Random Rants
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@SKT:
I was surprised too but it’s a pretty small zoo. I like your plan though. My anxiety is increasing as the night comes on…[emoji51]
My old boss thought it a good idea to shoot the skunk who had burrowed under his porch. The bad idea was using a 22. The skunk survived, crawled back into his burrow, and then died under several feet of concrete. The smell was so wretched he had a part of his patio and porch dug up to exhume the carcass. That was a pricey skunk!
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My parents had a skunk family living in the crawlspace under the porch. My dad waited until the skunks went out at night and then boarded up the opening. They moved to a new location. No killing or exterminator fees were necessary.
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@Anesthetist Ha! I definitely want to avoid that route!
@DrPat I like this idea and have considered how to make it happen. I have found it’s entrance hole and may just go out in the middle of the night and seal it up with paver stones. But without sitting outside and witnessing it crawling out I’m worried I’ll seal the hole before it leaves and trap it under the house where it dies and smelly chaos ensues in a week or two.
@Matt a professional is probably a wise choice here but “wise” choices and I don’t always walk the same path.
I’ll report on the outcome.
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@SKT You could put flour or some other powder near the entrance. This should let you observe the tracks.
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[mention]SKT [/mention] you can buy small game traps at some places, in the rural areas we have tractor supply stores and hunting stores, generally farm/hunting should get you there. You’ll probably already have some decent skunk bait in your home already (you can look up your areas skunk favorites). Once you trap it. Find a friend with an open bed truck and drive it to the woods. My neighbor does this with chipmunks as they are always trying to eat through her screen door.
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@DrPat This is a good idea.
@Fadez I do have access to farm supply stores and drive a truck so your suggestion seems doable (and I’ve done it myself with chipmunks much like your friend) However, people I’ve talked with around here are quick to point out that once you trap the critter, the problem becomes approaching the caged varmint slowly enough so it won’t freak out and spray you through the cage, then gently putting a blanket over the trap. I’ll just assume it sprays the blanket if you’re able to get it on. Then pick up the stinking blanket covered trap, put it in the truck, and haul it off. But then you have to take the blanket off and open the cage without getting sprayed. Im not that lucky of a person and there is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be wearing eau de Pepe after.
This skunk is taking up valuable bandwidth that should be focused on a pair of incoming UHR’s.
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Whatever happens with the skunk, be sure to post some pictures.
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@SKT you can cover the outside of the trap with a clear plastic drop cloth or shower curtain. I was gonna suggest trapping it too. Even found this for you. Havahart 1079SR Large 1-Door Humane Catch and Release Live Animal Trap for Raccoons, Cats, Bobcats, Beavers, Small Dogs, Groundhogs, Opossums, Foxes, Armadillos, and Similar-Sized Animals https://a.co/d/g9b0OnF
If you wear gloves when opening the trap you should be fine. Just open the end of the trap and put a stick through the cage to keep the door open and release.
Bait the trap with an apple slathered with peanut butter. And place right over the entrance to the burrow…
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Seems to me that if you go the ‘trap route’, you’ll at best get one skunk in it. If a whole family is under the house, that won’t be enough right?
I’d be more inclined to sit up one night (telltale flour sounds like good help; or if you are technically inclined, use a motion detector to alert you when they start leaving) and wait till they all (one or more) leave the burrow, then seal the entrance.
Let us know how it goes. -
Using a game camera for a few nights straight may be the ticket to feel more confident about how many are under the house. Would really suck to close up the hole and not have locked all family members out.
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…@motojobobo @BloodnThunder This is the way.
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The best part is when he blows on the skunks asshole like a gun barrel
