how do you get rid of a backyard skunk?

[leftofthedial]

It is a real nusance--we have to restrain our dog (and it's her yard to run around in) and the smell wakes us up at night.

Relocation in our state is illegal. If you trap it, you have to euthanize it.

Any ideas?

[Fovea]

1. call animal control

Skunks are rabies vectors.

[leftofthedial]

3. thanks,

they told me that unless the animal is obviously ill or threatening, they can't do anything.

It only comes out at night. If we could catch it out in the daytime, that would be a sign of possible disease.

Hmmm.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

2. A shotgun will do the trick

Even a 22 rifle.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Yep, skunks are awfully hard to shoo away

Yep, skunks are awfully hard to shoo away. Thousands of years of instinct tells them they have nothing to worry about.

[leftofthedial]

11. shotgun was my wife's suggestion

I'm a tree hugging liberal though.

I'm not even sure where that old shotgun is.

[sybylla]

41. just beware

If you think the smell is bad before you shoot them, wait until after they are dead.

We always have a hole dug to bury it in before we shoot.

We always have a water hose at the ready to rinse down the site of its demise. It seems to help disipate the odor a little more quickly.

Make sure all the windows and doors are shut on your house. It won't stop the smell but it will help.

Be sure you aren't shooting at your neighbors.

Lastly, try to lure it away from your dwelling as far as possible before you shoot. You can do this with dog or cat food, leftover meat from your dinner table, and the like. They might be omnivores but they really like meat.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Make sure

you don't have pet food out, or food trash-both are skunk attractants. For heaven's sake, though, be careful. I've had a pet get rabies from an infected wild animal, and it was terrible. My husband had to kill him before he injured our other pets. If this skunk drools or acts strange, call animal control and get you and your dog in the house!

[Wcross]

6. Relocate

It is only illegal if you are caught. Get a hav-a-heart trap and catch the critter. Cover the trap with a blanket and wait til it calms down.Use a pick-up truck to transport the cage, still covered, to a park or wildlife refuge. Release the animal and let it enjoy life, its good karma.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. I think he's got the idea.

[amazona]

16. relocation is not a good idea, please don't do it

Refuges and parks generally have all niches filled. When you relocate a wild animal to a refuge it didn't come from, you are condemning the animal to die -- just more slowly than if you had shot it. The reason it's on your property in the first place is because the habitats are full. You are putting yourself at risk of being sprayed or bitten for no useful reason.

No skunks around here but people "dump" rabbits, not realizing that the rabbits are just going to get killed by the rabbits already on the territory. Pointless and cruel.

Call an area wildlife rehabilitator and get her take on it. I think you will learn that, while a rehabber with knowledge of the animals and area may be able to successfully relocate an animal, it is not a job for an amateur and you are quite unlikely to succeed. In any case, a wild skunk is nothing you should be fooling with. It sounds like Animal Control is satisfied that there is no rabies or distemper in the area, since they are not taking action, but that doesn't mean you can't get sprayed, bitten, or scratched.

[leftofthedial]

18. what is a "wildlife rehabilitator"

and how do I find one?

My reservations about relocation included not only introducing a stranger into a full neighborhood as you describe, but also that my yard apparently has a good niche for a skunk, so won't another just move in eventually?

My dog has been sprayed three times over the past four years, though this skunk is apparently the offspring of the one that used to live here. We had no problems last summer and thought the skunk had died or left, but then this year, we saw three juvenile skunks one time and now one has apparently moved in.

We used to have racoons and foxes, but I think the skunk is keeping them away. Also a number of feral cats seem to be competing a bit with the skunk, but losing out.

We live in a semi-rural area, so skunk proofing the entire property is not possible.

[amazona]

45. wildlife rehabbers...

