Ever shoot a SKUNK...?

[AJMD429]

One kept getting in the chicken coop, so we live-trapped it, with a 50 foot rope tied to the trap in advance. Carefully dragged it several hundred yards away without it spraying, then did the deed with a .22 LRHP to the head. It didn't spray even then, but there was enough 'leak' to make the homestead yard and grounds a bit fragrant for a couple days...

Hated to have to shoot it, but it kept getting in the coop, and would be in there during daylight, so we thought it could be rabid or sick anyhow. Didn't want anyone to get bit or sprayed.

[m.wun]

I have shot quite a few of them.I don't think I ever shot one that didn't spray!1 and a 1/4 oz. of #6 shot works real good.I saw one hit with an arrow and that was real interesting.

[MrMurphy]

I've shot one, out in a pasture at night.

We were after hogs, and were willing to let him go about his business, but when he turned and presented his main gun, we let him have it.

14 rounds of .22 later (iron sights, black target, in the dark with a flashlight), 2 .45s and a .30-06 just to make sure, he was well and truly expired.


Same pasture, 2 years later, I was sitting in a ground blind when another skunk walked by at arm's length.

My .45 stayed aimed at him the entire time just in case. In the other pasture, 3 guys with night vision (all ex-Army) were surprised when one of them on the ground had a skunk literally just about crawl in his lap. He lived too, but they all had a chuckle about it.

[Shasta]

Living in a residential area on the very edge of the city limits, we went through a skunk epidemic a couple years back. I felt I was at war! I shot a few with subsonic .22 (illegal in the city limits), about half of which "left their mark". My most successful approach was to build a solid-wall trap baited with cat food. I had a round hole drilled in the top, as well as a couple holes in the trap door. When I heard the trap door fall, I would confirm what I had trapped, releasing cats, possums, or 'coons, but skunks got introduced to the exhaust pipe of my '56 Chevy via an old vacuum cleaner hose connected to the trap's top hole. Within a few seconds they were unconscious, and after ten muniutes, well, no more problems from that skunk!
I did-in nineteen skunks that year, and no more problems since! Here is a picture of the carbon monoxide skunk killer:



You gotta admit, the skunks went out in style!

SHASTA

[M. M. Wright]

Had a skunk in my shop once, heard that if shot in the head they wouldn't spray. That's a lie! That was over 5 years ago and on a hot day, (plenty of them lately) it still has a faint odor.

[gamekeeper]

I did-in nineteen skunks that year, and no more problems since! Here is a picture of the carbon monoxide skunk killer:



You gotta admit, the skunks went out in style!

SHASTA

+ 1

[RIHMFIRE]

no...but harley, my english setter, was nose to nose with one years ago....
while scouting....that little stinker was about 8 feet from me...thank God
Harley obeyed every command and backed out....

Harley was actually tracking a wild turkey...which he spooked up into the tree line...
and thats where we met mr skunk.....cute little fellow...

[BenT]

Shotgun and a shovel. Paste them in the head with the shotgun and keep shooting so they dont kick their back legs and then dig a hole right there as fast as possible and bury. You will get mininmum or no odor leakage that way. The coons are getting bad now , killed the kittens in the barn and pooped on my deck. I will try calling some this weekend and then get out the live trap.

[dennie]

Last summer the neighbor called and asked if I would take care of a skunk problem for them. Skunks had babies in a nest under the back door to their house. I suggested they use a water hose to flush the nest. They were already doing this, and momma was moving the babies out to the horse barn! A no-no for show ponies for sure. I was not enthused about shooting the skunks but the situation was pretty bad for the neighbors. I grabbed the Savage .22LR/20ga. by the back door and off to the neighbors I went. To make this story short, I waited for a few minutes, and here came momma and papa skunk walking in front of me about 10 feet away! One of the skunks had a baby in it's mouth and on the way to the barn. Both skunks walking side by side, one shot from the 20ga. to the head, and all three skunks DRT. No smell at all!
I told the neighbor that it was now "her" skunks to take care of. Neighbors found 5 more babies, and they finished up with the burying of all 8 skunks. No smell whatever.
Whew, very lucky! Other than our Lab getting sprayed twice, that is my limited skunk experience.

BTW Shasta, a '56 Bel Air was my first car! I loved mine, and yours looks great!
dennie

[.45colt]

When I was about 6 years old one was hanging around the farm for a few days. Made My Mom nuts because I wanted to be outside all day. Mr skunk was in the field down near the road when Mom called the cops. of course I had to run down there to help in any way possible.
The officer missed all six with his revolver, and I told Him He needed to practice which made Him pretty mad. just like Barney Fife. .

[Old Ironsights]

Lots. Trapped 'em as a kid with an old coot who sold the scent & tails.

You did right by live trapping, but we would Lung ours with a standard velocity .22 solid.

No leaks, no sprays.

