Why does it have to be a skunk?

[BK911]

Something is living in my garage.
Definitely bigger than a mouse, because all the traps are tripping without catching anything.
Dogs going crazy, and smell like a skunk, but stupid me never connected the dots.
Thinking possum or raccoon, bought a trap.
Went out tonight to put some peanut butter covered dog food in the trap, and a skunk was in the dog food bowl!!
So after I screamed like a 12 yo girl, I tried to chase it away.
It finally left, then I removed the dog food bowl and replaced it with the trap filled with dog food.
Hopefully catch it tonight, then catch and release on my neighbors yard.

[fintstone]

Don't be crazy. Set the trap outside the garage.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by BK911

Hopefully catch it tonight, then catch and release on my neighbors yard.

Good luck with that.

I would do a bit more research. I gotta think you touch the cage, freak it out and the big release comes. Your garage and house reeks for months.

[sc_rufctr]

[fintstone]

When I lived in the backwoods, neighbors trapped them...and everything else for their pelt. They would kill them (without getting sprayed) with a stick that had a very sharp nail on the end. Somehow got the stick in the trap slowly and gently and then stabbed them behind the ear into the skull with the pointy end.

The best way to trap a skunk for release is to use a trap made specifically for one (A no-spray type trap). We made ours out of wood..but most you buy are metal. They are not the same as the wire cage types used for other varmits. They have several versions on Amazon for about $50 each.

[Sooner or later]

Keep the trap covered with an old towel or blanket. It will help calm the stinker.

[HardDrive]

We have a stinker living behind our garage. I almost walked into him one night while watering. I didn't scream, but I sure as hell hightailed it in the other direction.

[GH85Carrera]

We had a skunk event last night. Our male dachshund trapped on behind the trash can. The dog got a face full of spray. I grabbed the stinky dog, and brought him into the laundry room for a bath in hydrogen peroxide, banking soda, and dog shampoo. He smells much better but a little stink if you sniff his face.
The skunk left on his own. I need to get a trap and get rid of him if he comes back.

[fintstone]

I saw the first one I have seen on my current property last week...about 2 acres away at the edge of the mowed area. A wiff of skunk is in the air tonight...so I guess someone/something crossed its path. Glad it was not me.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by BK911

Hopefully catch it tonight, then catch and release on my neighbors yard.

I hope you rethink this plan before it is too late. You are going to smell real bad for a long time if you trap the skunk and then approach it while it is trapped. Either trap it and shoot it, or call the Department of Natural Resources to come and deal with it (free) or a wildlife control company ($$$). They'll shoot it with a poison dart and dispose of the body.

[svandamme]

make sure you have plenty of canned peeled tomatoes before you do anything.
Cause rubbing them all over in the shower is going to reduce the stink.. for the most part...

[oldE]

Glen's mixture in post 10 is da bomb for skunk spray. We used to use it a lot for our blind husky.
A trap for skunks has a low top so they can't raise their tail to spray.

Best
Les

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by BK911

...
So after I screamed like a 12 yo girl, I tried to chase it away.
....

Why does this remind me of vash ?

Rarely see/smell skunks here anymore....they went west....evidently.

[BK911]

So trapped tripped last night but no skunk.
Tonight trap setup gets improved.
All the critters are here for the dog food.
Going to bring it inside at night from now on.
Also usually leave garage open from Friday night to Monday morning.
That's stopping also, going to close up every night.
And i'm not going to kill the skunk, I'm going to give it to my neighbor.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by svandamme

make sure you have plenty of canned peeled tomatoes before you do anything.
Cause rubbing them all over in the shower is going to reduce the stink.. for the most part...

This is a myth

Baking soda, peroxide and dish soap is what you want.

[Zeke]

Screaming because of a critter?

Anyway, I had a baby skunk that somehow lost it's mother. Sort of hard to verify but no mother ever came poking around looking for her offspring. I and the in-laws raised it into an adult when we decided that it was a bit much for a small urban yard, so we had some friends (and friends of animals) up in Santa Rosa adopt "Shalimar."

It lived in or near the chicken coup until one day it wandered off to the woods. Every day the skunk would come back into the compound for a fresh egg. He/she liked to take the egg and place if between the front paws and 'hike' it backwards into any object that would break the shell. Then it was feast time — egg all over the face.

Eventually the skunk came by less and less until sightings became rare. I guess it assimilated to life in the wild in spite of its raising by humans. All this and it never sprayed anyone. We didn't handle it but it was super friendly and not afraid of humans (well familiar ones anyway) and would approach us and hang out for awhile. That is until egg time.

[drcoastline]

Sprinkle moth balls or moth flakes around, they don't like the smell and will leave. Not sure if this is the case everywhere but in New Jersey it is illegal to kill/trap a skunk. Don't know why but it is. We once had a skunk get under our house. Called animal control who said they can not help us as they were not permitted to trap skunks. The person suggested getting a few boxes of moth balls/flakes. Skunks, raccoons, Possums, etc. don't like the smell and will eave. It worked. Had to do it again not to long ago when a plumber didn't properly secure the crawl space door and a possum family moved in.

[BK911]

I got it!!
It's in the trap, which is wrapped in an old towel.
Now what?
Not sure how to open the trap without getting hit.
Heading to the edge of the state park to release.
Hopefully all goes well!!

[Sooner or later]

1. See if you can make a hook out of a coat hanger that can lift the door.
2. Set up camera and set to record.
3. Pray. Multiple times
4. Curse loudly, canceling out prayers
5. Throw away clothes after he sprays
6. Promise yourself to never do anything so stupid again.



Good luck!

[Por_sha911]

Is there a lake at that state park?