Wildlife rehabilitators are properly trained and licensed volunteers who care for sick and injured wildlife and who have experience with releasing and/or relocating these animals. Most of them work with birds, but some are trained to rehab mammals. You could call your local Fish and Wildlife office, or even a Wild Bird Center (a commercial chain of bird stores), and you could probably be quickly put in touch with someone who could answer some of your questions.

As another poster noted, the Great Horned Owl is the main predator of skunks. Keep in mind, the GHO population has been very much affected by West Nile Virus. When the owl population rebounds, you will not see so many skunks. (We have many GHOs in our local area and I have only caught scent of one skunk in 12 years of living here.) I know you wouldn't harass an owl, but you might want to make sure that neighbors are aware that GHOs are the major helpers in the fight against skunks. Sometimes rural people are very much afraid of GHOs because of their size, and they may shoot at or kill the owls. In any case, your local birdwatchers or rehabbers will likely know if there is a problem with your local owl population falling too low. If you have WNV in your area, be sure to take all the recommended precautions to avoid having mosquitoes breed on your property -- change water in birdbaths every 3 days, add mosquito fish to still ponds, get rid of saucers or plant pots that collected stagnant water, etc.

One of the links I posted earlier contains suggestions for discouraging skunks from coming into your yard. I'll post it again here in case I hit you with too many links before and you didn't see it:

http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/skunks/skunk_solutions.htm

Also, sometimes the best solutions for wildlife problems come from talking to locals who have experienced similar problems, so it is definitely asking around to see what your neighbors do. I would certainly get weary of having my dog "skunked," that's for sure. Just be careful, whatever you decide to do.

[Lurking Dem]

47. Why do I keep picturing

a 12 step program for squirrels who steal birdseed???

[democrat in Tallahassee]

7. impeachment? n/t

*

[leftofthedial]

9. cold!

LOL

[leftofthedial]

10. thanks for the suggestions.

I'm leaning to the trap and relocate by the dark of night approach.

Where do you get Hav-a-Heart traps?

[amazona]

17. where to get havahart trap

They spell it hav-a-hart or havahart. Personally I do NOT recommend doing this. I hope you will seriously reconsider. I almost wish they would take these things off the market due to mis-use. However, if you are sure of what you are doing, and you want to learn more, here is a URL to a site telling about havahart traps.

http://www.havahart.com/

And here is their page telling about skunks:


http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/skunks/skunk_solutions.htm

Here is how to live trap skunks:

http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/skunks/skunk_trapping.htm

Again, I personally wouldn't do this, and I certainly do not advise it. But it is clear that different people have different ideas on this subject, so if you must go this route, do it safely.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[leftofthedial]

19. thanks

I would coexist with almost any form of wildlife if possible, but this thing wakes us up in the night and restricts our dog.

See other post about not relocating.

[leftofthedial]

12. by the way, I can spell "nuisance"

I just can't type for shit.

[orangecoloredapple]

13. Put it in the frontyard?

sorry.

[baldguy]

14. Register him as a Republican

Then run him for congress!

[leftofthedial]

15. it's obviously already a Republican

Everything is black and white with the skunk.

It stinks.

It is as stupid and as predictable as a stump.

It is a total pain in my ass.

[Don_G]

20. I Don't Know Yet

But I will ask my Aunt.

She owns some land in Southeastern Kentucky surrounded by a National Forest...and has lived there since the late '30's.

If it is an immediate and pressing problem, then you may want to consult with Dr Jim Hicks at Williamsburg College (KY.)

Jimmy Ray has PhD's in Chemistry and Computer Science but also has lived in the same hollow for the past 25 years and grew a few gardens with critters; I know because he's married to my cousin....

[Dookus]

21. I have

skunks living in my yard. They're never a problem.

But then, I don't have a dog. I have three cats, but they're smart enough to stay away. I enjoy watching the skunks. They're really quite cute.

And btw... did you know that most skunks go their whole lives without spraying?

[leftofthedial]

22. My first inclination was to live and let live

but this thing wakes us from a dead sleep with its stink two or three nights a week.

