skunks

[BobDaniels]

So a surfeit of skunks have moved into my barn, using some existing burrows that I thought were covered. So far I have seen 5 of these mother ****ers; 3 have been removed and I assume there more than the other two.

Does anyone have any input on techniques to drive them off and too keep them from coming back? I'm also very curious as to what brought them to my barn in the first place. There is a creek near by and our barn is the only shelter for at least a half mile. Nothing eatable is kept in the barn. I guess water and shelter is enough?

Thanks INGO!

Sincerely,

Tired of the ****ing smell

 

[Bennettjh]

Ah man. That's awful and nasty. I have no permanent solution. I'm assuming you're allowed to dispatch them where you live?

 

[Cameramonkey]

Burn the barn down. Problem solved.

 

[BobDaniels]

Ah man. That's awful and nasty. I have no permanent solution. I'm assuming you're allowed to dispatch them where you live?

Yes! :-)

Burn the barn down. Problem solved.

It crossed my mind until I remembered the wife keeps her .38 in the nightstand.

 

[Gluemanz28]

Live trap with some sardines in it. I was told that if the trap is small enough that they can't lift their tail they won't spray.

My live trap is larger than that so when I get one in it, it get a .22 pellet to the melon from my Beeman pellet gun at a distance.

 

[Cameramonkey]

It crossed my mind until I remembered the wife keeps her .38 in the nightstand.

Lay a pack of Marlboros by the barn before you light it.

"Must have been some delinquent skunks smoking in the barn, dear."

 

[BobDaniels]

Live trap with some sardines in it. I was told that if the trap is small enough that they can't lift their tail they won't spray.

My live trap is larger than that so when I get one in it, it get a .22 pellet to the melon from my Beeman pellet gun at a distance.

Dispatching them isn't as big a problem as making the barn inhospitable. My live trap came in a set with a larger and smaller trap. I did not know about the smaller trap keeping the smell down and will swap out big trap for the small trap tomorrow. Thank you for the tip!

PS: Elmer's was my favorite snack in kindergarten!

 

[CampingJosh]

I have skunks frequently here at the camp.

Live trap them. The raccoon-size traps from TSC or Rural King work well (the larger size in the two pack). Once they are trapped, they are pretty docile. Just walk up and put a towel over the trap. Then you can relocate them without worrying; they don't want to spray in a confined area.

I always drown them. No idea if they spray in the process since they are underwater.

 

[BobDaniels]

Lay a pack of Marlboros by the barn before you light it.

"Must have been some delinquent skunks smoking in the barn, dear."

I don't think she'd buy it but it's worth a shot!

 

[mom45]

I have skunks frequently here at the camp.

Live trap them. The raccoon-size traps from TSC or Rural King work well (the larger size in the two pack). Once they are trapped, they are pretty docile. Just walk up and put a towel over the trap. Then you can relocate them without worrying; they don't want to spray in a confined area.

I always drown them. No idea if they spray in the process since they are underwater.

We use a cut tractor tire tube to cover the trap (with a slit in it to grab the handle of the trap) when we move them. We have learned to move them without delay as the longer they are in the trap, the more agitated they become.

 

[BobDaniels]

We use a cut tractor tire tube to cover the trap (with a slit in it to grab the handle of the trap) when we move them. We have learned to move them without delay as the longer they are in the trap, the more agitated they become.

A wet towel works pretty good as well.

 

[BobDaniels]

they don't want to spray in a confined area.

I just noticed this part of your post. It explains a thing or two I've noticed during this ordeal. At first I slowly approached the trap and it turned its butt to me and lifted its tail so I quickly backed off and around the corner. After a few minutes, I approached again but at a swift pace (towel held out in front of me like a shield) and dropped the towel over the trap; there was no spray during the removal process.

 

[Gluemanz28]

Dispatching them isn't as big a problem as making the barn inhospitable. My live trap came in a set with a larger and smaller trap. I did not know about the smaller trap keeping the smell down and will swap out big trap for the small trap tomorrow. Thank you for the tip!