[L_Kilkenny]

Coming from a trapping background I've shot dozens of skunks over the last 30+ years and during that time there has always been stories, articles and advice about how to not have them spray when shot. Shoot em in the head, shot em in the spine, etc but I've never found one that was reliable.

Now where I'm at I'll shoot every skunk I see and just deal with the stink. I've shot at least one that was confirmed to have rabies and have to keep em thinned down if I want to spend any time with my dogs. Heck, I'll probably run a trapline specifically for skunks along all the area fence rows this year to eliminate as many as possible. I consider skunks to be one of God's little pranks and think he probably rolls on the floor laughing every time people encounter them.

[piller]

Never had to shoot one. I have met a few, and always was able to back away slowly. I guess I have been lucky.

[Pitchy]

Shoot quite a few, use a shotgun with bird shot most the time and seems to work the best.
Porcupines get the same medicine.

[FWiedner]

Shot a few when I was a kid. One sprayed my older brother (just a little). I don't know what he got so upset about. He's the one who scared it out of the culvert.

My last encounter with a skunk was somewhat entertaining.

I was sitting on the back porch of a cabin up in the Chisos Basin when a HUGE skunk came waddling by. It was about 3 times the size of the ditch skunks we used to find when we were kids. The porch was elevated a a foot or so, and to the best of my recollection skunks don't have real good eyes, or maybe he just didn't care if I was there or not. Anyway, I was in my skivvies drinking a beer and watching the sun set when he came strolling by about an arm's length away, takin' his sweet time.

I just sat REAL still until he was a ways down the path.

[crs]

Yes, shot them with pistol, rifle, and shotgun and trapped them with Havaheart and jump traps. Had a dog or two sprayed by them, so now I shoot them on sight (no longer run a trapline) especially when bird hunting.
Also - I forgot the ones that we strangled with a cord on a strong pole when working the trapline. This method does keep them from spraying the trap and fouling the set, but it takes a bit more time than a .22 in the eye (only one bullet hole in the pelt then).

Lots of funny campfire stories about what we caught on that trapline, but then, I don't do that anymore.

[stew71]

Never shot one, but I seem to be really good at hitting them with the Subaru. Last count was 3, I think.

Detailing the car is getting expensive....

[t.r.]

I take the live trap and toss it into the creek. Skunk drowns along with his scent.

TR

[crs]

tr,
Great method, but ---- the Texas panhandle has precious few creeks and we never fancied taking a live trapped skunk in a ride to the nearest waterhole.

[Marlin32]

I have shot them, never had one that didn't smell.
Drowning them just seems wrong. Wouldn't do that even to a skunk.

[J35]

#1 rule, with skunks stay up wind.

#2 rule, shooting sometimes works for no stink, but never always.

My experience says live trap, old blanket and deep water is the best for no stink. I have hauled a few a mile or more to the nearest irrigation ditch.

Have used a 12 GA #8 shot a few times for a experiment, shot them right in the rear end, you still get a little stink, but no where near as bad as when it gets sprayed.

Speaking of trapping I had a skunk spray a #2 Victor on a six foot chain drag, there was a running creek near so I put the trap in the creek for a soak, three weeks later I pulled out of that area and the trap in the creek still reeked.

Another time I got a skunk in the same type trap and drag it was caught by a hind foot, the skunk seemed pretty mellow so I found a limb with a fork on the end and lifted the skunk and trap into a fork of a tree, and with the trunk protecting most of me I reached around and released the trap , I followed the skunk off about 30 yrds and shot it.

One more skunk story, one time I had a young rooster in a pen by himself he had spurs about 1/4 inch long, I walked by the pen one morning and noticed a skunk was trying to kill the rooster but the rooster was fighting back pretty good, so I went and got a chair and came back and watched the show, about two hrs later the rooster had killed the skunk and no stink, it was a good fight.

Have fun --J

[madman4570]

Thought I might have to shoot a spotted one once(it was hissing and stamping its feet at me)-------then all of a sudden, It did a handstand (facing me)tail flipped over while it was bent over backwards and---------------
It sprayed me in the face before the gun rose up!

As I was gasping/blinded/gun now on ground / I heard the sound it made while trotting off(sounded like it was snickering)
Lucky that sucker didn't run up and bite me too
Still have nightmares.

[J35]

Went to shoot a spotted one once-------It did a handstand (facing me)tail flipped over while it was bent over backwards and---------------
It sprayed me in the face before the gun rose up!

As I was gasping/blinded/gun on ground/ I heard the sound it made while trotting off(sounded like it was snickering)
Lucky that sucker didn't run up and bite me too

Well don't stop there tell us would it make a good weapon if canned, kind'a sound's like it.

I didn't know there was spotted skunks in the east.

You reminded me of another skunk story, there is a spotted skunk in the SW, the fur buyer's call them a civet cat, they are real small compared to a normal skunk but make up for their size with stink.

