Skunks, and more skunks

[Albertaraised]

So in the last year I've trapped and dealt with about 26 skunks out at the acerage by westward ho, just wondering if anyone else is having a major issue with these stinky little heathens of the earth. Question I guess I'm asking, ways to keep them away. There are outdoor dogs so they are definitely after the food. Managed to close up all sheds and structures underneath but they keep digging in. Some history there was a donkey out there at some point and that kept them away for the most part. Don't want to get another donkey. Thanks for any info. Best solution as of now is trap and 17 🔫

[LKILR]

trap and release is not the best way to rid your property of skunks. I learned from experience the hard way.

[Beeman]

Apparently an egg with some strychnine works wonders, but seeing as you can't buy the stuff at the local pharmacy anymore (stories from my dad, I'm not that old) a couple aspirin seems to work just fine. They bother beehives and eat bees, we never really had a problem for maybe the last 20 years but last year they seemed to show up everywhere up here.

[Junglefisher]

Originally Posted by Beeman

Apparently an egg with some strychnine works wonders, but seeing as you can't buy the stuff at the local pharmacy anymore (stories from my dad, I'm not that old) a couple aspirin seems to work just fine. They bother beehives and eat bees, we never really had a problem for maybe the last 20 years but last year they seemed to show up everywhere up here.

I did not know that they bother the bees, I'll have to keep an eye out. Do you think an electric fence would stop them?
Skunks are in almost plague numbers out here last year or so.

[3blade]

Negative. They will go over, under, around or through pretty well any physical barrier. Just keep at it, trap and swimming lesson in the water barrel, shoot em in the yard or pasture if you see em. Takes a while but eventually you can get most of the breeders and only have the odd one come through.

[dgl1948]

Originally Posted by Beeman

Apparently an egg with some strychnine works wonders, but seeing as you can't buy the stuff at the local pharmacy anymore (stories from my dad, I'm not that old) a couple aspirin seems to work just fine. They bother beehives and eat bees, we never really had a problem for maybe the last 20 years but last year they seemed to show up everywhere up here.

Sorry but aspirins do not work. I had a skunk in a live trap and fed him 4 aspirins in a little bit of hamburger. It did nothing to him. We take from 30 to 40 skunks a year out of our bee yards. Live traps and shotgun work.

[Grizzly Adams]

So in the last year I've trapped and dealt with about 26 skunks

I live near Westward ho and it has been a bad year, had a couple, but 26? Thinking either someone is doing catch and release on you, or they are attracted to the campground down the road.

Grizz

[Albertaraised]

I heard about the egg thing too with the strictnine . A couple aspirin tho? Also not trapping and releasing. Trapping and shooting but like someone said, pretty much a skunk plauge lately. Going to try a motion detector alarm for keeping critters away but that's alot of alarms to cover all the building's. Not directly in westward ho, on top of one of the hills down a range road

[13mileranch]

Last year I trapped and gassed 28 and shot four. My three neighbors got 12 of them. I have never seen such an influx as last year.

This year I have got two but none in the last two weeks.

I use a Koenders live trap and gas them. No catch and release.

We had thought of relocating them over to the Nudist Colony by James River but it's too far.

[Albertaraised]

Hahaha that's great. Didn't know there was a nudist colony there. Must be cold in the winter. I'll have to check out that trap. Might be better then my method. Trap, cover with poly and move it, then gun time. Moving them and disposing of them is getting less nasty as I am becoming more used to the smell

[13mileranch]

Originally Posted by Albertaraised

Hahaha that's great. Didn't know there was a nudist colony there. Must be cold in the winter. I'll have to check out that trap. Might be better then my method. Trap, cover with poly and move it, then gun time. Moving them and disposing of them is getting less nasty as I am becoming more used to the smell

The Koenders trap has a small hole in one end that I use to gas them. Just get some flex pipe, hook it onto your exhaust, wrap the exhaust and flex pipe with an old towel, put the other end flush with the hole, and it's lights out for the skunk in less than half a minute.

It does take about 30 minutes to completely finish the job. The newer vehicles don't have the toxicity the older ones do. I haven't had one spray yet in that trap. Then I dispose of the skunk in an old pit I dug...we call it the pit of doom.

You can get the Koenders trap at UFA of Peavey Mart.

[densa44]

The county lent me a live trap, and I used an egg and the first night I got one and put trap and all into the rain barrel.

I know that there is one under the house and I'm trying to trap him now.

An old post said to spread mothballs around. When I finish trapping I'll try that.

[Albertaraised]

I'm probably going to buy one of those traps. Could probably pull some coil wires so it runs richer and more carbon monoxide.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Albertaraised

I'm probably going to buy one of those traps. Could probably pull some coil wires so it runs richer and more carbon monoxide.

County guy recommended that, no workie, apparently modern engines run so clean, there's not enough CO. After 45 minutes of frequent revving, with our diesel, buggar was still smiling. Released him into an open field and gave him lead poisoning.

[Rio56]

skunks in the last 2 years or so have exploded from what I've seen ... they're everywhere ..... do they have a predator , what keeps them in check

[antlerguy]

They do have a predator. The Great Horned Owl as they have no sense of smell.

[kodiakken]

Rimbey area over 60 trapped and gassed in the last three summers.

[Vacation]

West of Dids, up to 29 now. The Koenders trap and cat food are great for catching them.

[sjemac]

Just West of Westward Ho. I've trapped none this year but trapped and then shot about 10 last year. I just open the trap up and back the truck up about 80 yards and then smoke them with the .22-250 once they get a goodly distance from the trap.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by 13mileranch

Last year I trapped and gassed 28 and shot four. My three neighbors got 12 of them. I have never seen such an influx as last year.

This year I have got two but none in the last two weeks.

I use a Koenders live trap and gas them. No catch and release.

We had thought of relocating them over to the Nudist Colony by James River but it's too far.

I like the way you roll!!!

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by sns2

I like the way you roll!!!

they tell me, it's a scary sight, nothing but wrinkled up old seniors.

Grizz

[sns2]

Guaranteed, buddy

Still nice to see a skunk get a raise out of the big hairy mamas. Lol.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

[J0HN_R1]

Is anybody that's trapping these skunks removing/keeping the scent sack ?

Aren't they (the sack) worth decent money ? Something like $50 I thought, maybe it was $20...

[3blade]

Originally Posted by J0HN_R1

Is anybody that's trapping these skunks removing/keeping the scent sack ?

Aren't they (the sack) worth decent money ? Something like $50 I thought, maybe it was $20...

Yeah some trappers do, but it's gonna smell once you poke a hole in it. Kind of defeats the purpose of gassing or swimming lesson. Depends if you have a spot to do it

[Travco1]

antifreeze in an egg works wonders , no stinky spray.

[Albertaraised]

Not interested In taking them apart. They stink way too bad as it is. Just shot one tonight, looks like she had some young babies so that's a big win for me.

[Flyfishchrism46]

When you trap the critter, use the carbon monoxide trick such as suggested in an earlier post. Shooting to dispatch with a small caliber is asking for spray. The smell will linger for years; particularly when rains and ground around shed or structure gets wet.

[Bigstone]

Skunks and bats are the primary rabies vectors in AB with cats very susceptible to skunk rabies. Get rid of them.