some of the poison.

If I have mice in a shop now I introduce a cat, snake or use mousetraps.

 

[Firestar]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

My girlfriend had a HUGE SMELLY one hanging around her house every night. This sucker had to be pushing 40lbs. I saw it one night and tossed an M-80 at it. When the M-80 went off, it took off like a Grayhound leaving the gate. It never came back.

 

[i386]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

If I have mice in a shop now I introduce a cat, snake or use mousetraps.

It's hard to beat a good outside cat or two.

 

[gotboostedvr6]

Re: Got to get rid of a skunk...any tips

i had one for a few months under my shed. one day it sprayed my dog. the next day it had a carbon arrow stuck in it.