One morning I was checking my trap line and I came to one set that held a Horned Owl and right next to the owl laid a dead civet cat. I always figured the civet was working the set when the owl hit him, there was no exposed bait.

No wonder you call your self Madman have fun__ J

[model55]

My wife gets a little happy with the dry cat food she leaves out so about two months ago she opens the front door because she heard a noise and there on the front step is a young skunk.She slams the door the skunk takes off but I've teased her ever since about trying to bring home a new cat named lilly.Have had a few run ins but never have been sprayed.Family legend has it that one of my grandfathers had house guests and once they had all finished eating he told them it was the best skunk he had ever cooked.I got the feeling that company got a little rare after that.

[InTheWoods]

When I was about 11 (many, many decades ago), my family would spend portions of most summers at a remote cabin in Ontario. We had no electricity or plumbing in the place, and the outhouse was about 30 yards away. Being scared of bears, wolves, and other creatures of the night, I would always carry my old Winchester single-shot .22 when visiting the outhouse after dark. As a walked down that scary path with my trusty gun and flashlight one night, I noted a skunk on the outhouse step. I decided that in order to save myself and my family I should shoot the thing. I made a poor shot (probably just nicking it). The skunk sprayed every ounce of stink he had all over the already smelly outhouse, making it unusable for days. I was not a very popular fellow for quite a while.

[Old Ironsights]

Coming from a trapping background I've shot dozens of skunks over the last 30+ years and during that time there has always been stories, articles and advice about how to not have them spray when shot. Shoot em in the head, shot em in the spine, etc but I've never found one that was reliable. ...

I guess the reliability of the method we used came from the combination of the trap (keeping the tail down) and NOT shocking the skunks system with the shot.

It always took a little while for them to die when shot through the lungs with a slow solid, but my SWAG is that they really didn't know how bad they were hurt since all they really felt was a "poke" rather than a HV/HP/CNS shock.

[madman4570]

Went to shoot a spotted one once-------It did a handstand (facing me)tail flipped over while it was bent over backwards and---------------
It sprayed me in the face before the gun rose up!

As I was gasping/blinded/gun on ground/ I heard the sound it made while trotting off(sounded like it was snickering)
Lucky that sucker didn't run up and bite me too

Well don't stop there tell us would it make a good weapon if canned, kind'a sound's like it.

I didn't know there was spotted skunks in the east.

You reminded me of another skunk story, there is a spotted skunk in the SW, the fur buyer's call them a civet cat, they are real small compared to a normal skunk but make up for their size with stink.

One morning I was checking my trap line and I came to one set that held a Horned Owl and right next to the owl laid a dead civet cat. I always figured the civet was working the set when the owl hit him, there was no exposed bait.

No wonder you call your self Madman have fun__ J

Yeah they have them(at least did have them)
I was 13 and staying with my Uncle(helping farm it for the summer)
Location-----near Johnstown, Pa area.(actually Windber)
Had my Marlin .22 at the ready but------------------wham

[OJ]

My little girl Mastiff Belle (OK - 150# - little for her breed) got "skunked" in our back yard so I washed her clean in the bath tub. The following week, the same thing happened and I opined I would have to shoot that skunk. My wife assured me I wouldn't have to do that - pointing at the disemboweled skunk body in the middle of the yard. My little Belle was sweet but had limits of tolerance.

This guy is friendly never sprayed - and got treats -



Years ago in my dirt biking days, I rode the Rainbow Trail in the Sangre de Christo on my dirt bike motorcycle Ossa Pioneer and camped there in an established campground - Alvarodo. Skunks came in every evening for "happy hour" and got treats and never sprayed - until one evening. An out-of-stater camped next to me and I explained the skunks to him - no problem if they weren't threatened. That evening, he forgot my advice - but my guess was he would remember the results for the rest of his life.

[Hillbilly]

I shot one a couple of years ago.... 30 WCF, maybe 30 yards.
No smell. The first shot flipped him airborne... The second was solid.

Started the tractor once and shot one out of my brush hog.
The skunk flew into the side of the pickup--- missed the open cab door by 2 feet. No smell from that one either.

[WCF3030]

A old local trapper that showed me the ropes advise that any skunk I caught in the trap line to shot them through the lungs, which deflates them. Hitting anything in the nervous system causes them to tense up and spray, now I've only shot 5 but each one was through the lungs and not one ever sprayed.

[BAGTIC]

Skunks are the only animal that you deliberately stalk from upwind. I was standing downwind from on one when my bother shot it. He might as well have shot me too.
We did kill one from close range with a 12 gauge loaded with #6's. It looked like it had a real bad case of the measles with hundred of little red dots breaking out all over. It died so fast it didn't had a chance to spray. We just scooped in up with a shovel and moved it out of the driveway and buried it, all odor free.do

[rusty gunns]

I never shot a skunk. What caliber are they?