• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • AndrĂ©s Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

How to safely remove skunks from under my deck/sunroom and keep them out?

 
pollinator
Posts: 364
Location: Klumbis Oh Hah, Zone 6
132
  • Likes 5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I love skunks, and don't mind their smell, but my wife does. On the basis of olfactory evidence, which is making my wife feel nauseous, we believe that about a week ago, one or more skunks have colonized the area under our deck and sunroom (which so far as I'm aware are connected). This area is not accessible; you would need a "scope" (a camera on a long stick or cable) to see in there.

So for my wife's sake I have consented to do what I can to remove the skunk. My thought is I could draw the skunk out with some bait (what kind of bait?) and trap it (in what?) and then...I dunno? I don't think I could safely move a trap, right? Wouldn't I get sprayed? I ain't putting that thing in my car...Where would I even take it?

What can I do?

"Hiring someone" was my wife's first suggestion but to me feels like a last resort.

PS. I have also entertained the idea that maybe we don't have a skunk, but some other critter who has recently been sprayed by one and is carrying around the smell. In that case I would be more comfortable trapping and transporting it somewhere.
 
Steward of piddlers
Posts: 6129
Location: Upstate NY, Zone 5, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall
2966
monies home care dog fungi trees chicken food preservation cooking building composting homestead
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Havahart traps have been my go-to for groundhogs but I know others have utilized them for skunks with good success. You would need access to some kind of land that wouldn't mind the skunk. A forest ideally.

https://www.havahart.com/how-to-trap-skunks
 
steward
Posts: 17543
Location: USDA Zone 8a
4483
dog hunting food preservation cooking bee greening the desert
  • Likes 5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If the area is not assessable how would someone you hire do this chore?

My suggestion would be to put some smelly items that skunks might not like the smell of.

Maybe try citrus peels, ammonia, or urine-soaked cotton balls.

Does the skunk leave to get food?

That would be a good time to put the smelly stuff at the skunk's entrance.
 
master rocket scientist
Posts: 6753
Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A
3627
cat pig rocket stoves
  • Likes 10
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
You need to bait it into a live trap,  You will want a smaller tarp on hand.
Covering the trap quickly with the tarp will keep you from getting directly sprayed.
At that point, you might call someone... animal control, a pest removal company, some guy from the bar that has a pickup truck...
Let them remove it to a new location and deal with removing it from the cage.
For the most part, skunks are rather mellow, they only spray when scared.
Having skunks around is not a bad thing other than the smell, they do a fine job of rodent control, unfortunately, they seem to dislike dogs...
 
 
Rusticator
Posts: 9229
Location: Missouri Ozarks
4989
7
personal care gear foraging hunting rabbit chicken cooking food preservation fiber arts medical herbs homestead
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
When you can encounter them on their own terms, they're generally very sweet-tempered little critters. That said, years ago, my sister's dog and her entire litter of pups had an encounter with a mama skunk and her litter of kits, that would back up Thomas's comment on their feelings about dogs, and they start t raining them, early!

I also back up the havaheart traps, and here's a link that might help you with doing it:
http://www.wildlifeanimalcontrol.com/skunkbait.html
 
pollinator
Posts: 226
Location: Nebraska zone 5
88
hunting chicken building
  • Likes 10
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'm a fur trapper, and I've trapped plenty of skunks. What you want to do is make what's called a "positive set". You'll need to figure out where they're entering and exiting. If there's more than one spot, you need to block off all the entrances expect one. In front of this one entrance/exit, you'll put your cage trap, blocking it off so that they can only go through the trap. Put a blanket over the trap, leaving both ends uncovered, to form a tunnel of sorts. If you've done a good job blocking off everything, they have no choice except to go through the trap. No bait is needed or desired here, you want them trying to go through the trap, not to stop and have a snack.

Once you've caught Mr/Mrs skunk, just pull the blanket fully over the trap (carefully). Then you can move it to where ever, and (again carefully) open the trap working through the blanket, and let it go. It takes time for them to build up a load of stink-juice, and it's there only defense, so they don't just use it nilly-willy. As long as you're slow and don't let Mr/Mrs skunk get aimed at you, they won't spray. If you're looking to dispatch the skunk, the easiest way is a tube to pipe your car's exhaust under the blanket/trap, for about 1/2 hour just to be safe.

This part is important-once you've got them all, you've got to block off all the entrances, or more critters will just move back in. If it's a good spot for a skunk, it's a good spot for lots of critters.
 
pollinator
Posts: 432
Location: zone 5-5
149
  • Likes 5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I know racoons don't like ammonia.
Maybe pour/spray some ammonia under there and see if it makes them leave.
 
Ned Harr
pollinator
Posts: 364
Location: Klumbis Oh Hah, Zone 6
132
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Quick update: confirmed skunk sighting tonight.

Thanks for all the advice so far.
 
Happily living in the valley of the dried frogs with a few tiny ads.
Learn Permaculture through a little hard work
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic