Skunks

dogghr

dogghr

Well-Known Member
Bears, yotes, and snakes don't bother me, but I hates the skunk. Always worried spray me or the dog. One two striper got my tractor this past week as I mowed. The drawback of less coyotes is more nuisance animals such as these. How is the best way to bait for skunks to trap? I've trapped for coons and yotes but never intentionally for skunks. Any suggestions?
I don't live at farm, so it will have to be done on 3 day weekends so I can ck trapline. I would prefer to use live trap cage for simplicity if that will work. Pretty good idea of where dens are. Bait? Placement? What ye say?
And do you shoot from tail or head end when checking trap to keep from getting sprayed.?
 
Dry cat food is a good choice in the summer. Doesnt break down in the heat or rain very quickly. Depends on how many pack rats and mice you have around though. They can carry off the bait pretty quick. No matter how you shoot a skunk it is going to spray most of the time. You can get pretty close to a cages skunk with a calm steady approach. I used to dispatch on my live trapped skunks with a 6' syringe pole and never got sprayed once. It is actually the best way to dispatch skunks without them spraying in general. If you are going to shoot them stand up wind and be prepared to leave them for a few day, which if you do in the summer heat leads to a entirely new stink problem!
 
dogghr said:
Bears, yotes, and snakes don't bother me, but I hates the skunk. Always worried spray me or the dog. One two striper got my tractor this past week as I mowed. The drawback of less coyotes is more nuisance animals such as these. How is the best way to bait for skunks to trap? I've trapped for coons and yotes but never intentionally for skunks. Any suggestions?
I don't live at farm, so it will have to be done on 3 day weekends so I can ck trapline. I would prefer to use live trap cage for simplicity if that will work. Pretty good idea of where dens are. Bait? Placement? What ye say?
And do you shoot from tail or head end when checking trap to keep from getting sprayed.?
Click to expand...

Peanut butter and jelly on old bread will usually not catch cats but will catch coons and skunks. I put a plastic garbage bag over the trap which keeps the bait from drying out. Location can be against buildings or near dens if known.

To move caught skunks away from smell sensitive areas just cover the trap with a piece of burlap or old blanket. They have never sprayed me when doing this--have even transported by vehicle without any spraying. We catch them at the cottages every year and just drop the filled cage trap in the pond to dispatch them with no spraying.

When shooting never mind which direction to shoot from--just do it from a fair distance.
 
I have typically caught skunks at dirt-hole sets using a predator bait that contained skunk sacs. But the times I have used a cage trap for targeting skunk and coon around the house, I have used sardines and the oil that comes in the can and also have used broken duck eggs.
For dispatching, if you don't have the syringe stick or its not legal in your state, I have had good success with broadside lung shots from about 20 yards with a .22LR. Haven't had one spray yet using that method. Head-shots almost always result in them spraying. Also the drowning method Chainsaw mentioned was recently outlawed in my state, so check your regulations.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Blanket idea with drowning sounds interesting. Always popped other trapped animals in cage or leghold with a 22 but wasn't to sure about doing skunk. Hoping a coyote will do the job for me. Plan to set trap next weekend as I'm off for 5 days and can ck them.
Guess I took care of one of them mowing past wk. Found this yesterday in my field. Had hard time keeping dog away. Must've been good eating as only fur was left. Thanks again.
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They always go in my barn to steal cat food, they love it. Caught one in the act a few weeks ago. Opened my living room window and shot him with a .22lr. Pumped a few rounds at it as fast as i could, and it died before it could spray.
 
Forgot to mention I pick the trap up and put it in a cart to get it to it's destination. the full trap is picked up with either a fishing gaff or a hook I made by bending 1/4 inch steel stock. Had one today enjoy a very rocky cart ride;thought for sure he might spray but nope.
 
Top 3 baits for me hands down, an I target these buggers every spring aggressively.

Cheapest cat food on the market
Paired with either
smeared wet cat food in the grass to hold scent.
or
Bannna - no joke, u can straight up slay skunks with the smell of decomposing bananas.

And as far as dispatch goes, dispatch pole does work, but I rarely hassle with em.
Just shoot, remove from trap, pitch critter in weeds, always reset, an move on.
Oh an the smell, I look at it as cologne to complement the sweat on my brow.
 
Awesome thread as I was just about to ask. Can't wait to try out some cat food/banana.. wonder what I would get first the coons or skunks..
 
Vandy said:
Awesome thread as I was just about to ask. Can't wait to try out some cat food/banana.. wonder what I would get first the coons or skunks..
Click to expand...
Quite honestly since I bushhogged momma critters seem to be gone. So you might try that first. Lol
Thanks everyone for responses. Trap is ready
 
That's good news for now. Like you said keep the trap in the ready. You may have a preferred baby skunk nursery site that the population returns to each year.
 
About half of the one's we shot with a shotgun didn't spray (they were in legholds) but almost all that we shot with a .22 did spray. So maybe a head shot with the old 12 gage will help. We use to skin them and sell the pelts just like anything else before the prices dropped out of the market.
 
I shoot everything on my trapline with a .22 short in a pistol, except skunk. I shoot skunk with my .223. It's overkill, but they don't spray!
 
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