We live in an older house with no air conditioning and must leave the windows open at night for the only cool air we get all summer.

That, plus the fact that our dog can't resist the damned thing, makes live and let live impossible.

[dusty64]

23. I have a situation similar to post

21. The skunks are used to me and hardly pay me and my dog mind when we come out and they are grubbing. Sometimes they get under the house and have stunk up the place, my partner threatened to kill them (but knows better). I've heard there are products on the market that repel them, sprays that smell like fox urine. They were attracted by my bird feeders originally I think and lots of area to grub in. Good luck!

[leftofthedial]

24. thanks

The skunk is grubbing I guess near the big windows where a few dozen bird feeders are located. One of these is my bedroom window. Apparently the territory is contested with the skunk and some neighborhood cats. We sometimes hear them hissing and chattering at one another. I think some field mice liver there too and the cats and skunk are fighting over them.

No way, for a variety of reasons, to get rid of or move the feeders.

The skunk hasn't bothered us the few times I've had my dog out unleashed, but the dog goes crazy and must be physically restrained from going after the skunk. She got one about three years ago and we paid the smelly price for it for several weeks. She was mighty proud of having killed the skunk, I'll tell you. Pyew! We've since discovered the hydrogen peroxide-baking soda secret formula and the two other times she got sprayed it worked like a charm. Still, I don't want her to get sprayed.

I've seen the skunk several times late at night (I'm a musician and often come home late). It's actually pretty cute and not aggressive or anything. But the smell like old burning sneakers is just awful and pervades everything.

I'll figure something out.

Maybe I'll move. :-)

[MrBenchley]

43. It's probably the feeders

Can you let them go empty for a few months? If there's no birdseed, he may go elsewhere.

[CO Liberal]

25. Send it to Crawford, Texas

It will feel right at home.

[leftofthedial]

26. talk about stink!

that would be the shit (so to speak) wouldn' it?

a whole den of skunks grubbing on a pig farm.

[CO Liberal]

32. The Skunks Would Take One Look At Dubya And Leave

:-)

[rasputin1952]

27. Run up to it REALLY fast, and catch it off guard...

oops, that only works when they are dead.


Have you thought of catching it, taking it too the vet, and having it de-skunked?

While they can be a little wiry and uncanny at times, they really act like cats if you get them and take carte of them. But they can be vectors of certain diseases. Rabies has to be passed on by bite, the virus is in the saliva. Chances are good rabies is not a problem, if there haven't been cases in your area.

Of course, you could catch it, (or have someone else catch it), and go throuogh the euthenasia process. Kind of stinks, (no pun intended), but when you runout of options, there is not much else to do. :shrug:

[leftofthedial]

29. yeah, a friend is a vet

I could ask her about the destinking.

sounds expensive.

It is kind of cute. I'd also worry that de-skunked it would become prey for local cats, racoons or foxes.

Geez, I sound like I'm rejecting every suggestion. I'm not. all these are great advice and will help me solve my problem.

[beanball]

28. Skunk

call your state republican party headquarters,they deal with skunks every day.(shrub chief skunk)

[xJlM]

30. Live and let live?

Where I live we have several kinds of critters which make a regular visit. I see skunks, possums, racoon, and wild deer in the yard all the time. In fact, I saw three magnificent-looking deer (a big doe and two fawns) tonight eating crabapples off of one of the trees in the yard.

You might try mothballs, if you're more inclined to discourage it or drive it off to someone else's yard. Try putting some around the edge of your yard. It may just be an old wive's tale, but I seem to recall something about wild animals not liking sodium naptha.

[rasputin1952]

31. One thing for sure...

that would keep ME away! I can't stand the stuff.

