Skunks!

[UnSafe]

Skunks have been getting in my barn to eat dogfood and hang out with the barn cats for the last month. Finally dawned on me that my cage trap will work as long as I keep the cats fed (Keep catching the same cat) and raise the dog food bucket out of reach. 4 skunks trapped outside the barn in 5 nights. My little NEF Target rifle in .17HMR makes an easy and instantly fatal head shot from about 30 yards away.

Learned that the last dying act of a skunk is to unload all of it's good stuff. You can see it firing away through the scope... Makes dumping it into a trashbag a breatholding chore. I take them into town and drop into a dumpster.

Anyone know the average family group size?

 

[reddog1]

Lmmfao.....

 

[reddog1]

You killed Pepe Le' Pew man, WTF IS wrong with you?

 

[UnSafe]

Make that 5 skunks. At least the rain helps to wash some of the smell away.

Anyone in need of a steady supply of bagged skunks, PM me.

 

[angsniper]

Cover the trap with a blanket, then you can carry them out of the barn to dispatch them. That way you don't stink up your barn! We have walked up to the trap holding a blanket up in front of us where they couldn't see us and just laid the blanket down over them. Not a one of them have sprayed.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

It may be more than one family if they found a steady supply of food. Just keep the trap set and it will help prevent future problems if you can keep feed put up at night.

 

[UnSafe]

angsniper- I placed the trap outside the barn for smell reasons. Our dogs have learned to avoid skunks but will bark enough to provoke spraying. I can see the trap from our patio and shoot them in the morning from the corral rail, about 30 yards away.

Interesting that the 17HMR failed for the first time this morning. It either deflected from rain or blew up on cage wire. The second shot worked as intended. I really love the little Hornady. Best pest gun I've had. Less worry about shoot through and the effects are instant if I do my part. Shot a feral dog with it last year. Head shot dropped it like a rock and upon closer inspection, no exit wound. Gonna have to try the 20gr controlled expansion ammo on larger critters.

 

[reddog1]

Sweet!

 

[Seansworth]

I don't know about family size, but last year a buddy and I caught and removed 13 skunks that were hanging around his place in the middle of town.

 

[peanut]

I've seen a family/group(it was 1 or 2 bigens and 4 smallens) of 5 or 6 walking up the fence line when I live out of town.
Oh, and what they said about the blanket! I kept a sheet to throw on the live trap and drag the cage(long rope previously attached) to the pond for a swim.