PS: Elmer's was my favorite snack in kindergarten!

I have a scope on my pellet gun and can easily take a head shot. They have never sprayed as they went straight down. Might have gotten lucky both times but no spray.

I never ate much elmers glue but put a lot on my hands to dry and peel off.

 

[mistersmith]

Live trap and then drown them. I live in the city and no guns allowed. I hate to do it, but if I don't they will wreck my yard looking for grubs and worms.

 

[Hookeye]

I shot one in the head, DRT. But then that afterward spasm stuff (happens with head shots sometimes)............yeah out came the stink.
Head shots are no guarantee.

 

[Mgderf]

So a surfeit of skunks have moved into my barn, using some existing burrows that I thought were covered. So far I have seen 5 of these mother ****ers; 3 have been removed and I assume there more than the other two.

Does anyone have any input on techniques to drive them off and too keep them from coming back? I'm also very curious as to what brought them to my barn in the first place. There is a creek near by and our barn is the only shelter for at least a half mile. Nothing eatable is kept in the barn. I guess water and shelter is enough?

Thanks INGO!

Sincerely,

Tired of the ****ing smell

Yes.
Find the openings to as many of the burrows as you can.
Dump a box of moth balls down each hole and cover the hole with a light weight piece of wood or cardboard.
Don't make the lid so heavy that they can't get out.

Moth balls, in a confined space, will displace the oxygen making it inhospitable. It gives off fumes that smell similar to ether.
Repeat as needed.
I've used this method many times to rid a crawl space of unwanted critters. It's inexpensive, and it works.

One caveat.
Do not use moth balls in a crawl space if any of the homes occupants have respiratory issues.

 

[BobDaniels]

Yes.
Find the openings to as many of the burrows as you can.
Dump a box of moth balls down each hole and cover the hole with a light weight piece of wood or cardboard.
Don't make the lid so heavy that they can't get out.

Moth balls, in a confined space, will displace the oxygen making it inhospitable. It gives off fumes that smell similar to ether.
Repeat as needed.
I've used this method many times to rid a crawl space of unwanted critters. It's inexpensive, and it works.

One caveat.
Do not use moth balls in a crawl space if any of the homes occupants have respiratory issues.

There appear to be two openings and they are connected at some point. I dumped a handful of mothballs down the hole inside the barn and shoved the dirt back in, hoping it would discourage them from using that hole, but they just dug right through the mothballs. I will try dumping the rest of the box down there and see what happens.

I've rid myself of three so far and I know there are at least two more. Once gone, I think I'll back fill as much dirt as I can and cap the openings with some pavers. I guess this is the downside of living in the sticks, but I'd rather deal with skunks than neighbors.

 

[OWGEM]

I have read that placing a light in the spot where they sleep will drive them away. They like total darkness during daylight.

 

[gregkl]

I tried the mothballs to get rid of the 8 skunks living under my front porch. It didn't work. They just pushed some of them out and lived with the rest. I have heard that they don't like to dig through stones that are at least 1-2" in size.

I dug down along my porch about 10" or so, laid some hardware cloth along it, and covered that with mortar. I then back filled it with dirt, put down some landscape fabric and added 2" river rock on top of that about 2-3" deep.

I am hoping that will keep them out. The previous owners of my home let them come back every year and have their kits under the porch and just waited until they were old enough to wander off.

I think what you are doing will help. Just watch the area. If the pavers don't cover a large enough area, they will burrow under the pavers and have a new home.

Oh, and I live in a neighborhood, lol. I have more wildlife here than any other place I have lived. Just yesterday I had 5 deer ripping around my backyard like a bunch of school kids on break. It was comical. They didn't even mind us watching, filming and my dog barking at them.

 

[patience0830]

Skunks carry rabies but they also eat ground bees and bald faced hornets so I'm kinda conflicted. If they aren't acting strange I usually let them toddle off. They've never sprayed my dog or my house or myself so no ill will.