:bounce:

[xJlM]

33. Well, you must be a wild animal!

I know it will keep possums out of a garden, but I'm not sure whether all animals dislike it. The only time I've ever seen the stuff was years ago, before the idiot neighbor I have now moved in. His half a dozen unfed dogs keep anything away, it seems. But I put up an eight foot privacy fence for about two hundred feet of the property line, so I don't hear much from them anymore. In fact, I think that's why the deer are coming back.

[rasputin1952]

34. I can be an animal if warranted...

but I prefer to be merely human.

BTW...if those dogs next door are really unfed; you might consider calling in the humane society. There are people who do that for a number of reasons, but one of the worst, is to make them mean for dog fights. Just an opinion. I really have a thing for people who abuse animals....they have a tendency to abuse people too.

Glad your fence is working though.

[catzies]

35. ASK HIM FOR A COMMITMENT

Is it a male skunk?

No flames please - that's from an old joke on how a single woman can get rid of cockroaches in her apartment.

[ArkDem]

36. .22

They are dangerous, disease carrying vermin.

[Lurking Dem]

37. Try this:

http://www.duncraft.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=1218&lastcatid=91&step=4



You put fox urine powder in it and it keeps critters away, supposedly.

[underpants]

38. Yeah but then you have a fox in your back yard

:shrug:

[Lurking Dem]

42. Since it's keeping other critters away

I'd think a fox would soon decide there's not enough to eat at that locale but I could be wrong. They also seem to be pretty solitary so I don't know if fox scent would actually attract a fox.

I have a fox that comes by occassionally anyway looking for the racoons and bunnies. Had a VERY large neighborhood skunk for awhile but she's gone now so I'm assuming she became roadkill (favorite cookbook: Rosie's Roadkill: Fast Food but Not Fast Enough!) because I haven't smelled her this season.

[geniph]

39. Have you figured out how it's getting in?

Is there any way to block its entrance to your yard?

Did you know that owls are one of the few creatures that regularly prey on skunks, and they virtually never get sprayed - because they're silent when they swoop and they break the neck on contact, usually the skunk is dinner before he can make stinky. So call your local Rent-An-Owl!

I was having HORRIBLE problems with raccoons crapping in the back yard last year - the neighbors were feeding them :mad:, but they picked MY yard to shit in. Now, I've no problem at all with them wanting to come root around for bugs in my garden, but those piles were FOUL. The secrets are a) close off access as much as possible, b) remove any food sources in your yard, c) use whatever repellents you can - ammonia, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, naptha - that won't poison your own animals. Relocating and terminating are last resorts - try to make your yard unattractive. It's tough with skunks, as they aren't very bright. They don't need to be.

[amazona]

46. owls are fast but also...

...I understand that Great Horned Owls, the major predator to my knowledge on skunks, most likely lack a sense of smell.

[geniph]

48. They almost never get sprayed, though

Ever had an owl swoop on you? I've had it happen to friends that had fur collars on their coats - one time, it was a snowy owl, and lorda-mercy, those things are HUGE and SILENT. You do NOT know they are there if you have your back turned until you catch a flash of that huge white thing flying away (once they realize you're not a rabbit). Great horned owls are even more startling, since you don't see the flash of white, and they're huge, too.

Owl feathers have a particular little fillip to their edges that allows them to be almost completely silent when flying, so they can surprise their hyperalert nocturnal prey. Owls are VERY successful predators.

[amazona]

50. wow, that would be scary!

The only owl I've had swoop at me was Barred Owl and that was intimidating enough! To be fair, I was calling the Barred Owl. I thought it would be satisfied to call back so I could locate it...didn't expect it to practically take my hat off!

[ronnykmarshall]

40. Warsh 'em up and keep 'em as pets!

[Capn Sunshine]

44. Well you could by twenty gallons of tomato juice,

let the dog go, wash him every time he gets skunked, until the skunk leaves. They don't appreciate being chased every time they venture out.

[leftofthedial]

49. Thank you everyone

for some excellent advice and more than a few chuckles!

I think I'll mosey down to Diagon Alley and get me an owl.