Help! I have a skunk problem.

[SilverRidgeMinis]

Yes, that is right a black and white, real skunk has decided to stay under the hay in my barn. It looks like it is a young one. The worst part is it is scaring my cats away from their food. I had to feed them up at the house tonight because the skunk will not let us alone. I tried something called "Shake Away" but the skunk didn't pay any attention to it at all.

How do I get rid of the darn thing? I don't really want anyone shooting in the barn or to stink up the barn. I am afraid either I will get sparyed by it. OR the horses or cats will get sparyed by it. It doesn't seem very scared of me.

Any ideas?

Freida

 

[Farmhand]

http://www.humboldt.edu/~wfw2/livingwskunks.html

 

[WebbsMiniAngels]

Freida,

I had a skunk move in my barn under my tack room a couple of years ago. My farrier said moth balls are about the only thing that he had ever heard of that worked. So, I threw some under the tack room and I haven't seen it since.

Although, they say that skunks are gentle by nature and won't spray unless threatened I was more afraid of rabies and didn't want to take chances.

Hope it works for you, it did for me.

Judy

 

[strass]

I've trapped and moved 4 skunks successfully. They were all younger and did not know to fear humans as much yet.

The 5th one was older and grumpier…that didn’t work out so well.

After going thru that, I would advise you to have animal control come out, dart the sucker and handle ‘em their way.

However, if you’re like me and have to at least try DIY: A humane box-trap from your feed store works fine and cat food (as you’ve discovered) is excellent bait. Putting an old towel over the trap helps lessen their stress a bit. If you move them less than a mile, they will almost always come home. Oh, and NEVER attempt to transport them in anything but an open-air truck bed. (not your favorite truck either)

If you put one in your car trunk…well, just don’t.

Personally, I’m sticking with raccoons and opossums…they have their on special quirks.

Here's a pic of my first skunk. She relocated without the slightest problem...setting me up for the fall on number 5.

See more of my special friends here.

 

[SilverRidgeMinis]

Oh, my goodness. You are alot braver than I am. I only one set of wheels - my truck which I drive to work and everywhere else so I definitely do not what to stink it up.

I think I am going to try the moth balls.

The cats are getting feed up at the house for a few days so maybe the skunk will go somewhere else.

Thanks for the advice,

Freida

 

[susanne]

You can also shine bright lights in the chosen area 24/7...being careful to avoid any fire danger, of course!)

When we moved into this place, it was obvious that skunks had been living under the mobile home and under the barn...they hadn't sprayed, but that ever-present "au de Pepe Le Peu" was definitely there. I guess they didn't like the horse hooves overhead or yappy dogs around the mobile home...the smell is now gone. Lucky for us...all we would need would be for one of the animals -- or us -- to be skunked!

 

[Wee Mite Miniatures]

I just have to post this funny story that happened to my neighbor.

A skunk gets hit in front of his house. My neighbor has a friend that does taxidermy and thinks it will be neat to have the friend stuff the skunk for him. No damange to the skunk he was just laying there. Since he is about to leave on vacation he just grabs the skunk out of the road throws in in a plastic bag and into the freezer.

Comes home a week later. His wife opens the freezer to find a very alive FAT skunk. The skunk had just been knocked out when he came to in a large cold box of food he had a field day tasting all the food in the freezer. The skunk is cold and moving slow so neighbor grab the skunk throws him in a plastic bag. Takes said skunk out to the car and ties the bag around the tail pipe. Skunk now is lifeless.

Throws the bag into the back of the car and heads to the friends house. On the way he starts to smell skunk. Seems the skunk was still alive, had come to, got out of the bag and said enough was enough. Neighbor now stops on the side of the road and opens up the car. The lucky skunk is now free.

 

[liltnt]

i Have always heard moth balls for skunks also. You jsut need to be careful that no one can eat them. I believe they are not healthy