In the last week my yard has been getting torn up, top layer of turf turned over. I suspected a skunk and this morning I confirmed it. I went outside when I got up at 4:30 and sure enough, right in the middle of the yard. I turned on the porch light and had to go outside with my Fenix on the highest setting to get it to move. Looking at the grass it came within 10 feet of the back door last night. The house behind us has a large overgrown area where it ran off to.

I have a year old German Shorthair that’s going to get sprayed if I don’t get rid of the problem. She went right to the spot the skunk was and then back by the fence. Do the skunk repellant products work, do I trap and relocate (without getting sprayed?), wait up and try to dispatch with my pellet rifle? Our previous GSP got sprayed and I’d rather not deal with that again.

Next door neighbor: Oh, damn, a skunk in the garage. Hey, how do I get rid of it?

Me: Put mothballs in every corner. That works. It'll probably leave and set up in our garage. Hahaha.

Neighbor: Hahaha, OK.

Ralph, our hound, two days later: *Bark, bark, bark*

Me, getting a whiff of Ralph: ARRRRRRgggh, oh, damn, a skunk in our garage.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Originally posted by RichardC:
Next door neighbor: Oh, damn, a skunk in the garage. Hey, how do I get rid of it?

Me: Put mothballs in every corner. That works. It'll probably leave and set up in our garage. Hahaha.

Neighbor: Hahaha, OK.

Ralph, our hound, two days later: *Bark, bark, bark*

Me, getting a whiff of Ralph: ARRRRRRgggh, oh, damn, a skunk in our garage.

Oh man, nothing worse than getting that smack in the face when your dog comes in. I think I could have got it this morning with the pellet rifle. It was no more than 15 yards from the back door when I went out. Then I need to figure out what to do with it.

They make skunk traps that are designed to prevent the skunk from raising its tail, and prevents spraying. I would look into that. Also the skunk is after grub worms if it is digging in the yard. Eliminate the food source. If you shoot it can spray, and that smell can last a long time.

You can trap it in a normal havahart style trap. Walk up to the skunk/trap slowly,holding up an old blanket or sheet between you & the trap. The skunk will not spray something it can’t see. Gingerly lay the sheet over the trap. You can then move the trap. (After covering, give the animal a few minutes to settle down) Back of an open pick up works for transport. Done this 5 times already this summer. Here’s a good tip: practice opening the trap from behind BEFORE you catch one! Don’t ask how I know.
Unless they’re sick with something, I’ve actually found them to be pretty good natured. They don’t come flying out of the trap or anything.
Best long term solution is to eliminate the food source.

I had several under my deck at our last house and I called a guy who traps them. He uses have a heart traps and a little canned tuna as bait. Caught 5 of them over a week.

I watched him do it and he went right up to the trap and picked it up like nothing was in it put it in the back of his truck with a camper shell and then slammed the tailgate shut.

I was shocked he didn’t get sprayed because he was want cars scull at all. I asked him how many times he’s been sprayed and he said in the 15 years of doing it he’s never b en sprayed which really surprised me. I guess when they are in a confined space they are wont spray.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 1s1k,

the skunk is doing you a favor by eating the army worms that are killing your grass.


That said get some food grade diatomaceous earth and pour liberally on the lawn. this will kill the army worms, and many other insects.

don't water for a couple days, water, let lawn dry, and re-apply the diatomaceous earth.

We had one of the little bastards in our garage years ago. My teenage son persuaded it outside with a long fly pole. After the stinker was clear of the house, I shot him with a .22. Next I used that fly pole to reach out and put a noose of string around his little neck, hooked the other end to the trailer ball on my pickup and drug him down the road about a mile. There I cut the rope and went home. My son's leather coat never smelled right again.

[FLASH_VIDEO] [/FLASH_VIDEO]

quote:

Originally posted by lizardman_u:
the skunk is doing you a favor by eating the army worms that are killing your grass.


That said get some food grade diatomaceous earth and pour liberally on the lawn. this will kill the army worms, and many other insects.

don't water for a couple days, water, let lawn dry, and re-apply the diatomaceous earth.

If that's true and I wouldn't know either way, that's some high level thinking and insight there.

quote:

Originally posted by Oscars father:
You can trap it in a normal havahart style trap. Walk up to the skunk/trap slowly,holding up an old blanket or sheet between you & the trap. The skunk will not spray something it can’t see. Gingerly lay the sheet over the trap. You can then move the trap. (After covering, give the animal a few minutes to settle down) Back of an open pick up works for transport. Done this 5 times already this summer. Here’s a good tip: practice opening the trap from behind BEFORE you catch one! Don’t ask how I know.
Unless they’re sick with something, I’ve actually found them to be pretty good natured. They don’t come flying out of the trap or anything.
Best long term solution is to eliminate the food source.

A buddy does this as a side gig. Just don't let the sheet fly off while you are driving & not notice until you are eye to ass with the skunk.

I recently attempted to find out if they can spray if you shoot them in the head. fucker moved just as the shot broke and they definitely will spray when wounded.

Skunks will eat a lot of grubs & unwanted bugs, but they will tear the hell out of your yard in the process.

Thanks for the info, a little bugger is definitely doing a number on the yard. He wasn’t tearing up the grass so bad I would have no problem just keeping an eye out for him when the dog was out. But the damage he has done in a week is significant. I think I’ll have to pick up a trap this weekend and see what I can do.

quote:

Originally posted by birddog1:
Thanks for the info, a little bugger is definitely doing a number on the yard. He wasn’t tearing up the grass so bad I would have no problem just keeping an eye out for him when the dog was out. But the damage he has done in a week is significant. I think I’ll have to pick up a trap this weekend and see what I can do.

and, listen to the posts here telling you that the yard is the problem, not the skunk.

That skunks doing what any wild animal does when it's hungry, searching for food, your yard is the source of it's food.

Kill the worms/grubs/insects and it will go elsewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

quote:

Originally posted by birddog1:
Thanks for the info, a little bugger is definitely doing a number on the yard. He wasn’t tearing up the grass so bad I would have no problem just keeping an eye out for him when the dog was out. But the damage he has done in a week is significant. I think I’ll have to pick up a trap this weekend and see what I can do.

and, listen to the posts here telling you that the yard is the problem, not the skunk.

That skunks doing what any wild animal does when it's hungry, searching for food, your yard is the source of it's food.

Kill the worms/grubs/insects and it will go elsewhere.

yep, going to take care of that issue as well but I first concern is making sure the dogs don’t tangle with it.

quote:

Originally posted by birddog1:
Thanks for the info, a little bugger is definitely doing a number on the yard.

Mothballs don't work on armadillos.

I loved my boxer dearly, but every year she would tangle with the skunk.

They are time table creatures. If you spot it at dusk, more than likely it will be going in the same direction tomorrow, and the next.

I would usually set up and snipe them with those 22 cb caps.

More out of revenge for my smelly dog.

I generally leave wild animals alone in the yard, but had a skunk showing up during the middle of the day. I didn't think this was in any way normal and it was likely sick. I didn't want my dog to get sprayed or bitten, so decided to get rid of it. I waited until it was near the deck so I could shoot straight down on its back and into the dirt. Nine buckshot pellets from a 12ga from about 25' flattened it instantly and it never even wiggled, let alone sprayed.

I live on acreage in the country, so your legal options may be different. Don't think I'd try it with a pellet gun.